Colorado Elk EF501L1R
Elk female rifle late season GMU 501 in GMU 501, rifle only, Dec 12–20, 2026. 89% public land, mostly Forest Service.
No longer drawn. The last draw was 2025.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife held its 2026 elk draw without EF501L1R. The odds, costs and history below are that record, not an offer.
Your odds at 0 points · 2025 draw · no nonresident tags in 2026 — showing 2025
no one below 3 points drew in 2025
You're 3 points below the 2025 cut of 3, which has risen one point a year since 2024.
Years to draw on points: —
- NR Tags
- 1
- Applicants
- 2
- Success
- 33%
First-choice nonresidents, standard draw; nonresidents capped at 25%. Success: all hunters in GMU 501, 2024.
Points Needed to Draw, 2021–2026
The cut has risen one point a year since 2024. Applicants per tag: 1:1 in 2024, 2:1 in 2025.
Insufficient history (2 of 3 draws) — a creep trend needs at least three draw years.
What It Costs · 2026 NR Fees
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.
▸ 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 · 2025 Draw
| Points | Chance | Applied | Drew |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–2 ← you | 0% (small sample) same at every level | — | — |
| 3–10 | 100% (small sample) 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. As a lower choice, EF501L1R drew no one in 2025, so lower-choice odds are left out.
Draw results: CPW 2025 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 799, retrieved Aug 31, 2026.
How It Hunted, 2024
| Who | Hunters | Harvest | Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| All of GMU 501 | 378 | 125 | 33% |
Across every license type in GMU 501, Colorado Parks and Wildlife counted 378 hunters and 125 elk taken in 2024, and 33% 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.
| Year | Tags | Applicants | Per Tag | Points Needed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0 | 1 | — | — | CPW 2026 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 904 |
| 2025 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | CPW 2025 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 799 |
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | CPW 2024 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 756 |
| 2023 | 0 | — | — | — | CPW 2023 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 767 |
| 2022 | 0 | — | — | — | CPW 2022 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 678 |
| 2021 | 0 | — | — | — | CPW 2021 Primary Elk Post Draw Report, p. 701 |
Other Licenses Valid in GMU 501
- EE501O1A Elk either-sex archery season 1 GMU 501 Sep 2–30 · 15 tags · cut 10 0%
- EF501O1M Elk female muzzleloader season 1 GMU 501 Sep 12–20 · 40 tags · cut 0 67% (small sample)
- EF501O2R Elk female rifle season 2 GMU 501 Oct 24 – Nov 1 · 5 tags · cut 1 0%
- EF501O3R Elk female rifle season 3 GMU 501 Nov 7–15 · 1 tag · cut 1 0% (small sample)
- EF501O4R Elk female rifle season 4 GMU 501 Nov 18–22 · 20 tags · cut 0 100% (small sample)
- EF501P5R Elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 501Private land only — you need landowner access Sep 1 – Jan 31 · 30 tags · cut 0 33%
- EM501O1M Elk male muzzleloader season 1 GMU 501 Sep 12–20 · 6 tags · cut 9 0%
- EM501O1R Elk male rifle season 1 GMU 501 Oct 14–18 · 5 tags · cut 16 0%
- EM501O2R Elk male rifle season 2 GMU 501 Oct 24 – Nov 1 · 9 tags · cut 8 0%
- EM501O3R Elk male rifle season 3 GMU 501 Nov 7–15 · 30 tags · cut 6 0%
- EM501O4R Elk male rifle season 4 GMU 501 Nov 18–22 · 4 tags · cut 8 0% (small sample)
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 2025 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 799 · draw results, earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2024 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 756 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2023 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 767 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2022 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 678 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2021 Primary Elk Post Draw Report, p. 701 · 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 2026 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 904 · seasons, 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 2025 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
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