AmmoSight

Colorado Elk EF851L3R

Elk female rifle late season GMU 851 in GMU 851, rifle only, Dec 26 – Jan 3, 2027. 13% public land, mostly State. Bosque del Oso SWA ONLY

Your odds at 0 points · 2026 draw

100% Undersubscribed

2 first-choice applicants for 25 tags

8 first-choice applicants for 25 tags (all residencies) in 2026, so every first-choice applicant drew and 17 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

NR Tags
25
Applicants
2
Success
30%

First-choice nonresidents, standard draw; nonresidents capped at 25%. Success: all hunters in GMU 851, 2024.

Points Needed to Draw, 2021–2026

points needed applicants per tag
0 0 0 0 0 0 you: 0
2021
1:1
2022
0.3:1
2023
1:1
2024
0.2:1
2025
1:1
2026
0.1:1

The cut has been 0 points every year since 2021. Applicants per tag: 1:1 in 2021, 0.1:1 in 2026.

The cut has been 0 points in each of the last 5 draws (2022–2026), so there is no creep to project.

What It Costs · 2026 NR Fees

Closes Apr 6 · 170 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

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
851
30%hunter success 2024 · 579 hunters, 175 elk
Private 87% State 12% Forest Service <1% GMU 851 in full →

Details

Odds by Point Level · 2026 Draw

Points Chance Applied Drew
0–10 ← you 100% — —

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, EF851L3R drew no one in 2026, so lower-choice odds are left out.

Draw results: CPW 2026 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 947, retrieved Aug 31, 2026.

How It Hunted, 2024

WhoHuntersHarvestSuccess
All of GMU 851 579 175 30%

Across every license type in GMU 851, Colorado Parks and Wildlife counted 579 hunters and 175 elk taken in 2024, and 30% 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 Applicants Per Tag Points Needed Random Pass Source
2026 25 2 0.1 0 1 tag of 1 CPW 2026 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 947
2025 2 2 1 0 — CPW 2025 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 838
2024 25 5 0.2 0 1 tag of 3 CPW 2024 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 797
2023 1 1 1 0 — CPW 2023 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 808
2022 25 8 0.3 0 1 tag of 1 CPW 2022 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 710
2021 10 10 1 0 — CPW 2021 Primary Elk Post Draw Report, p. 733

Other Licenses Valid in GMU 851

  • 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%
  • EE851J2R Elk either-sex rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 851Private ranch — access comes with the tag Oct 13–17 · 2 tags · 0 applied 100% (small sample)
  • EE851K2R Elk either-sex rifle youth-only GMU 851Youth only Oct 24 – Nov 1 · 0 tags · not open to nonresidents in 2026 —
  • EE851K3R Elk either-sex rifle youth-only GMU 851Youth only Nov 7–15 · 0 tags · not open to nonresidents in 2026 —
  • EE851O1A Elk either-sex archery season 1 GMU 851 Sep 2–30 · 1 tag · cut 8 0% (small sample)
  • EE851W1R Elk either-sex rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 851Private ranch — access comes with the tag Nov 23 – Dec 2 · 2 tags · 0 applied 100% (small sample)
  • EE851W2R Elk either-sex rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 851Private ranch — access comes with the tag Oct 29 – Nov 7 · 3 tags · 0 applied 100% (small sample)
  • EE851W4R Elk either-sex rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 851Private ranch — access comes with the tag Oct 12–16 · 1 tag · no first-choice applicants 100% (small sample)
  • 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 —
  • EF851L1R Elk female rifle late season GMU 851 Nov 28 – Dec 6 · 2 tags · 2 applied 0% (small sample)
  • EF851L2R Elk female rifle late season GMU 851 Dec 12–20 · 15 tags · cut 0 100% (small sample)
  • EF851O1M Elk female muzzleloader season 1 GMU 851 Sep 9–17 · 0 tags · 0 applied —
  • EF851O3R Elk female rifle season 3 GMU 851 Nov 11–17 · 0 tags · not open to nonresidents in 2023 —
  • EF851W1R Elk female rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 851Private ranch — access comes with the tag Nov 23 – Dec 2 · 12 tags · 0 applied 100%
  • EF851W2R Elk female rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 851Private ranch — access comes with the tag Oct 17–21 · 5 tags · 0 applied 100%
  • EF851W4R Elk female rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 851Private ranch — access comes with the tag Oct 10–14 · 4 tags · no first-choice applicants 100% (small sample)
  • EF851W6R Elk female rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 851Private ranch — access comes with the tag Oct 24–28 · 5 tags · 0 applied 100%
  • EM851O1M Elk male muzzleloader season 1 GMU 851 Sep 12–20 · 1 tag · cut 15 0% (small sample)
  • EM851O1R Elk male rifle season 1 GMU 851 Oct 14–18 · 1 tag · cut 29 0% (small sample)
  • EM851O2R Elk male rifle season 2 GMU 851 Oct 24 – Nov 1 · 0 tags · not open to nonresidents in 2026 —
  • EM851O3R Elk male rifle season 3 GMU 851 Nov 7–15 · 1 tag · cut 23 0% (small sample)
  • EM851O4R Elk male rifle season 4 GMU 851 Nov 18–22 · 1 tag · cut 28 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.

.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 $1.12/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 16
  1. CPW 2026 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 947 · draw results, seasons, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
  2. CPW 2025 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 838 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
  3. CPW 2024 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 797 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
  4. CPW 2023 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 808 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
  5. CPW 2022 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 710 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
  6. CPW 2021 Primary Elk Post Draw Report, p. 733 · earlier draws, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
  7. CPW 2026 2 CCR 406-2 Chapter W-2 Big Game… draw rules, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
  8. CPW 2026 2 CCR 406-0 Chapter W-0 General… fees, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
  9. CPW 2026 Big Game Hunting brochure fees, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
  10. CPW 2026 web page fees, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
  11. CPW 2024 Statewide Elk Harvest, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
  12. CPW 2023 Statewide Elk Hunting Harvest Estimates harvest, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
  13. CPW 2022 Statewide Elk Harvest, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
  14. CPW 2021 Statewide Elk Harvest, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
  15. CPW 2026 GMU Boundary, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
  16. Bureau of Land Management, Colorado State Office 2026 BLM Surface Management Agency land ownership, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
  17. 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

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 · Methodology · All Colorado elk hunts