Colorado Elk EM061O3R
Elk male rifle season 3 GMU 61 in GMU 61, rifle only, Nov 7–15, 2026. 85% public land, mostly Forest Service.
Your odds at 0 points · 2026 draw
no one below 25 points drew in 2026
You're 25 points below the 2026 cut of 25, which has risen from 24 to 25 points since 2023.
Years to draw on points: 26 yrs (at least 26)
- NR Tags
- 8
- Applicants
- 129
- Success
- 56%
First-choice nonresidents, standard draw; nonresidents capped at 25%. Success: all hunters in GMU 61, 2024.
Points Needed to Draw, 2023–2026
The cut has risen from 24 to 25 points since 2023. Applicants per tag: 24:1 in 2023, 16:1 in 2026.
Point creep: drew out at 24 → 24 → 26 → 25 points (2023–2026), +0.0 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 · 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–24 ← you | 0% same at every level | — | — |
| 25 | 20% the cut | 5 | 1 |
| 26–29 | 100% same at every level | 7 | 7 |
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, EM061O3R drew no one in 2026, so lower-choice odds are left out.
Draw results: CPW 2026 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 1105, retrieved Aug 31, 2026.
How It Hunted, 2024
| Who | Hunters | Harvest | Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| All of GMU 61 | 1,296 | 727 | 56% |
Across every license type in GMU 61, Colorado Parks and Wildlife counted 1,296 hunters and 727 elk taken in 2024, and 56% 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.
| Year | Tags | Applicants | Per Tag | Points Needed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 8 | 129 | 16.1 | 25 | CPW 2026 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 1105 |
| 2025 | 5 | 100 | 20 | 26 | CPW 2025 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 977 |
| 2024 | 5 | 103 | 20.6 | 24 | CPW 2024 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 939 |
| 2023 | 5 | 118 | 23.6 | 24 | CPW 2023 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 938 |
Other Licenses Valid in GMU 61
- EE061E1R Elk either-sex rifle early season GMU 61 Oct 1–7 · 6 tags · cut 32 0%
- EE061O1A Elk either-sex archery season 1 GMU 61 Sep 2–30 · 14 tags · cut 28 0%
- EF061O1M Elk female muzzleloader season 1 GMU 61 Sep 12–20 · 10 tags · cut 5 0%
- EF061O1R Elk female rifle season 1 GMU 61 Oct 14–18 · 100 tags · cut 2 0%
- EF061O2R Elk female rifle season 2 GMU 61 Oct 24 – Nov 1 · 225 tags · cut 1 0%
- EF061O3R Elk female rifle season 3 GMU 61 Nov 7–15 · 255 tags · cut 1 0%
- EF061O4R Elk female rifle season 4 GMU 61 Nov 18–22 · 300 tags · 17 applied 90%
- EF061P5R Elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 61Private land only — you need landowner access Dec 15 – Jan 15 · 150 tags · cut 0 100%
- EM061O1M Elk male muzzleloader season 1 GMU 61 Sep 12–20 · 7 tags · cut 30 0%
- EM061O1R Elk male rifle season 1 GMU 61 Oct 14–18 · 20 tags · cut 27 0%
- EM061O2R Elk male rifle season 2 GMU 61 Oct 24 – Nov 1 · 19 tags · cut 26 0%
- EM061O4R Elk male rifle season 4 GMU 61 Nov 18–22 · 6 tags · cut 25 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. 1105 · draw results, seasons, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2025 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 977 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2024 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 939 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2023 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 938 · 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