Which elk hunt codes are valid in GMU 51?

12 limited codes in the 2026 brochure: E-E-051-O1-A (archery either, Sept. 2–30); E-F-051-O1-M (muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20); E-M-051-O1-M (muzzleloader male, Sept. 12–20); E-F-051-O1-R (rifle female, Oct. 14–18); E-M-051-O1-R (rifle male, Oct. 14–18); E-F-051-O2-R (rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-M-051-O2-R (rifle male, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-F-051-O3-R (rifle female, Nov. 7–15); E-M-051-O3-R (rifle male, Nov. 7–15); E-F-051-O4-R (rifle female, Nov. 18–22); E-M-051-O4-R (rifle male, Nov. 18–22); E-F-051-P5-R (rifle female, Sept. 1–Jan. 31).

What is the easiest elk tag to draw in GMU 51?

E-M-051-O1-R (rifle, male, Oct. 14–18) drew out at 1 for residents and 1 for nonresidents in the 2026 draw, with 50 tags.

How many points does it take to draw E-E-051-O1-A?

In the 2026 primary draw the last E-E-051-O1-A tag went at 1 resident points and 1 nonresident points. Resident history 2023–2026: 1/1/1/1; nonresident: 1/1/1/1.

What is elk hunting success in GMU 51?

In 2024, 623 elk hunters in GMU 51 harvested 188 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.

GMU 51 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)

2023

2024

Year	Harvest	Hunters	Success	Rec. days
2023	163 (86 bulls / 73 cows / 3 calves)	578	28%	3,882
2024	188 (90 bulls / 88 cows / 10 calves)	623	30%	4,868
2023 Archery	21	88	24%	879
2023 Muzzleloader	12	68	17%	286
2023 Rifle	130	422	31%	2,717
2024 Archery	25	85	29%	832
2024 Muzzleloader	26	71	36%	381
2024 Rifle	137	466	29%	3,655

Season	Antlered harvest / hunters	Success	Antlerless harvest / hunters	Success
2023 Muzzleloader	12 / 33	36%	0 / 36	0%
2023 Rifle	56 / 129	43%	64 / 286	23%
2024 Muzzleloader	22 / 36	61%	2 / 35	5%
2024 Rifle	45 / 131	35%	84 / 333	25%

* 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
			Dates	GMUs						Points 2023–2026
E-E-051-O1-A	archery	either	Sept. 2–30	51	A	120	207	1	1	1/1/1/11/1/1/1	27%	38.0
E-F-051-O1-M	muzzleloader	female	Sept. 12–20	51	A	50	22	0 (2nd)	0	0/0/0/0-/0/0/0	2%	234.0
E-M-051-O1-M	muzzleloader	male	Sept. 12–20	51	A	50	104	1	3	1/1/1/12/2/3/3	52%	9.3
E-F-051-O1-R	rifle	female	Oct. 14–18	51	A	40	28	0 (2nd)	0 (2nd)	0/0/0/00/0/0/0	16%	18.0
E-M-051-O1-R	rifle	male	Oct. 14–18	51	A	50	83	1	1	1/1/1/11/1/1/1	59%	5.1
E-F-051-O2-R	rifle	female	Oct. 24–Nov. 1	51	A	50	20	0 (2nd)	–	0/0/0/0-/0/-/-	20%	21.2
E-M-051-O2-R	rifle	male	Oct. 24–Nov. 1	51	A	50	60	0	0	0/1/0/00/1/0/0	48%	8.0
E-F-051-O3-R	rifle	female	Nov. 7–15	51	A	40	20	0 (2nd)	0 (2nd)	0/0/0/00/0/3/0	7%	53.5
E-M-051-O3-R	rifle	male	Nov. 7–15	51	A	30	47	1	1	0/0/1/10/0/2/1	41%	8.8
E-F-051-O4-R	rifle	female	Nov. 18–22	51	A	35	5	0 (3rd)	–	0/0/0/0-/-/0/-	18%	17.4
E-M-051-O4-R	rifle	male	Nov. 18–22	51	A	20	30	0	2	0/0/1/03/1/2/2	47%	5.9
E-F-051-P5-RPLOLeftover likely	rifle	female	Sept. 1–Jan. 31	51	B	278	85	–	–	-/0/0/--/0/0/-	35%	36.9

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-051-O1-R rifle male, Oct. 14–18: 50 tags, 83 first-choice apps, drew at 1 res /1 nonres, success 59%, List A
E-M-051-O1-M muzzleloader male, Sept. 12–20: 50 tags, 104 first-choice apps, drew at 1 res /3 nonres, success 52%, List A
E-M-051-O2-R rifle male, Oct. 24–Nov. 1: 50 tags, 60 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /0 nonres, success 48%, List A
E-M-051-O4-R rifle male, Nov. 18–22: 20 tags, 30 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /2 nonres, success 47%, List A
E-M-051-O3-R rifle male, Nov. 7–15: 30 tags, 47 first-choice apps, drew at 1 res /1 nonres, success 41%, List A
E-E-051-O1-A archery either, Sept. 2–30: 120 tags, 207 first-choice apps, drew at 1 res /1 nonres, success 27%, List A
E-F-051-O2-R rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1: 50 tags, 20 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /– nonres, success 20%, List A
E-F-051-O4-R rifle female, Nov. 18–22: 35 tags, 5 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (3rd choice) res /– nonres, success 18%, List A
E-F-051-O1-R rifle female, Oct. 14–18: 40 tags, 28 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 16%, List A
E-F-051-O3-R rifle female, Nov. 7–15: 40 tags, 20 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 7%, List A
E-F-051-O1-M muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20: 50 tags, 22 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 nonres, success 2%, List A

Stackable tags (List B — can be held alongside a List A tag)

No List C hunts in this unit.

E-F-051-P5-R rifle female Sept. 1–Jan. 31 — drew at – res / – nonres, 278 tags

Leftover likely

These codes had licenses left over after the 2026 primary draw:E-F-051-P5-R.

With your points

Likely draws (7)

E-F-051-O1-M 0 pts, 2nd choice
E-F-051-O1-R 0 pts, 2nd choice
E-F-051-O2-R 0 pts, 2nd choice
E-M-051-O2-R needs 0 pts
E-F-051-O3-R 0 pts, 2nd choice
E-F-051-O4-R 0 pts, 3rd choice
E-M-051-O4-R needs 0 pts

Coin flips (4)

E-E-051-O1-A needs 1 pt
E-M-051-O1-M needs 1 pt
E-M-051-O1-R needs 1 pt
E-M-051-O3-R needs 1 pt

Not this year (0)

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 51?: 12 limited codes in the 2026 brochure: E-E-051-O1-A (archery either, Sept. 2–30); E-F-051-O1-M (muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20); E-M-051-O1-M (muzzleloader male, Sept. 12–20); E-F-051-O1-R (rifle female, Oct. 14–18); E-M-051-O1-R (rifle male, Oct. 14–18); E-F-051-O2-R (rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-M-051-O2-R (rifle male, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-F-051-O3-R (rifle female, Nov. 7–15); E-M-051-O3-R (rifle male, Nov. 7–15); E-F-051-O4-R (rifle female, Nov. 18–22); E-M-051-O4-R (rifle male, Nov. 18–22); E-F-051-P5-R (rifle female, Sept. 1–Jan. 31).
What is the easiest elk tag to draw in GMU 51?: E-M-051-O1-R (rifle, male, Oct. 14–18) drew out at 1 for residents and 1 for nonresidents in the 2026 draw, with 50 tags.
How many points does it take to draw E-E-051-O1-A?: In the 2026 primary draw the last E-E-051-O1-A tag went at 1 resident points and 1 nonresident points. Resident history 2023–2026: 1/1/1/1; nonresident: 1/1/1/1.
What is elk hunting success in GMU 51?: In 2024, 623 elk hunters in GMU 51 harvested 188 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.