Colorado Elk EM501O1R
Elk male rifle season 1 GMU 501 in GMU 501, rifle only, Oct 14–18, 2026. 89% public land, mostly Forest Service.
Your odds at 0 points · 2026 draw
no one below 16 points drew in 2026
You're 16 points below the 2026 cut of 16, which has risen from 5 to 16 points since 2021.
Years to draw on points: never at this creep
- NR Tags
- 5
- Applicants
- 65
- 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 from 5 to 16 points since 2021. Applicants per tag: 6.8:1 in 2021, 13:1 in 2026.
Point creep: drew out at 6 → 7 → 9 → 11 → 16 points (2022–2026), +2.0 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 · 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–15 ← you | 0% same at every level | — | — |
| 16–20 | 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. As a lower choice, EM501O1R drew no one in 2026, so lower-choice odds are left out.
Draw results: CPW 2026 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 1251, 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 | 5 | 65 | 13 | 16 | CPW 2026 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 1251 |
| 2025 | 5 | 51 | 10.2 | 11 | CPW 2025 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 1098 |
| 2024 | 5 | 71 | 14.2 | 9 | CPW 2024 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 1058 |
| 2023 | 7 | 50 | 7.1 | 7 | CPW 2023 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 1051 |
| 2022 | 7 | 35 | 5 | 6 | CPW 2022 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 921 |
| 2021 | 6 | 41 | 6.8 | 5 | CPW 2021 Primary Elk Post Draw Report, p. 940 |
Other Licenses Valid in GMU 501
- EE501O1A Elk either-sex archery season 1 GMU 501 Sep 2–30 · 15 tags · cut 10 0%
- EF501L1R Elk female rifle late season GMU 501 Dec 12–20 · 0 tags · not open to nonresidents in 2026 —
- 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%
- 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 2026 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 1251 · draw results, seasons, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2025 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 1098 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2024 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 1058 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2023 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 1051 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2022 Primary ELK Post Draw Report, p. 921 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- CPW 2021 Primary Elk Post Draw Report, p. 940 · 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