Colorado Elk EE085W1R
Elk either-sex rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 85 in GMU 85, rifle only, Dec 1–10, 2026. 18% public land, mostly Forest Service.
Your odds at 0 points · 2026 draw
everyone at 0 points drew in 2026
Years to draw on points: —
- Tags
- 1
- Nonresident Applicants
- 0
- Success
- 21%
First-choice nonresidents; the tags are shared by every residency; nonresidents capped at 25%. Success: all hunters in GMU 85, 2024.
Points Needed to Draw
No cut was published in enough years to chart one.
Insufficient history (0 of 3 draws) — a creep trend needs at least three draw years with a published drew-out level.
What It Costs · 2026 NR Fees
Closes Apr 6 · 168 daysThe $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
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
Details
Odds by Point Level · 2026 Draw
| Points | Chance | Applied | Drew |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–10 ← you | 100% (small sample) same at every level | — | — |
Fewer applicants than tags. Colorado Parks and Wildlife publishes no per-level applicant counts for this hunt. As a lower choice, EE085W1R drew no one in 2026, so lower-choice odds are left out.
Draw results: CPW 2026 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 245, retrieved Aug 31, 2026.
How It Hunted, 2024
| Who | Hunters | Harvest | Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| All of GMU 85 | 2,875 | 614 | 21% |
Across every license type in GMU 85, Colorado Parks and Wildlife counted 2,875 hunters and 614 elk taken in 2024, and 21% 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 5 draws
The standard draw for nonresidents, one row per year.
| Year | Tags (All Res.) | Nonresident Applicants | Per Tag | Points Needed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | — | 51 | — | CPW 2026 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 245 |
| 2025 | 1 | — | 46 | — | CPW 2025 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 200 |
| 2024 | 1 | — | 74 | — | CPW 2024 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 167 |
| 2022 | 1 | — | 95 | — | CPW 2022 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 173 |
| 2021 | 1 | — | 79 | — | CPW 2021 Primary Elk Post Draw Report, p. 169 |
Other Licenses Valid in GMU 85
- EE084W1R Elk either-sex rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 84Private ranch — access comes with the tag Oct 10–19 · 1 tag · 0 applied 100% (small sample)
- EE085O1M Elk either-sex muzzleloader season 1 GMU 85 Sep 12–20 · 120 tags · cut 2 0%
- EE085O1R Elk either-sex rifle season 1 GMU 85 Oct 14–18 · 85 tags · cut 1 0%
- EE085O4R Elk either-sex rifle season 4 GMU 85 Nov 18–22 · 125 tags · cut 0 70%
- EE085P1R Elk either-sex rifle private-land-only GMU 85Private land only — you need landowner access Oct 14–18 · 225 tags · cut 0 100%
- EE085V1A Elk either-sex archery nonresident-only GMU 85 Sep 2–30 · 600 tags · 441 applied 100%
- EF084W1R Elk female rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 84Private ranch — access comes with the tag Dec 11–20 · 5 tags · 0 applied 100%
- EF084W3R Elk female rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 84Private ranch — access comes with the tag Jan 4–13 · 5 tags · 0 applied 100%
- EF084W5R Elk female rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 84Private ranch — access comes with the tag Jan 17–26 · 5 tags · 0 applied 100%
- EF085L1R Elk female rifle late season GMU 85 Dec 15–31 · 40 tags · cut 1 0% (small sample)
- EF085O1M Elk female muzzleloader season 1 GMU 85 Sep 12–20 · 115 tags · 2 applied 100% (small sample)
- EF085O2R Elk female rifle season 2 GMU 85 Oct 24 – Nov 1 · 50 tags · cut 0 8%
- EF085O3R Elk female rifle season 3 GMU 85 Nov 7–15 · 50 tags · 4 applied 100% (small sample)
- EF085O4R Elk female rifle season 4 GMU 85 Nov 18–22 · 50 tags · 5 applied 100%
- EF085P5R Elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 85Private land only — you need landowner access Oct 14 – Nov 30 · 200 tags · cut 0 79%
- EF085P6R Elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 85Private land only — you need landowner access Dec 1–31 · 225 tags · 11 applied 100%
- EF085V1A Elk female archery nonresident-only GMU 85 Sep 2–30 · 10 tags · 0 applied —
- EF085W1R Elk female rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 85Private ranch — access comes with the tag Dec 1–10 · 7 tags · 0 applied 100%
- EF085W2R Elk female rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 85Private ranch — access comes with the tag Nov 2–14 · 2 tags · no first-choice applicants 100% (small sample)
Odds at your points, nonresident. * 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.
▸ Sources 15
- CPW 2026 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 245 · draw results, seasons, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2025 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 200 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2024 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 167 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2022 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 173 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2021 Primary Elk Post Draw Report, p. 169 · earlier draws, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- CPW 2026 2 CCR 406-2 Chapter W-2 Big Game… draw rules, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2026 2 CCR 406-0 Chapter W-0 General… fees, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2026 Big Game Hunting brochure fees, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2026 web page fees, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2024 Statewide Elk Harvest, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2023 Statewide Elk Hunting Harvest Estimates harvest, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2022 Statewide Elk Harvest, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2021 Statewide Elk Harvest, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2026 GMU Boundary, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- Bureau of Land Management, Colorado State Office 2026 BLM Surface Management Agency land ownership, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- 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 (fewer applicants than tags). 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
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