Colorado Elk — GMU 131

Colorado GMU 131 covers 123,826 acres and lies 12 miles south-west of Steamboat Springs and 32 miles east of Craig. 16% of it is public land, mostly BLM (9%) and state land (5%). In 2024, 872 people hunted elk here and took 198 — 23% of them killed something. The 2026 draw put up 1,647 tags here for 1,485 first-choice applicants.

Tags (2026):7,391 Nonresident share:capped at 25% Applicants:2,899 Hunter success (2024):23% Public land:16% Size:123,826 acres

Your chance of drawing here

Every elk license type on offer in GMU 131, with the prior-draw chance for a first-choice nonresident applicant. Type your points in to see your own number.

Chances are from the 2026 draw (the most recent) for a first-choice nonresident. "Points needed" = the cut in the last draw.

Simple view Odds at every point level

EE011O1M elk either-sex muzzleloader season 1 GMU 11 [11, 13, 131, 211] 39 tags · 97 applicants · needed 1 pts · Standard

0% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
EE011O1M elk either-sex muzzleloader season 1 GMU 11 [11, 13, 131, 211] 1 tags · 2 applicants · Youth

0% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
EE011P1A elk either-sex archery private-land-only GMU 11 [11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 25, 26, 33, 34 131, 211, 231] 1,439 tags · 364 applicants · Standard

100% Undersubscribed 38% as 2nd choice
EE011P1A elk either-sex archery private-land-only GMU 11 [11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 25, 26, 33, 34 131, 211, 231] 439 tags · 5 applicants · Youth

100% Undersubscribed 75% as 2nd choice
EE011P1R elk either-sex rifle private-land-only GMU 11 [11, 12, 13, 23, 24 25, 26, 33, 34, 131 211, 231] 920 tags · 308 applicants · Standard

100% Undersubscribed 23% as 2nd choice
EE011P1R elk either-sex rifle private-land-only GMU 11 [11, 12, 13, 23, 24 25, 26, 33, 34, 131 211, 231] 220 tags · 7 applicants · Youth

100% Undersubscribed 0% as 2nd choice
EE011V1A elk either-sex archery nonresident-only GMU 11 [11, 13, 131, 211] 620 tags · 268 applicants · Standard

100% Undersubscribed 36% as 2nd choice
EE011V1A elk either-sex archery nonresident-only GMU 11 [11, 13, 131, 211] 346 tags · 6 applicants · Youth

100% Undersubscribed 25% as 2nd choice
EF011O1M elk female muzzleloader season 1 GMU 11 [11, 13, 131, 211] 50 tags · 4 applicants · Standard

100% Undersubscribed 64% as 2nd choice
EF011O1M elk female muzzleloader season 1 GMU 11 [11, 13, 131, 211] 46 tags · 0 applicants · Youth

100% No first-choice applicants 50% as 2nd choice
EF011O1R elk female rifle season 1 GMU 11 [11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 33, 131, 211, 231] 580 tags · 230 applicants · Standard

100% Undersubscribed 19% as 2nd choice
EF011O1R elk female rifle season 1 GMU 11 [11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 33, 131, 211, 231] 318 tags · 29 applicants · Youth

100% Undersubscribed 11% as 2nd choice
EF131O2R elk female rifle season 2 GMU 131 [131] 86 tags · 0 applicants · Standard

— Cut level
EF131O3R elk female rifle season 3 GMU 131 [131] 41 tags · 8 applicants · Standard

100% Undersubscribed 100% as 2nd choice
EF131O4R elk female rifle season 4 GMU 131 18 tags · 0 applicants · Standard

— Undersubscribed
EF131P2R elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 131 79 tags · 3 applicants · Standard

100% Undersubscribed
EF131P3R elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 131 [131] 93 tags · 0 applicants · Standard

100% No first-choice applicants 0% as 2nd choice
EF131P4R elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 131 [131] 100 tags · 0 applicants · Standard

100% No first-choice applicants
EF131P5R elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 131 160 tags · 5 applicants · Standard

100% Undersubscribed 100% as 2nd choice
EM011O1R elk male rifle season 1 GMU 11 [11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 25, 26, 33, 34, 131, 211 231] 1,647 tags · 1,485 applicants · Standard

100% Undersubscribed 26% as 2nd choice
EM011O1R elk male rifle season 1 GMU 11 [11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 25, 26, 33, 34, 131, 211 231] 92 tags · 70 applicants · Youth

100% Undersubscribed 19% as 2nd choice
EM131O4R elk male rifle season 4 GMU 131 57 tags · 8 applicants · Standard

100% Undersubscribed 50% as 2nd choice

Hunt	Your odds (0 pts)	As 2nd choice	Points needed	Tags / applicants	License	Season
EE011O1M ↗ elk either-sex muzzleloader season 1 GMU 11 [11, 13, 131, 211] Muzzleloader	0% Point builder	0%	1 −1 since 2021	39 / 97	Standard	Sep 12–20, 2026
EE011O1M ↗ elk either-sex muzzleloader season 1 GMU 11 [11, 13, 131, 211] Muzzleloader	0% Point builder	0%	— −5 since 2021	1 / 2	Youth	Sep 12–20, 2026
EE011P1A ↗ elk either-sex archery private-land-only GMU 11 [11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 25, 26, 33, 34 131, 211, 231] Archery	100% Undersubscribed	38%	—	1,439 / 364 undersubscribed	Standard	Sep 2–30, 2026
EE011P1A ↗ elk either-sex archery private-land-only GMU 11 [11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 25, 26, 33, 34 131, 211, 231] Archery	100% Undersubscribed	75%	—	439 / 5 undersubscribed	Youth	Sep 2–30, 2026
EE011P1R ↗ elk either-sex rifle private-land-only GMU 11 [11, 12, 13, 23, 24 25, 26, 33, 34, 131 211, 231] Rifle	100% Undersubscribed	23%	—	920 / 308 undersubscribed	Standard	Oct 14–18, 2026
EE011P1R ↗ elk either-sex rifle private-land-only GMU 11 [11, 12, 13, 23, 24 25, 26, 33, 34, 131 211, 231] Rifle	100% Undersubscribed	0%	—	220 / 7 undersubscribed	Youth	Oct 14–18, 2026
EE011V1A ↗ elk either-sex archery nonresident-only GMU 11 [11, 13, 131, 211] Archery	100% Undersubscribed	36%	—	620 / 268 undersubscribed	Standard	Sep 2–30, 2026
EE011V1A ↗ elk either-sex archery nonresident-only GMU 11 [11, 13, 131, 211] Archery	100% Undersubscribed	25%	—	346 / 6 undersubscribed	Youth	Sep 2–30, 2026
EF011O1M ↗ elk female muzzleloader season 1 GMU 11 [11, 13, 131, 211] Muzzleloader	100% Undersubscribed	64%	—	50 / 4 undersubscribed	Standard	Sep 12–20, 2026
EF011O1M ↗ elk female muzzleloader season 1 GMU 11 [11, 13, 131, 211] Muzzleloader	100% No first-choice applicants	50%	—	46 / 0	Youth	Sep 12–20, 2026
EF011O1R ↗ elk female rifle season 1 GMU 11 [11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 33, 131, 211, 231] Rifle	100% Undersubscribed	19%	— +1 since 2023	580 / 230 undersubscribed	Standard	Oct 14–18, 2026
EF011O1R ↗ elk female rifle season 1 GMU 11 [11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 33, 131, 211, 231] Rifle	100% Undersubscribed	11%	— steady since 2023	318 / 29 undersubscribed	Youth	Oct 14–18, 2026
EF131O2R ↗ elk female rifle season 2 GMU 131 [131] Rifle	— Cut level	—	—	86 / 0	Standard	Oct 24 – Nov 1, 2026
EF131O3R ↗ elk female rifle season 3 GMU 131 [131] Rifle	100% Undersubscribed	100%	—	41 / 8 undersubscribed	Standard	Nov 7–15, 2026
EF131O4R ↗ elk female rifle season 4 GMU 131 Rifle	— Undersubscribed	—	—	18 / 0 undersubscribed	Standard	Nov 18–22, 2026
EF131P2R ↗ elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 131 Rifle	100% Undersubscribed	—	—	79 / 3 undersubscribed	Standard	Oct 24 – Nov 1, 2026
EF131P3R ↗ elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 131 [131] Rifle	100% No first-choice applicants	0%	—	93 / 0	Standard	Nov 7–15, 2026
EF131P4R ↗ elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 131 [131] Rifle	100% No first-choice applicants	—	—	100 / 0	Standard	Nov 18–22, 2026
EF131P5R ↗ elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 131 Rifle	100% Undersubscribed	100%	—	160 / 5 undersubscribed	Standard	Nov 23 – Jan 31, 2027
EM011O1R ↗ elk male rifle season 1 GMU 11 [11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 25, 26, 33, 34, 131, 211 231] Rifle	100% Undersubscribed	26%	—	1,647 / 1,485 undersubscribed	Standard	Oct 14–18, 2026
EM011O1R ↗ elk male rifle season 1 GMU 11 [11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 25, 26, 33, 34, 131, 211 231] Rifle	100% Undersubscribed	19%	—	92 / 70 undersubscribed	Youth	Oct 14–18, 2026
EM131O4R ↗ elk male rifle season 4 GMU 131 Rifle	100% Undersubscribed	50%	—	57 / 8 undersubscribed	Standard	Nov 18–22, 2026

What these columns mean

Your odds: the share of applicants at your point level who drew this tag in the 2026 draw. Not a forecast: quotas and demand move every year.
The badge: plain language for that number. Likely draw 75% or better · Real chance 40%+ · Long shot 15%+ · Point builder below that, so you are applying mainly to bank a point · Undersubscribed means fewer first-choice applicants than tags, so everyone who applied drew.
As 2nd choice: Colorado lets you name more than one hunt on the application. Miss on your first choice and you go into the pot for whatever tags are left, alongside everyone else's second choices. Points never help a lower choice, so this number is the same whatever you have banked — it is usually worth naming a hunt that goes undersubscribed.
Points needed: the lowest point total that still got a tag in the 2026 draw, and how that cut has moved since the earliest draw we hold.
Tags / applicants: tags on offer and first-choice applicants for them, as the agency published them. Under five tags we print counts instead of a percentage, because one applicant either way swings it.

2 hunts not offered in 2026 are hidden — show discontinued hunts.

What it costs to apply (2026 nonresident fees)

License	Up front	Gone if you miss	If you draw
Standard license	$129.11	$129.11	$974.27
Youth license	$129.11	$129.11	$974.27

Application window: opens Mar 1, closes Apr 7, 2027 (expected). Full fee breakdown.

Other licenses valid in GMU 131

Not in the table above because they had no result in the 2026 draw.

EM011O2R — elk male rifle season 2 GMU 11 [Antlered 11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 131, 211, 231] Youth EM011O3R — elk male rifle season 3 GMU 11 [11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 131, 211, 231 Antlered] Youth

The country

GMU 131 within Colorado

GMU 131 and its neighbours

Zoomable USGS topo, aerial imagery and shaded relief, with the neighboring areas drawn on.

Boundaries are drawn for orientation only — the written boundary description in the regulations governs.

Who owns the ground

Private 104,551 ac · 84%
BLM 10,876 ac · 9%
State land 6,529 ac · 5%
County or city land 1,039 ac · 1%
National Forest 830 ac · 1%

Source: BLM Colorado Surface Management Agency

Nearby areas

How the hunting has gone

What Colorado Parks and Wildlife publishes for this area after each season — harvest statistics for everyone who hunted it, not draw odds and not a forecast. 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.