GMU 500 Elk Report — 2026 season
12 limited hunt codes valid in this unit. CPW 2026 brochure, 2026 primary draw recap, 2025 harvest survey. Points: resident / nonresident.
Unit harvest trend (2023–2024)
| Year | Harvest | Hunters | Success | Rec. days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 171 (93 bulls / 69 cows / 9 calves) | 610 | 28% | 3,320 |
| 2024 | 234 (128 bulls / 106 cows) | 777 | 30% | 4,361 |
| 2023 Archery | 22 | 84 | 27% | 799 |
| 2023 Muzzleloader | 25 | 102 | 25% | 495 |
| 2023 Rifle | 123 | 425 | 29% | 2,026 |
| 2024 Archery | 29 | 104 | 28% | 1,016 |
| 2024 Muzzleloader | 44 | 124 | 36% | 702 |
| 2024 Rifle | 161 | 549 | 29% | 2,642 |
| Season | Antlered harvest / hunters | Success | Antlerless harvest / hunters | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Muzzleloader | 18 / 44 | 40% | 8 / 58 | 13% |
| 2023 Rifle | 58 / 153 | 38% | 58 / 272 | 21% |
| 2024 Muzzleloader | 32 / 55 | 59% | 12 / 69 | 17% |
| 2024 Rifle | 75 / 184 | 41% | 86 / 366 | 24% |
* CPW's antlered/antlerless tables do not include either-sex hunt codes.
All limited + over-the-counter hunters. CPW published unit-level tables for 2023 and 2024; the 2025 report has hunt-code totals only.
Every hunt code in the unit
| Dates | GMUs | Drew out at (pts) | Points 2023–2026 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-E-500-O1-A | archery | either | Sept. 2–30 | ■500 | A | 110 | 346 | 2 | 6 | 2/3/3/23/4/5/6 | 15% | 72.9 |
| E-F-500-O1-M | muzzleloader | female | Sept. 12–20 | ■500 | B | 85 | 102 | 0 | 0 | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 44% | 9.5 |
| E-M-500-O1-M | muzzleloader | male | Sept. 12–20 | ■500 | A | 45 | 177 | 3 | 8 | 3/2/2/36/6/7/8 | 34% | 14.5 |
| E-F-500-L1-R | rifle | female | Dec. 12–20 Late | ■500 | B | 10 | 11 | 0 | – | 0/0/0/0– | 55% | 8.3 |
| E-M-500-O1-R | rifle | male | Oct. 14–18 | ■500 | A | 65 | 271 | 4 | 7 | 2/3/4/43/6/7/7 | 49% | 7.2 |
| E-F-500-O2-R | rifle | female | Oct. 24–Nov. 1 | ■500 | B | 195 | 198 | 0 | 0 | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 25% | 18.6 |
| E-M-500-O2-R | rifle | male | Oct. 24–Nov. 1 | ■500 | A | 65 | 180 | 1 | 2 | 1/0/0/11/1/1/2 | 26% | 20.5 |
| E-F-500-O3-R | rifle | female | Nov. 7–15 | ■500 | B | 170 | 73 | 0 (2nd) | 0 (2nd) | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 32% | 14.7 |
| E-M-500-O3-R | rifle | male | Nov. 7–15 | ■500 | A | 30 | 43 | 0 | 1 | 0/0/0/00/0/0/1 | 27% | 21.8 |
| E-F-500-O4-R | rifle | female | Nov. 18–22 | ■500 | B | 20 | 2 | 0 (2nd) | – | 0/0/0/0-/-/0/- | 32% | 11.2 |
| E-M-500-O4-R | rifle | male | Nov. 18–22 | ■500 | A | 10 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 1/0/0/11/0/1/1 | 88%* | 3.7 |
| E-F-500-P5-RPLO | rifle | female | Sept. 1–Jan. 31 | 500 | B | 20 | 32 | 1 | – | 1/1/0/1– | 40% | 15.3 |
* Low sample: CPW flags these hunt codes "few hunters responded".
- either +
- either-sex license; + marks codes where an adult Colorado resident needed on average 6+ preference points to draw over the previous three draws (CPW brochure p.20). Up to 20% of these licenses may go to nonresidents (p.4).
- 0 (2nd)
- the code filled with 2nd-choice applicants: every 1st-choice applicant drew, even with 0 points.
Near-sure draws (0–1 point in 2026)
- E-M-500-O4-R rifle male, Nov. 18–22: 10 tags, 24 first-choice apps, drew at 1 res /1 nonres, success 88% (low sample), List A
- E-F-500-L1-R rifle female, Dec. 12–20 Late: 10 tags, 11 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /– nonres, success 55%, List B
- E-F-500-O1-M muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20: 85 tags, 102 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /0 nonres, success 44%, List B
- E-F-500-P5-R rifle female, Sept. 1–Jan. 31: 20 tags, 32 first-choice apps, drew at 1 res /– nonres, success 40%, List B (private land only)
- E-F-500-O3-R rifle female, Nov. 7–15: 170 tags, 73 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 32%, List B
- E-F-500-O4-R rifle female, Nov. 18–22: 20 tags, 2 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /– nonres, success 32%, List B
- E-M-500-O3-R rifle male, Nov. 7–15: 30 tags, 43 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /1 nonres, success 27%, List A
- E-M-500-O2-R rifle male, Oct. 24–Nov. 1: 65 tags, 180 first-choice apps, drew at 1 res /2 nonres, success 26%, List A
- E-F-500-O2-R rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1: 195 tags, 198 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /0 nonres, success 25%, List B
Point creep warnings (resident or nonresident points rose 2+ since 2023)
- E-E-500-O1-Aarchery either:res 2/3/3/2nonres 3/4/5/6
- E-M-500-O1-Mmuzzleloader male:res 3/2/2/3nonres 6/6/7/8
- E-M-500-O1-Rrifle male:res 2/3/4/4nonres 3/6/7/7
Stackable tags (List B — can be held alongside a List A tag)
No List C hunts in this unit.
- E-F-500-O1-M muzzleloader female Sept. 12–20 — drew at 0 res / 0 nonres, 85 tags
- E-F-500-L1-R rifle female Dec. 12–20 Late — drew at 0 res / – nonres, 10 tags
- E-F-500-O2-R rifle female Oct. 24–Nov. 1 — drew at 0 res / 0 nonres, 195 tags
- E-F-500-O3-R rifle female Nov. 7–15 — drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res / 0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, 170 tags
- E-F-500-O4-R rifle female Nov. 18–22 — drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res / – nonres, 20 tags
- E-F-500-P5-R rifle female Sept. 1–Jan. 31 — drew at 1 res / – nonres, 20 tags
With your points
Likely draws (6)
- E-F-500-O1-M needs 0 pts
- E-F-500-L1-R needs 0 pts
- E-F-500-O2-R needs 0 pts
- E-F-500-O3-R 0 pts, 2nd choice
- E-M-500-O3-R needs 0 pts
- E-F-500-O4-R 0 pts, 2nd choice
Coin flips (3)
- E-M-500-O2-R needs 1 pt
- E-M-500-O4-R needs 1 pt
- E-F-500-P5-R needs 1 pt
Not this year (3)
- E-E-500-O1-A needs 2 pts
- E-M-500-O1-M needs 3 pts
- E-M-500-O1-R needs 4 pts
Numbers are the last draw's drawn-out-at points for the chosen residency: the points held by the last applicant who drew. Codes with no drawn-out-at value for that residency are left out. Point creep can move a code up a bucket.
Drawn-out-at = preference points held by the last successful applicant at that residency. "0 (2nd)" = the code filled with 2nd-choice applicants, so any 1st-choice applicant drew with 0 points. Success % and days/harvest are from CPW's 2025harvest survey, by hunt code.
FAQ
- Which elk hunt codes are valid in GMU 500?
- 12 limited codes in the 2026 brochure: E-E-500-O1-A (archery either, Sept. 2–30); E-F-500-O1-M (muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20); E-M-500-O1-M (muzzleloader male, Sept. 12–20); E-F-500-L1-R (rifle female, Dec. 12–20 Late); E-M-500-O1-R (rifle male, Oct. 14–18); E-F-500-O2-R (rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-M-500-O2-R (rifle male, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-F-500-O3-R (rifle female, Nov. 7–15); E-M-500-O3-R (rifle male, Nov. 7–15); E-F-500-O4-R (rifle female, Nov. 18–22); E-M-500-O4-R (rifle male, Nov. 18–22); E-F-500-P5-R (rifle female, Sept. 1–Jan. 31).
- What is the easiest elk tag to draw in GMU 500?
- E-M-500-O4-R (rifle, male, Nov. 18–22) drew out at 1 for residents and 1 for nonresidents in the 2026 draw, with 10 tags.
- How many points does it take to draw E-M-500-O1-R?
- In the 2026 primary draw the last E-M-500-O1-R tag went at 4 resident points and 7 nonresident points. Resident history 2023–2026: 2/3/4/4; nonresident: 3/6/7/7.
- What is elk hunting success in GMU 500?
- In 2024, 777 elk hunters in GMU 500 harvested 234 animals (30% success, all seasons and weapons, CPW harvest survey).
- What does "0 pts (2nd choice)" mean?
- The hunt code filled with second-choice applicants. Every first-choice applicant drew, even with zero preference points, and the remaining licenses went to people who listed it as their second choice.