Colorado Elk EM049O4R
Elk male rifle season 4 GMU 49 in GMU 49, rifle only, Nov 18–22, 2026. 72% public land, mostly Forest Service.
Your odds at 0 points · 2026 draw
no one below 7 points drew in 2026
You're 7 points below the 2026 cut of 7, which has risen from 3 to 7 points since 2023.
Years to draw on points: never at this creep
- NR Tags
- 4
- Applicants
- 16
- Success
- 39%
First-choice nonresidents, standard draw; nonresidents capped at 25%. Success: all hunters in GMU 49, 2024.
Points Needed to Draw, 2023–2026
The cut has risen from 3 to 7 points since 2023. Applicants per tag: 2.3:1 in 2023, 4:1 in 2026.
Point creep: drew out at 3 → 5 → 6 → 7 points (2023–2026), +1.0 points/yr (range +1.0 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 · 169 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–6 ← you | 0% (small sample) same at every level | — | — |
| 7–19 | 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. Colorado runs a second, random pass after the points pass. As a lower choice, EM049O4R drew no one in 2026, so lower-choice odds are left out.
Draw results: CPW 2026 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 1047, retrieved Aug 31, 2026.
How It Hunted, 2024
| Who | Hunters | Harvest | Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| All of GMU 49 | 971 | 378 | 39% |
Across every license type in GMU 49, Colorado Parks and Wildlife counted 971 hunters and 378 elk taken in 2024, and 39% 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 4 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 | 4 | 16 | 4 | 7 | — | CPW 2026 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 1047 |
| 2025 | 20 | 8 | 0.4 | 6 | 3 tags of 25 | CPW 2025 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 935 |
| 2024 | 20 | 11 | 0.6 | 5 | 2 tags of 12 | CPW 2024 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 896 |
| 2023 | 3 | 7 | 2.3 | 3 | — | CPW 2023 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 896 |
Other Licenses Valid in GMU 49
- EE049O1A Elk either-sex archery season 1 GMU 49 Sep 2–30 · 29 tags · cut 13 0%
- EF049O1M Elk female muzzleloader season 1 GMU 49 Sep 12–20 · 70 tags · cut 1 0%
- EF049O2R Elk female rifle season 2 GMU 49 Oct 24 – Nov 1 · 18 tags · cut 2 0%
- EF049O3R Elk female rifle season 3 GMU 49 Nov 7–15 · 130 tags · cut 1 0%
- EF049O4R Elk female rifle season 4 GMU 49 Nov 18–22 · 130 tags · cut 0 50%
- EF049S2R Elk female rifle special/split season GMU 49 Oct 24 – Nov 1 · 50 tags · cut 0 100% (small sample)
- EF049S3R Elk female rifle special/split season GMU 49 Nov 7–15 · 0 tags · not open to nonresidents in 2026 —
- EF049S4R Elk female rifle special/split season GMU 49 Nov 18–22 · 40 tags · 0 applied —
- EM049O1M Elk male muzzleloader season 1 GMU 49 Sep 12–20 · 11 tags · cut 20 0%
- EM049O1R Elk male rifle season 1 GMU 49 Oct 14–18 · 12 tags · cut 23 0%
- EM049O2R Elk male rifle season 2 GMU 49 Oct 24 – Nov 1 · 16 tags · cut 14 0%
- EM049O3R Elk male rifle season 3 GMU 49 Nov 7–15 · 8 tags · cut 8 0%
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 14
- CPW 2026 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 1047 · draw results, seasons, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2025 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 935 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2024 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 896 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2023 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 896 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 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