GMU 851 Elk Report — 2026 season
24 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 | 186 (124 bulls / 62 cows) | 545 | 34% | 2,586 |
| 2024 | 175 (111 bulls / 63 cows) | 579 | 30% | 3,110 |
| 2023 Archery | 30 | 147 | 20% | 1,014 |
| 2023 Muzzleloader | 11 | 29 | 39% | 158 |
| 2023 Rifle | 145 | 370 | 39% | 1,414 |
| 2024 Archery | 32 | 156 | 20% | 1,226 |
| 2024 Muzzleloader | 3 | 43 | 7% | 188 |
| 2024 Rifle | 140 | 380 | 37% | 1,696 |
| Season | Antlered harvest / hunters | Success | Antlerless harvest / hunters | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Muzzleloader | 4 / 5 | 80% | 0 / 12 | 0% |
| 2023 Rifle | 40 / 142 | 28% | 32 / 99 | 32% |
| 2024 Muzzleloader | 0 / 4 | 0% | 0 / 22 | 0% |
| 2024 Rifle | 43 / 152 | 28% | 27 / 92 | 29% |
* 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-851-O1-A | archery | either + | Sept. 2–30 | 851 Bosque del Oso SWA only | A | 8 | 34 | 6 | 8 | 5/5/6/612/13/17/8 | 0%* | – |
| E-E-085-V1-ALeftover likely | archery | either | Sept. 2–30 | 85, 140, 851 Except Bosque d | A | 575 | 449 | – | – | –-/-/0/- | 20% | 36.0 |
| E-F-085-V1-ALeftover likely | archery | female | Sept. 2–30 | 85, 140, 851 Except Bosque d | B | 2 | 0 | – | – | ––– | 50%* | 16.0 |
| E-E-085-O1-M | muzzleloader | either | Sept. 12–20 | 85, 140, 851 Except Bosque d | A | 120 | 212 | 0 | 2 | 0/0/0/01/2/2/2 | 36% | 13.7 |
| E-F-085-O1-MLeftover likely | muzzleloader | female | Sept. 12–20 | 85, 140, 851 Except Bosque d | B | 80 | 23 | – | – | ––– | 17% | 27.6 |
| E-M-851-O1-M | muzzleloader | male | Sept. 12–20 | 851 Bosque del Oso SWA only | A | 5 | 15 | 7 | 15 | 3/4/2/713/14/22/15 | 33% | 22.0 |
| E-E-851-K2-R | rifle | either | Oct. 24–Nov. 1 | 851 Bosque del Oso SWA youth | A | 2 | 33 | – | – | ––– | 0%* | – |
| E-E-851-K3-R | rifle | either | Nov. 7–15 | 851 Bosque del Oso SWA youth | A | 2 | 39 | – | – | ––– | 50% | 10.0 |
| E-F-085-L1-R | rifle | female | Dec. 15–31 Late | 85, 140, 851 Except Bosque d | B | 40 | 49 | 0 | 1 | 0/0/0/00/1/0/1 | 41% | 16.7 |
| E-F-851-L1-R | rifle | female | Nov. 28–Dec. 6 Late | 851 Bosque del Oso SWA only | B | 10 | 10 | 0 | – | 0/0/0/00/-/-/- | 30%* | 11.0 |
| E-F-851-L2-R | rifle | female | Dec. 12–20 Late | 851 Bosque del Oso SWA only | B | 15 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0/0/0/0-/-/0/0 | 30% | 17.0 |
| E-F-851-L3-R | rifle | female | Dec. 26–Jan. 3 Late | 851 Bosque del Oso SWA only | B | 25 | 14 | 0 (2nd) | 0 | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 20% | 20.8 |
| E-E-085-O1-R | rifle | either | Oct. 14–18 | 85, ■140, 851 Except Bosque | A | 85 | 281 | 1 | 1 | 1/1/1/11/1/1/1 | 31% | 12.1 |
| E-M-851-O1-R | rifle | male + | Oct. 14–18 | 851 Bosque del Oso SWA only | A | 5 | 53 | 17 | 29 | 17/19/13/1716/-/23/29 | 0%* | – |
| E-F-085-O2-R | rifle | female | Oct. 24–Nov. 1 | 85, ■140, 851 Except Bosque | B | 50 | 108 | 0 | 0 | 1/0/0/01/0/0/0 | 24% | 19.2 |
| E-M-851-O2-R | rifle | male + | Oct. 24–Nov. 1 | 851 Bosque del Oso SWA only | A | 5 | 36 | 14 | – | 17/15/15/1419/19/29/- | 25%* | 13.0 |
| E-F-085-O3-R | rifle | female | Nov. 7–15 | 85, ■140, 851 Except Bosque | B | 50 | 41 | 0 (2nd) | 0 (2nd) | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 0% | – |
| E-M-851-O3-R | rifle | male + | Nov. 7–15 | 851 Bosque del Oso SWA only | A | 5 | 39 | 19 | 23 | 20/19/18/1924/24/26/23 | 50% | 12.5 |
| E-E-085-O4-R | rifle | either | Nov. 18–22 | 85, ■140, 851 Except Bosque | A | 125 | 137 | 0 | 0 | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 27% | 13.9 |
| E-F-085-O4-R | rifle | female | Nov. 18–22 | 85, ■140, 851 Except Bosque | B | 50 | 12 | 0 (3rd) | 0 (2nd) | -/0/0/0-/0/0/0 | 15% | 26.8 |
| E-M-851-O4-R | rifle | male + | Nov. 18–22 | 851 Bosque del Oso SWA only | A | 5 | 73 | 20 | 28 | 19/21/21/2028/29/27/28 | 0% | – |
| E-E-085-P1-RPLO | rifle | either | Oct. 14–18 | 85, 140, 851 | A | 225 | 221 | 0 (2nd) | 0 | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 48% | 7.6 |
| E-F-085-P5-RPLO | rifle | female | Oct. 14–Nov. 30 | 85, 140, 851 | B | 200 | 237 | 0 | 0 | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 37% | 31.0 |
| E-F-085-P6-RPLO | rifle | female | Dec. 1–31 | 85, 140, 851 | B | 225 | 199 | 0 (2nd) | 0 (2nd) | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 48% | 13.9 |
* 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-E-085-P1-R rifle either, Oct. 14–18: 225 tags, 221 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 nonres, success 48%, List A (private land only)
- E-F-085-P6-R rifle female, Dec. 1–31: 225 tags, 199 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 48%, List B (private land only)
- E-F-085-L1-R rifle female, Dec. 15–31 Late: 40 tags, 49 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /1 nonres, success 41%, List B
- E-F-085-P5-R rifle female, Oct. 14–Nov. 30: 200 tags, 237 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /0 nonres, success 37%, List B (private land only)
- E-E-085-O1-M muzzleloader either, Sept. 12–20: 120 tags, 212 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /2 nonres, success 36%, List A
- E-E-085-O1-R rifle either, Oct. 14–18: 85 tags, 281 first-choice apps, drew at 1 res /1 nonres, success 31%, List A
- E-F-851-L1-R rifle female, Nov. 28–Dec. 6 Late: 10 tags, 10 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /– nonres, success 30% (low sample), List B
- E-F-851-L2-R rifle female, Dec. 12–20 Late: 15 tags, 14 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /0 nonres, success 30%, List B
- E-E-085-O4-R rifle either, Nov. 18–22: 125 tags, 137 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /0 nonres, success 27%, List A
- E-F-085-O2-R rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1: 50 tags, 108 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /0 nonres, success 24%, List B
- E-F-851-L3-R rifle female, Dec. 26–Jan. 3 Late: 25 tags, 14 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 nonres, success 20%, List B
- E-F-085-O4-R rifle female, Nov. 18–22: 50 tags, 12 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (3rd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 15%, List B
- E-F-085-O3-R rifle female, Nov. 7–15: 50 tags, 41 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 0%, List B
Point creep warnings (resident or nonresident points rose 2+ since 2023)
- E-M-851-O1-Mmuzzleloader male:res 3/4/2/7nonres 13/14/22/15
- E-M-851-O1-Rrifle male:res 17/19/13/17nonres 16/-/23/29
- E-M-851-O2-Rrifle male:res 17/15/15/14nonres 19/19/29/-
Stackable tags (List B — can be held alongside a List A tag)
No List C hunts in this unit.
- E-F-085-V1-A archery female Sept. 2–30 — drew at – res / – nonres, 2 tags
- E-F-085-O1-M muzzleloader female Sept. 12–20 — drew at – res / – nonres, 80 tags
- E-F-085-L1-R rifle female Dec. 15–31 Late — drew at 0 res / 1 nonres, 40 tags
- E-F-851-L1-R rifle female Nov. 28–Dec. 6 Late — drew at 0 res / – nonres, 10 tags
- E-F-851-L2-R rifle female Dec. 12–20 Late — drew at 0 res / 0 nonres, 15 tags
- E-F-851-L3-R rifle female Dec. 26–Jan. 3 Late — drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res / 0 nonres, 25 tags
- E-F-085-O2-R rifle female Oct. 24–Nov. 1 — drew at 0 res / 0 nonres, 50 tags
- E-F-085-O3-R rifle female Nov. 7–15 — drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res / 0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, 50 tags
- E-F-085-O4-R rifle female Nov. 18–22 — drew at 0 pts (3rd choice) res / 0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, 50 tags
- E-F-085-P5-R rifle female Oct. 14–Nov. 30 — drew at 0 res / 0 nonres, 200 tags
- E-F-085-P6-R rifle female Dec. 1–31 — drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res / 0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, 225 tags
Leftover likely
These codes had licenses left over after the 2026 primary draw:E-E-085-V1-A, E-F-085-V1-A, E-F-085-O1-M.
With your points
Likely draws (12)
- E-E-085-O1-M needs 0 pts
- E-F-085-L1-R needs 0 pts
- E-F-851-L1-R needs 0 pts
- E-F-851-L2-R needs 0 pts
- E-F-851-L3-R 0 pts, 2nd choice
- E-F-085-O2-R needs 0 pts
- E-F-085-O3-R 0 pts, 2nd choice
- E-E-085-O4-R needs 0 pts
- E-F-085-O4-R 0 pts, 3rd choice
- E-E-085-P1-R 0 pts, 2nd choice
- E-F-085-P5-R needs 0 pts
- E-F-085-P6-R 0 pts, 2nd choice
Coin flips (1)
- E-E-085-O1-R needs 1 pt
Not this year (6)
- E-E-851-O1-A needs 6 pts
- E-M-851-O1-M needs 7 pts
- E-M-851-O1-R needs 17 pts
- E-M-851-O2-R needs 14 pts
- E-M-851-O3-R needs 19 pts
- E-M-851-O4-R needs 20 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 851?
- 24 limited codes in the 2026 brochure: E-E-851-O1-A (archery either, Sept. 2–30); E-E-085-V1-A (archery either, Sept. 2–30); E-F-085-V1-A (archery female, Sept. 2–30); E-E-085-O1-M (muzzleloader either, Sept. 12–20); E-F-085-O1-M (muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20); E-M-851-O1-M (muzzleloader male, Sept. 12–20); E-E-851-K2-R (rifle either, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-E-851-K3-R (rifle either, Nov. 7–15); E-F-085-L1-R (rifle female, Dec. 15–31 Late); E-F-851-L1-R (rifle female, Nov. 28–Dec. 6 Late); E-F-851-L2-R (rifle female, Dec. 12–20 Late); E-F-851-L3-R (rifle female, Dec. 26–Jan. 3 Late); E-E-085-O1-R (rifle either, Oct. 14–18); E-M-851-O1-R (rifle male, Oct. 14–18); E-F-085-O2-R (rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-M-851-O2-R (rifle male, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-F-085-O3-R (rifle female, Nov. 7–15); E-M-851-O3-R (rifle male, Nov. 7–15); E-E-085-O4-R (rifle either, Nov. 18–22); E-F-085-O4-R (rifle female, Nov. 18–22); E-M-851-O4-R (rifle male, Nov. 18–22); E-E-085-P1-R (rifle either, Oct. 14–18); E-F-085-P5-R (rifle female, Oct. 14–Nov. 30); E-F-085-P6-R (rifle female, Dec. 1–31).
- What is the easiest elk tag to draw in GMU 851?
- E-E-085-P1-R (rifle, either, Oct. 14–18) drew out at 0 pts (2nd choice) for residents and 0 for nonresidents in the 2026 draw, with 225 tags.
- How many points does it take to draw E-M-851-O4-R?
- In the 2026 primary draw the last E-M-851-O4-R tag went at 20 resident points and 28 nonresident points. Resident history 2023–2026: 19/21/21/20; nonresident: 28/29/27/28.
- What is elk hunting success in GMU 851?
- In 2024, 579 elk hunters in GMU 851 harvested 175 animals (30% success, all seasons and weapons, CPW harvest survey).
- What does "either +" mean in a Colorado hunt table?
- "Either" is an either-sex license. A plus (+) in the sex column marks hunt codes for which an adult Colorado resident needed an average of at least six preference points to draw over the previous three limited draws (CPW brochure p.20). For those codes up to 20 percent of the licenses may go to nonresidents (p.4).
- 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.