Which elk hunt codes are valid in GMU 56?

11 limited codes in the 2026 brochure: E-E-056-O1-A (archery either, Sept. 2–30); E-F-056-O1-M (muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20); E-M-056-O1-M (muzzleloader male, Sept. 12–20); E-M-056-O1-R (rifle male, Oct. 14–18); E-F-056-O2-R (rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-M-056-O2-R (rifle male, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-F-056-O3-R (rifle female, Nov. 7–15); E-M-056-O3-R (rifle male, Nov. 7–15); E-F-056-O4-R (rifle female, Nov. 18–22); E-M-056-O4-R (rifle male, Nov. 18–22); E-F-056-P5-R (rifle female, Sept. 1–Jan. 31).

What is the easiest elk tag to draw in GMU 56?

E-F-056-P5-R (rifle, female, Sept. 1–Jan. 31) drew out at 0 for residents and – for nonresidents in the 2026 draw, with 25 tags.

How many points does it take to draw E-E-056-O1-A?

In the 2026 primary draw the last E-E-056-O1-A tag went at 0 pts (2nd choice) resident points and 0 nonresident points. Resident history 2023–2026: 0/0/0/0; nonresident: 0/0/0/0.

What is elk hunting success in GMU 56?

In 2024, 421 elk hunters in GMU 56 harvested 99 animals (24% 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 56 Elk Report — 2026 season

11 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	90 (37 bulls / 48 cows / 5 calves)	423	21%	2,599
2024	99 (57 bulls / 41 cows / 1 calves)	421	24%	2,229
2023 Archery	6	91	7%	962
2023 Muzzleloader	15	59	24%	314
2023 Rifle	69	273	25%	1,323
2024 Archery	12	80	15%	704
2024 Muzzleloader	13	63	21%	282
2024 Rifle	74	279	27%	1,243

Season	Antlered harvest / hunters	Success	Antlerless harvest / hunters	Success
2023 Muzzleloader	8 / 32	25%	7 / 28	24%
2023 Rifle	25 / 123	20%	26 / 127	20%
2024 Muzzleloader	9 / 33	29%	4 / 30	12%
2024 Rifle	38 / 136	28%	24 / 122	19%

* 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-056-O1-A	archery	either	Sept. 2–30	56	A	110	101	0 (2nd)	0	0/0/0/00/0/0/0	20%	50.7
E-F-056-O1-M	muzzleloader	female	Sept. 12–20	56	A	40	17	0 (2nd)	0 (2nd)	0/-/-/00/-/-/0	24%	22.4
E-M-056-O1-M	muzzleloader	male	Sept. 12–20	56	A	40	66	0	1	0/0/0/01/1/1/1	20%	29.1
E-M-056-O1-R	rifle	male	Oct. 14–18	56	A	40	60	0	1	1/1/0/01/1/2/1	50%	7.3
E-F-056-O2-R	rifle	female	Oct. 24–Nov. 1	56	A	50	41	0 (2nd)	0 (2nd)	0/0/0/00/0/0/0	8%	70.7
E-M-056-O2-R	rifle	male	Oct. 24–Nov. 1	56	A	40	63	0	1	1/0/0/01/0/1/1	29%	17.1
E-F-056-O3-R	rifle	female	Nov. 7–15	56	A	50	37	0 (2nd)	0 (2nd)	0/0/0/00/0/1/0	13%	39.0
E-M-056-O3-R	rifle	male	Nov. 7–15	56	A	40	63	0	1	0/0/0/00/0/1/1	40%	14.2
E-F-056-O4-R	rifle	female	Nov. 18–22	56	A	30	15	0 (3rd)	0 (2nd)	0/0/0/00/-/0/0	18%	17.2
E-M-056-O4-R	rifle	male	Nov. 18–22	56	A	20	22	0	0	0/0/0/0-/1/0/0	22%	12.5
E-F-056-P5-RPLO	rifle	female	Sept. 1–Jan. 31	56	B	25	30	0	–	2/2/3/0–	78%*	10.6

* 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-F-056-P5-R rifle female, Sept. 1–Jan. 31: 25 tags, 30 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /– nonres, success 78% (low sample), List B (private land only)
E-M-056-O1-R rifle male, Oct. 14–18: 40 tags, 60 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /1 nonres, success 50%, List A
E-M-056-O3-R rifle male, Nov. 7–15: 40 tags, 63 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /1 nonres, success 40%, List A
E-M-056-O2-R rifle male, Oct. 24–Nov. 1: 40 tags, 63 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /1 nonres, success 29%, List A
E-F-056-O1-M muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20: 40 tags, 17 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 24%, List A
E-M-056-O4-R rifle male, Nov. 18–22: 20 tags, 22 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /0 nonres, success 22%, List A
E-M-056-O1-M muzzleloader male, Sept. 12–20: 40 tags, 66 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /1 nonres, success 20%, List A
E-E-056-O1-A archery either, Sept. 2–30: 110 tags, 101 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 nonres, success 20%, List A
E-F-056-O4-R rifle female, Nov. 18–22: 30 tags, 15 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (3rd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 18%, List A
E-F-056-O3-R rifle female, Nov. 7–15: 50 tags, 37 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 13%, List A
E-F-056-O2-R rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1: 50 tags, 41 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 8%, List A

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

No List C hunts in this unit.

E-F-056-P5-R rifle female Sept. 1–Jan. 31 — drew at 0 res / – nonres, 25 tags

With your points

Likely draws (11)

E-E-056-O1-A 0 pts, 2nd choice
E-F-056-O1-M 0 pts, 2nd choice
E-M-056-O1-M needs 0 pts
E-M-056-O1-R needs 0 pts
E-F-056-O2-R 0 pts, 2nd choice
E-M-056-O2-R needs 0 pts
E-F-056-O3-R 0 pts, 2nd choice
E-M-056-O3-R needs 0 pts
E-F-056-O4-R 0 pts, 3rd choice
E-M-056-O4-R needs 0 pts
E-F-056-P5-R needs 0 pts

Coin flips (0)

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 56?: 11 limited codes in the 2026 brochure: E-E-056-O1-A (archery either, Sept. 2–30); E-F-056-O1-M (muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20); E-M-056-O1-M (muzzleloader male, Sept. 12–20); E-M-056-O1-R (rifle male, Oct. 14–18); E-F-056-O2-R (rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-M-056-O2-R (rifle male, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-F-056-O3-R (rifle female, Nov. 7–15); E-M-056-O3-R (rifle male, Nov. 7–15); E-F-056-O4-R (rifle female, Nov. 18–22); E-M-056-O4-R (rifle male, Nov. 18–22); E-F-056-P5-R (rifle female, Sept. 1–Jan. 31).
What is the easiest elk tag to draw in GMU 56?: E-F-056-P5-R (rifle, female, Sept. 1–Jan. 31) drew out at 0 for residents and – for nonresidents in the 2026 draw, with 25 tags.
How many points does it take to draw E-E-056-O1-A?: In the 2026 primary draw the last E-E-056-O1-A tag went at 0 pts (2nd choice) resident points and 0 nonresident points. Resident history 2023–2026: 0/0/0/0; nonresident: 0/0/0/0.
What is elk hunting success in GMU 56?: In 2024, 421 elk hunters in GMU 56 harvested 99 animals (24% 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.