GMU 681 Elk Report — 2026 season
8 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 | 106 (86 bulls / 14 cows / 7 calves) | 1,498 | 7% | 8,597 |
| 2024 | 153 (141 bulls / 9 cows / 2 calves) | 1,519 | 10% | 8,603 |
| 2023 Archery | 34 | 681 | 5% | 4,719 |
| 2023 Muzzleloader | 5 | 24 | 22% | 134 |
| 2023 Rifle | 67 | 792 | 8% | 3,745 |
| 2024 Archery | 27 | 577 | 5% | 4,355 |
| 2024 Muzzleloader | 0 | 31 | 0% | 159 |
| 2024 Rifle | 126 | 911 | 14% | 4,089 |
| Season | Antlered harvest / hunters | Success | Antlerless harvest / hunters | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Muzzleloader | 5 / 18 | 30% | 0 / 6 | 0% |
| 2023 Rifle | 56 / 741 | 8% | 8 / 51 | 16% |
| 2024 Muzzleloader | 0 / 29 | 0% | 0 / 2 | 0% |
| 2024 Rifle | 118 / 855 | 14% | 6 / 56 | 10% |
* 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-068-V1-ALeftover likely | archery | either | Sept. 2–30 | 68, 681 | A | 470 | 214 | – | – | ––– | 7% | 116.3 |
| E-F-068-O1-M | muzzleloader | female | Sept. 12–20 | 68, 681 | A | 35 | 38 | 0 | – | 2/2/2/04/-/-/- | 0%* | – |
| E-M-068-O1-M | muzzleloader | male | Sept. 12–20 | 68, 681 | A | 85 | 141 | 0 | 1 | 0/0/0/01/1/1/1 | 16% | 34.4 |
| E-M-068-O1-R | rifle | male | Oct. 14–18 | 68, 681 | A | 375 | 528 | 0 | 0 | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 24% | 15.6 |
| E-F-068-O2-R | rifle | female | Oct. 24–Nov. 1 | 68, 681 | A | 60 | 284 | 2 | 2 | 3/4/3/2-/4/4/2 | 8% | 61.6 |
| E-F-068-O3-R | rifle | female | Nov. 7–15 | 68, 681 | A | 60 | 290 | 3 | 3 | 3/3/2/33/-/3/3 | 10% | 59.0 |
| E-F-068-O4-R | rifle | female | Nov. 18–22 | 68, 681 | A | 60 | 79 | 0 | 0 | 1/0/0/0-/-/0/0 | 20% | 19.5 |
| E-M-068-O4-R | rifle | male | Nov. 18–22 | 68, 681 | A | 130 | 85 | 0 (2nd) | 0 (2nd) | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 17% | 21.1 |
* 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-068-O1-R rifle male, Oct. 14–18: 375 tags, 528 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /0 nonres, success 24%, List A
- E-F-068-O4-R rifle female, Nov. 18–22: 60 tags, 79 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /0 nonres, success 20%, List A
- E-M-068-O4-R rifle male, Nov. 18–22: 130 tags, 85 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 17%, List A
- E-M-068-O1-M muzzleloader male, Sept. 12–20: 85 tags, 141 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /1 nonres, success 16%, List A
- E-F-068-O1-M muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20: 35 tags, 38 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /– nonres, success 0% (low sample), List A
Leftover likely
These codes had licenses left over after the 2026 primary draw:E-E-068-V1-A.
With your points
Likely draws (5)
- E-F-068-O1-M needs 0 pts
- E-M-068-O1-M needs 0 pts
- E-M-068-O1-R needs 0 pts
- E-F-068-O4-R needs 0 pts
- E-M-068-O4-R 0 pts, 2nd choice
Coin flips (0)
Not this year (2)
- E-F-068-O2-R needs 2 pts
- E-F-068-O3-R needs 3 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 681?
- 8 limited codes in the 2026 brochure: E-E-068-V1-A (archery either, Sept. 2–30); E-F-068-O1-M (muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20); E-M-068-O1-M (muzzleloader male, Sept. 12–20); E-M-068-O1-R (rifle male, Oct. 14–18); E-F-068-O2-R (rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-F-068-O3-R (rifle female, Nov. 7–15); E-F-068-O4-R (rifle female, Nov. 18–22); E-M-068-O4-R (rifle male, Nov. 18–22).
- What is the easiest elk tag to draw in GMU 681?
- E-M-068-O1-R (rifle, male, Oct. 14–18) drew out at 0 for residents and 0 for nonresidents in the 2026 draw, with 375 tags.
- How many points does it take to draw E-F-068-O3-R?
- In the 2026 primary draw the last E-F-068-O3-R tag went at 3 resident points and 3 nonresident points. Resident history 2023–2026: 3/3/2/3; nonresident: 3/-/3/3.
- What is elk hunting success in GMU 681?
- In 2024, 1,519 elk hunters in GMU 681 harvested 153 animals (10% 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.