AmmoSight

Colorado Elk EE005O4R

Elk either-sex rifle season 4 GMU 5 in GMU 5, rifle only, Nov 18–22, 2026. 60% public land, mostly Forest Service.

Your odds at 0 points · 2026 draw

0% (small sample) Below the cut

no one below 1 point drew in 2026

You're 1 point below the 2026 cut of 1, which has risen from 0 to 1 point since 2022.

Years to draw on points: 2 yrs (at least 1)

NR Tags
2
Applicants
4
Success
36%

First-choice nonresidents, standard draw; nonresidents capped at 25%. Success: all hunters in GMU 5, 2024.

Points Needed to Draw, 2021–2026

points needed applicants per tag
0 1 1 you: 0
2021
0.1:1
2022
1:1
2023
1:1
2026
2:1

The cut has risen from 0 to 1 point since 2022. Applicants per tag: 0.1:1 in 2021, 2:1 in 2026.

Point creep: drew out at 0 → 1 → 1 point (2022–2026), +0.5 points/yr (range +0.0 to +1.0). Years to draw project that pace (the median of the last five draws, capped at 2 points/yr); the agency sets quotas and demand sets the cut.

What It Costs · 2026 NR Fees

Closes Apr 6 · 169 days
Cost to Apply
$129.11
If You Miss
$129.11
If You Draw
$974.27

The $11.49 nonresident limited-license application-processing fee (per species, per draw) is not refunded. The $104.86 nonresident annual small game license (cheapest qualifying license to enter the draws; base $102.11 + surcharges) is not refunded. The $12.76 Colorado Wildlife Habitat Stamp (ages 18-64, once per license year, added automatically) is not refunded. A preference point fee, deer/elk/pronghorn (none until the 2028 draw) is $0, bought separately. Drawing adds the $845.16 nonresident elk license (bull, either-sex or cow; includes annual fishing combo; base $842.41 + surcharges) - charged only if drawn.

Optional, not counted above: Hunt-code exchange fee (same species, quota remaining, before season starts) $5 and License refund processing fee (most refunds) $15.

Opens
Mar 1, 2027
Closes
Apr 6, 2027
Results
about May 25
Point Only
$0, Mar 1 – Apr 6

Next application window: Open Mar 1 – Apr 6, 2027 (expected). Dates are last cycle's, rolled forward until Colorado Parks and Wildlife publishes 2027.

▸ Every Fee, With Sources
  • Nonresident limited-license application-processing fee (per species, per draw) · paid at application $11.49 CPW 2026 2 CCR 406-0 Chapter W-0 General…
  • Nonresident annual small game license (cheapest qualifying license to enter the draws; base $102.11 + surcharges) · paid at application $104.86 or $194.21 CPW 2026 Big Game Hunting brochure
  • Colorado Wildlife Habitat Stamp (ages 18-64, once per license year, added automatically) · paid at application $12.76 CPW 2026 2 CCR 406-0 Chapter W-0 General…
  • Preference point fee, deer/elk/pronghorn (none until the 2028 draw) · only for a point bought without applying — an unsuccessful applicant gets the point free $0 CPW 2026 web page
  • Nonresident elk license (bull, either-sex or cow; includes annual fishing combo; base $842.41 + surcharges) - charged only if drawn · paid if drawn, refundable $845.16 CPW 2026 Big Game Hunting brochure
5
36%hunter success 2024 · 874 hunters, 316 elk
Forest Service 47% Private 40% BLM 12% State 1% GMU 5 in full →

Details

Odds by Point Level · 2026 Draw

Points Chance Applied Drew
0 ← you 0% (small sample) 2 0
1–10 100% (small sample) — —

Preference points, computed from published point-level pools. A dash means Colorado Parks and Wildlife did not publish a count for that level. Colorado runs a second, random pass after the points pass. As a lower choice, EE005O4R drew no one in 2026, so lower-choice odds are left out.

Draw results: CPW 2026 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 32, retrieved Aug 31, 2026.

How It Hunted, 2024

WhoHuntersHarvestSuccess
All of GMU 5 874 316 36%

Across every license type in GMU 5, Colorado Parks and Wildlife counted 874 hunters and 316 elk taken in 2024, and 36% of them took an elk. Colorado's figures come from CPW's post-season hunter survey. CPW's 2025 report dropped the per-GMU table in favour of hunt-code rows, so the newest year shown here is 2024. Source: CPW 2024 Statewide Elk Harvest; CPW 2023 Statewide Elk Hunting Harvest Estimates.

▸ Year-by-Year Numbers 4 draws

The standard draw for nonresidents, one row per year. Colorado runs a second, random pass after the points pass; it is shown beside the year it belongs to.

Year Tags Applicants Per Tag Points Needed Random Pass Source
2026 2 4 2 1 — CPW 2026 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 32
2023 3 4 1.3 1 — CPW 2023 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 27
2022 10 11 1.1 0 1 tag of 2 CPW 2022 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 26
2021 10 1 0.1 — 1 tag of 2 CPW 2021 Primary Elk Post Draw Report, p. 25

Other Licenses Valid in GMU 5

  • EE003O1R Elk either-sex rifle season 1 GMU 3 Oct 14–18 · 800 tags · cut 3 0%
  • EE003P1A Elk either-sex archery private-land-only GMU 3Private land only — you need landowner access Sep 2–30 · 660 tags · 192 applied 100%
  • EE003P1R Elk either-sex rifle private-land-only GMU 3Private land only — you need landowner access Oct 14–18 · 400 tags · 117 applied 100%
  • EE004O1A Elk either-sex archery season 1 GMU 4 Sep 2–30 · 500 tags · cut 4 0%
  • EE004O1M Elk either-sex muzzleloader season 1 GMU 4 Sep 12–20 · 130 tags · cut 7 0%
  • EE004P1M Elk either-sex muzzleloader private-land-only GMU 4Private land only — you need landowner access Sep 12–20 · 50 tags · 29 applied 100%
  • EE005W1R Elk either-sex rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 5Private ranch — access comes with the tag Oct 25 – Nov 15 · 13 tags · 0 applied 100%
  • EE005W2R Elk either-sex rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 5Private ranch — access comes with the tag Oct 24–28 · 13 tags · 0 applied 100%
  • EF003O1R Elk female rifle season 1 GMU 3 Oct 14–18 · 400 tags · 46 applied 85%
  • EF003O4R Elk female rifle season 4 GMU 3 Nov 18–22 · 600 tags · 10 applied 100%
  • EF003P5R Elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 3Private land only — you need landowner access Oct 24 – Dec 31 · 700 tags · 267 applied 100%
  • EF004O1M Elk female muzzleloader season 1 GMU 4 Sep 12–20 · 100 tags · 24 applied 100%
  • EF004P1M Elk female muzzleloader private-land-only GMU 4Private land only — you need landowner access Sep 12–20 · 25 tags · 2 applied 100%
  • EF005O2R Elk female rifle season 2 GMU 5 Oct 24 – Nov 1 · 100 tags · 26 applied 100%
  • EF005O3R Elk female rifle season 3 GMU 5 Nov 7–15 · 50 tags · 10 applied 100%
  • EF005W1R Elk female rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 5Private ranch — access comes with the tag Sep 2–20 · 6 tags · no first-choice applicants 100%
  • EF005W2R Elk female rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 5Private ranch — access comes with the tag Oct 24–28 · 36 tags · 0 applied 100%
  • EF005W3R Elk female rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 5Private ranch — access comes with the tag Oct 13–24 · 15 tags · 0 applied 100%
  • EF005W4R Elk female rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 5Private ranch — access comes with the tag Dec 12–16 · 37 tags · 0 applied 100%
  • EF005W5R Elk female rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 5Private ranch — access comes with the tag Oct 25 – Nov 15 · 50 tags · 0 applied 100%
  • EF005W6R Elk female rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 5Private ranch — access comes with the tag Dec 6–10 · 10 tags · 0 applied 100%
  • EM003O1R Elk male rifle season 1 GMU 3 Oct 15–19 · 400 tags · cut 2 0%
  • EM003O2R Elk male rifle season 2 GMU 3 Oct 25 – Nov 2 · 1,000 tags · 233 applied 100%
  • EM003O3R Elk male rifle season 3 GMU 3 Nov 8–16 · 750 tags · 136 applied 100%
  • EM005O4R Elk male rifle season 4 GMU 5 Nov 19–23 · 5 tags · cut 0 71%

Odds at your points, nonresident, standard class where offered. * fewer than 5 tags.

▸ Legal Cartridges 21 on file for Colorado elk

21 cartridges on file are legal for elk with a rifle in Colorado, 1 of them depending on the load. Rules and sources: Colorado hunting laws.

.243 Winchester (depends on the load) from $1.11/rd .25-06 Remington from $1.82/rd 6.5 Creedmoor from $1.01/rd 6.5 Grendel from $0.72/rd .270 Winchester from $0.15/rd 7mm-08 Remington from $1.84/rd 7mm Remington Magnum from $2.05/rd .30-06 Springfield from $1.11/rd .300 AAC Blackout from $0.60/rd .300 Winchester Magnum from $1.25/rd .30-30 Winchester from $1.08/rd .308 Winchester from $0.82/rd .338 Winchester Magnum from $2.61/rd .350 Legend from $1.10/rd .35 Whelen .360 Buckhammer .400 Legend .444 Marlin .450 Bushmaster from $2.02/rd .45-70 Government from $1.97/rd .50 Beowulf
▸ Sources 14
  1. CPW 2026 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 32 · draw results, seasons, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
  2. CPW 2023 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 27 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
  3. CPW 2022 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 26 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
  4. CPW 2021 Primary Elk Post Draw Report, p. 25 · earlier draws, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
  5. CPW 2026 2 CCR 406-2 Chapter W-2 Big Game… draw rules, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
  6. CPW 2026 2 CCR 406-0 Chapter W-0 General… fees, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
  7. CPW 2026 Big Game Hunting brochure fees, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
  8. CPW 2026 web page fees, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
  9. CPW 2024 Statewide Elk Harvest, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
  10. CPW 2023 Statewide Elk Hunting Harvest Estimates harvest, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
  11. CPW 2022 Statewide Elk Harvest, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
  12. CPW 2021 Statewide Elk Harvest, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
  13. CPW 2026 GMU Boundary, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
  14. Bureau of Land Management, Colorado State Office 2026 BLM Surface Management Agency land ownership, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
  15. co_blm_sma_2026 map shading

About These Numbers

Odds are from the 2026 draw, the latest on file, computed from Colorado Parks and Wildlife's published results (preference points, computed from published point-level pools). They are what happened in that draw, not a forecast. Under five tags a percentage carries a *, because one applicant either way swings it. A dash means the agency did not publish the number, and a date marked expected is last cycle's schedule rolled forward.

Report an error on this page

Every report is checked against the agency source before we change anything.

We don't take applications: check Colorado Parks and Wildlife's site and apply there.

Prior-draw odds from Colorado Parks and Wildlife's results, not a forecast · All Colorado elk hunts