Colorado Elk EM020O1M
Elk male muzzleloader season 1 GMU 20 in GMU 20, muzzleloader only, Sep 12–20, 2026. 49% public land, mostly Forest Service.
Your odds at 0 points · 2026 draw
no one below 14 points drew in 2026
You're 14 points below the 2026 cut of 14, which has risen from 11 to 14 points since 2021.
Years to draw on points: 28 yrs (at least 14)
- NR Tags
- 6
- Applicants
- 21
- Success
- 41%
First-choice nonresidents, standard draw; nonresidents capped at 25%. Success: all hunters in GMU 20, 2024.
Points Needed to Draw, 2021–2026
The cut has risen from 11 to 14 points since 2021. Applicants per tag: 2.9:1 in 2021, 3.5:1 in 2026.
Point creep: drew out at 11 → 11 → 14 → 13 → 14 points (2022–2026), +0.5 points/yr (range +0.0 to +2.0). 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 · 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
- 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
Details
Odds by Point Level · 2026 Draw
| Points | Chance | Applied | Drew |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–13 ← you | 0% same at every level | — | — |
| 14–24 | 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. As a lower choice, EM020O1M drew no one in 2026, so lower-choice odds are left out.
Draw results: CPW 2026 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 986, retrieved Aug 31, 2026.
How It Hunted, 2024
| Who | Hunters | Harvest | Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| All of GMU 20 | 875 | 355 | 41% |
Across every license type in GMU 20, Colorado Parks and Wildlife counted 875 hunters and 355 elk taken in 2024, and 41% 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 | 6 | 21 | 3.5 | 14 | — | CPW 2026 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 986 |
| 2025 | 30 | 24 | 0.8 | 13 | 3 tags of 29 | CPW 2025 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 881 |
| 2024 | 6 | 28 | 4.7 | 14 | — | CPW 2024 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 842 |
| 2023 | 30 | 26 | 0.9 | 11 | 1 tag of 13 | CPW 2023 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 843 |
| 2022 | 8 | 25 | 3.1 | 11 | — | CPW 2022 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 738 |
| 2021 | 8 | 23 | 2.9 | 11 | — | CPW 2021 Primary Elk Post Draw Report, p. 763 |
Other Licenses Valid in GMU 20
- EE020O1A Elk either-sex archery season 1 GMU 20 Sep 2–30 · 105 tags · cut 7 0%
- EF020L1R Elk female rifle late season GMU 20 Dec 5–16 · 0 tags · not open to nonresidents in 2026 —
- EF020L3R Elk female rifle late season GMU 20 Aug 15 – Jan 31 · 100 tags · 0 applied —
- EF020O1A Elk female archery season 1 GMU 20 Sep 2–30 · 10 tags · cut 0 33% (small sample)
- EF020O1M Elk female muzzleloader season 1 GMU 20 Sep 12–20 · 10 tags · cut 6 0% (small sample)
- EF020O2R Elk female rifle season 2 GMU 20 Oct 24 – Nov 1 · 1 tag · cut 1 0% (small sample)
- EF020O3R Elk female rifle season 3 GMU 20 Nov 7–15 · 0 tags · not open to nonresidents in 2026 —
- EF020O4R Elk female rifle season 4 GMU 20 Nov 18–22 · 1 tag · 0 applied 100% (small sample)
- EF020P5R Elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 20Private land only — you need landowner access Sep 1 – Jan 31 · 500 tags · cut 0 100%
- EM020L1R Elk male rifle late season GMU 20 Dec 5–16 · 11 tags · cut 13 0%
- EM020L2R Elk male rifle late season GMU 20 Jan 9–20 · 9 tags · cut 17 0%
- EM020O1A Elk male archery season 1 GMU 20 Sep 2–30 · 2 tags · cut 14 0% (small sample)
- EM020O1R Elk male rifle season 1 GMU 20 Oct 14–18 · 5 tags · cut 18 0%
- EM020O2R Elk male rifle season 2 GMU 20 Oct 24 – Nov 1 · 5 tags · cut 14 0%
- EM020O3R Elk male rifle season 3 GMU 20 Nov 7–15 · 5 tags · cut 10 0%
- EM020O4R Elk male rifle season 4 GMU 20 Nov 18–22 · 5 tags · cut 9 0%
Odds at your points, nonresident, standard class where offered. * fewer than 5 tags.
▸ Sources 16
- CPW 2026 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 986 · draw results, seasons, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2025 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 881 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2024 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 842 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2023 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 843 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2022 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 738 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2021 Primary Elk Post Draw Report, p. 763 · 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.
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