GMU 81 Elk Report — 2026 season
9 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 | 669 (435 bulls / 216 cows / 18 calves) | 3,780 | 18% | 21,843 |
| 2024 | 882 (580 bulls / 276 cows / 26 calves) | 3,726 | 24% | 20,920 |
| 2023 Archery | 168 | 1,243 | 14% | 10,484 |
| 2023 Muzzleloader | 36 | 92 | 39% | 464 |
| 2023 Rifle | 465 | 2,445 | 19% | 10,895 |
| 2024 Archery | 218 | 1,182 | 18% | 9,592 |
| 2024 Muzzleloader | 35 | 101 | 34% | 488 |
| 2024 Rifle | 630 | 2,442 | 26% | 10,841 |
| Season | Antlered harvest / hunters | Success | Antlerless harvest / hunters | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Muzzleloader | 17 / 59 | 28% | 19 / 33 | 59% |
| 2023 Rifle | 322 / 2,068 | 16% | 91 / 309 | 29% |
| 2024 Muzzleloader | 22 / 70 | 31% | 11 / 31 | 35% |
| 2024 Rifle | 424 / 2,059 | 21% | 117 / 289 | 41% |
* 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-080-O1-A | archery | either | Sept. 2–30 | 80, 81 | A | 2,000 | 2,268 | 0 | 0 | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 17% | 51.5 |
| E-F-080-O1-M | muzzleloader | female | Sept. 12–20 | 80, 81 | A | 70 | 130 | 0 | 1 | 0/0/0/00/0/0/1 | 26% | 19.7 |
| E-M-080-O1-M | muzzleloader | male | Sept. 12–20 | 80, 81 | A | 115 | 418 | 1 | 6 | 1/1/1/13/4/6/6 | 33% | 15.3 |
| E-M-080-O1-R | rifle | male | Oct. 14–18 | 80, 81 | A | 450 | 1,540 | 1 | 3 | 0/0/0/11/2/2/3 | 35% | 9.9 |
| E-F-081-O2-R | rifle | female | Oct. 24–Nov. 1 | 81 | A | 150 | 383 | 1 | 1 | 2/1/1/12/1/1/1 | 32% | 16.8 |
| E-F-081-O3-R | rifle | female | Nov. 7–15 | 81 | A | 100 | 245 | 1 | 1 | 1/0/1/11/0/1/1 | 26% | 21.8 |
| E-F-081-O4-R | rifle | female | Nov. 18–22 | 81 | A | 80 | 70 | 0 (2nd) | 0 (2nd) | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 27% | 14.9 |
| E-M-080-O4-R | rifle | male | Nov. 18–22 | 80, 81 | A | 40 | 129 | 1 | 1 | 0/0/1/11/0/1/1 | 15% | 23.7 |
| E-F-081-P5-RPLO | rifle | female | Sept. 1–Jan. 31 | 81 | B | 30 | 21 | 0 (2nd) | 1 | 0/0/0/01/0/1/1 | 60% | 11.7 |
- 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-081-P5-R rifle female, Sept. 1–Jan. 31: 30 tags, 21 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /1 nonres, success 60%, List B (private land only)
- E-M-080-O1-R rifle male, Oct. 14–18: 450 tags, 1,540 first-choice apps, drew at 1 res /3 nonres, success 35%, List A
- E-M-080-O1-M muzzleloader male, Sept. 12–20: 115 tags, 418 first-choice apps, drew at 1 res /6 nonres, success 33%, List A
- E-F-081-O2-R rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1: 150 tags, 383 first-choice apps, drew at 1 res /1 nonres, success 32%, List A
- E-F-081-O4-R rifle female, Nov. 18–22: 80 tags, 70 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 27%, List A
- E-F-081-O3-R rifle female, Nov. 7–15: 100 tags, 245 first-choice apps, drew at 1 res /1 nonres, success 26%, List A
- E-F-080-O1-M muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20: 70 tags, 130 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /1 nonres, success 26%, List A
- E-E-080-O1-A archery either, Sept. 2–30: 2,000 tags, 2,268 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /0 nonres, success 17%, List A
- E-M-080-O4-R rifle male, Nov. 18–22: 40 tags, 129 first-choice apps, drew at 1 res /1 nonres, success 15%, List A
Point creep warnings (resident or nonresident points rose 2+ since 2023)
- E-M-080-O1-Mmuzzleloader male:res 1/1/1/1nonres 3/4/6/6
- E-M-080-O1-Rrifle male:res 0/0/0/1nonres 1/2/2/3
Stackable tags (List B — can be held alongside a List A tag)
No List C hunts in this unit.
- E-F-081-P5-R rifle female Sept. 1–Jan. 31 — drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res / 1 nonres, 30 tags
With your points
Likely draws (4)
- E-E-080-O1-A needs 0 pts
- E-F-080-O1-M needs 0 pts
- E-F-081-O4-R 0 pts, 2nd choice
- E-F-081-P5-R 0 pts, 2nd choice
Coin flips (5)
- E-M-080-O1-M needs 1 pt
- E-M-080-O1-R needs 1 pt
- E-F-081-O2-R needs 1 pt
- E-F-081-O3-R needs 1 pt
- E-M-080-O4-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 81?
- 9 limited codes in the 2026 brochure: E-E-080-O1-A (archery either, Sept. 2–30); E-F-080-O1-M (muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20); E-M-080-O1-M (muzzleloader male, Sept. 12–20); E-M-080-O1-R (rifle male, Oct. 14–18); E-F-081-O2-R (rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-F-081-O3-R (rifle female, Nov. 7–15); E-F-081-O4-R (rifle female, Nov. 18–22); E-M-080-O4-R (rifle male, Nov. 18–22); E-F-081-P5-R (rifle female, Sept. 1–Jan. 31).
- What is the easiest elk tag to draw in GMU 81?
- E-F-081-P5-R (rifle, female, Sept. 1–Jan. 31) drew out at 0 pts (2nd choice) for residents and 1 for nonresidents in the 2026 draw, with 30 tags.
- How many points does it take to draw E-M-080-O1-M?
- In the 2026 primary draw the last E-M-080-O1-M tag went at 1 resident points and 6 nonresident points. Resident history 2023–2026: 1/1/1/1; nonresident: 3/4/6/6.
- What is elk hunting success in GMU 81?
- In 2024, 3,726 elk hunters in GMU 81 harvested 882 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.