Colorado Elk EF040P5R
Elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 40 in GMU 40, rifle only, Sep 1 – Nov 30, 2026. 62% public land, mostly BLM.
Your odds at 0 points · 2026 draw
10 nonresident first-choice applicants for 200 tags (all residencies)
75 first-choice applicants for 200 tags (all residencies) in 2026, so every first-choice applicant drew and 125 tags went to the leftover draw. The 100% reflects low demand that year, and a code like this can flip the year demand catches up.
Years to draw on points: now
- Tags
- 200
- Nonresident Applicants
- 10
- Success
- 60%
First-choice nonresidents, standard draw; the tags are shared by every residency; nonresidents capped at 25%. Success: all hunters in GMU 40, 2024.
Points Needed to Draw, 2021–2026
The cut has been 0 points every year since 2021. Applicants per tag: 0.9:1 in 2021, 0.4:1 in 2026.
The cut has been 0 points in each of the last 4 draws (2021–2024), so there is no creep to project.
What It Costs · 2026 NR Fees
Closes Apr 6 · 170 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% same at every level | — | — |
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.
Draw results: CPW 2026 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 526, retrieved Aug 31, 2026.
As a Lower Choice
Tags issued to lower choices ÷ lower-choice applicants, as published. Points do not help a lower choice.
How It Hunted, 2024
| Who | Hunters | Harvest | Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| All of GMU 40 | 518 | 308 | 60% |
Across every license type in GMU 40, Colorado Parks and Wildlife counted 518 hunters and 308 elk taken in 2024, and 60% 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 6 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 (All Res.) | Nonresident Applicants | Per Tag | Points Needed | Random Pass | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 200 | 10 | 0.4 | — | 4 tags of 6 | CPW 2026 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 526 |
| 2025 | 200 | 22 | 0.5 | — | — | CPW 2025 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 454 |
| 2024 | 120 | 12 | 0.7 | 0 | 2 tags of 1 | CPW 2024 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 416 |
| 2023 | 120 | 13 | 0.6 | 0 | 1 tag of 1 | CPW 2023 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 423 |
| 2022 | 100 | 14 | 0.8 | 0 | — | CPW 2022 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 404 |
| 2021 | 100 | 17 | 0.9 | 0 | — | CPW 2021 Primary Elk Post Draw Report, p. 415 |
Other Licenses Valid in GMU 40
- EE040O1A Elk either-sex archery season 1 GMU 40 Sep 2–30 · 10 tags · cut 24 0%
- EE040O1M Elk either-sex muzzleloader season 1 GMU 40 Sep 12–20 · 5 tags · cut 28 0%
- EE040O1R Elk either-sex rifle season 1 GMU 40 Oct 14–18 · 4 tags · cut 29 0% (small sample)
- EE040O2R Elk either-sex rifle season 2 GMU 40 Oct 24 – Nov 1 · 4 tags · cut 27 0% (small sample)
- EE040O3R Elk either-sex rifle season 3 GMU 40 Nov 7–15 · 4 tags · cut 26 0% (small sample)
- EE040O4R Elk either-sex rifle season 4 GMU 40 Nov 18–22 · 3 tags · cut 25 0% (small sample)
- EE040W1R Elk either-sex rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 40Private ranch — access comes with the tag Oct 3–12 · 3 tags · 0 applied 100% (small sample)
- EF040L1R Elk female rifle late season GMU 40 Dec 1–15 · 2 tags · cut 0 20% (small sample)
- EF040O1M Elk female muzzleloader season 1 GMU 40 Sep 12–20 · 0 tags · not open to nonresidents in 2026 —
- EF040O1R Elk female rifle season 1 GMU 40 Oct 14–18 · 2 tags · cut 1 0% (small sample)
- EF040O2R Elk female rifle season 2 GMU 40 Oct 24 – Nov 1 · 2 tags · cut 1 0% (small sample)
- EF040O3R Elk female rifle season 3 GMU 40 Nov 7–15 · 3 tags · cut 0 60% (small sample)
- EF040O4R Elk female rifle season 4 GMU 40 Nov 18–22 · 80 tags · 7 applied 100%
- EF040W1R Elk female rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 40Private ranch — access comes with the tag Oct 7–11 · 20 tags · 0 applied 100%
- EF040W2R Elk female rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 40Private ranch — access comes with the tag Oct 17–21 · 19 tags · 0 applied 100%
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.
▸ Sources 16
- CPW 2026 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 526 · draw results, seasons, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2025 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 454 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2024 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 416 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2023 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 423 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2022 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 404 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2021 Primary Elk Post Draw Report, p. 415 · 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 (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. How we compute these.
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 · Methodology · All Colorado elk hunts