Colorado Elk — GMU 161

Colorado GMU 161 covers 261,039 acres and lies 32 miles north-east of Steamboat Springs and 59 miles north-east of Craig. 73% of it is public land, mostly national forest (40%) and BLM (25%). In 2024, 2,888 people hunted elk here and took 318 — 11% of them killed something. The 2026 draw put up 1,005 tags here for 10 first-choice applicants.

Tags (2026):7,708 Nonresident share:capped at 25% Applicants:1,061 Hunter success (2024):11% Public land:73% Size:261,039 acres

Your chance of drawing here

Every elk license type on offer in GMU 161, 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

EE006O1M elk either-sex muzzleloader season 1 GMU 6 [6, 16, 17, 161, 171] 111 tags · 217 applicants · needed 1 pts · Standard

0% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
EE006O1M elk either-sex muzzleloader season 1 GMU 6 [6, 16, 17, 161, 171] 9 tags · 12 applicants · needed 1 pts · Youth

0% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
EE006O1R elk either-sex rifle season 1 GMU 6 [6, 16, 17, 161, 171] 203 tags · 273 applicants · needed 0 pts · Standard

46% Real chance 0% as 2nd choice
EE006O1R elk either-sex rifle season 1 GMU 6 [6, 16, 17, 161, 171] 16 tags · 16 applicants · needed 0 pts · Youth

31% Long shot 0% as 2nd choice
EE006P1R elk either-sex rifle private-land-only GMU 6 [6, 16, 17, 161, 171] 73 tags · 32 applicants · Standard

100% Undersubscribed 16% as 2nd choice
EE006P1R elk either-sex rifle private-land-only GMU 6 [6, 16, 17, 161, 171] 70 tags · 7 applicants · Youth

100% Undersubscribed 100% as 2nd choice
EE006V1A elk either-sex archery nonresident-only GMU 6 [6, 16, 17, 161, 171] 994 tags · 403 applicants · Standard

100% Undersubscribed 38% as 2nd choice
EE006V1A elk either-sex archery nonresident-only GMU 6 [6, 16, 17, 161, 171] 583 tags · 8 applicants · Youth

100% Undersubscribed 56% as 2nd choice
EE006W1R elk either-sex rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 6 5 tags · 0 applicants · Standard

100% No first-choice applicants
EE161O4R elk either-sex rifle season 4 GMU 161 12 tags · 9 applicants · Standard

100% Undersubscribed 50% as 2nd choice
EE161O4R elk either-sex rifle season 4 GMU 161 100 tags · 1 applicants · needed 0 pts · Youth

100% Undersubscribed
EF006O1M elk female muzzleloader season 1 GMU 6 [6, 16, 17, 161, 171] 12 tags · 8 applicants · Standard

100% Undersubscribed 43% as 2nd choice
EF006O1M elk female muzzleloader season 1 GMU 6 [6, 16, 17, 161, 171] 3 tags · 0 applicants · Youth

100% No first-choice applicants 50% as 2nd choice
EF006O1R elk female rifle season 1 GMU 6 1,005 tags · 10 applicants · Standard

100% Undersubscribed 40% as 2nd choice
EF006O1R elk female rifle season 1 GMU 6 994 tags · 0 applicants · Youth

100% No first-choice applicants 43% as 2nd choice
EF006O2R elk female rifle season 2 GMU 6 959 tags · 39 applicants · Standard

100% Undersubscribed 47% as 2nd choice
EF006O2R elk female rifle season 2 GMU 6 916 tags · 3 applicants · Youth

100% Undersubscribed 67% as 2nd choice
EF006P5R elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 6 [6, 16, 17, 161, 171] 846 tags · 17 applicants · Standard

100% Undersubscribed 42% as 2nd choice
EF006P5R elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 6 [6, 16, 17, 161, 171] 500 tags · 1 applicants · Youth

100% Undersubscribed
EF006V1A elk female archery nonresident-only GMU 6 [6, 16, 17, 161, 171] 13 tags · 0 applicants · Standard

— Undersubscribed
EF006V1A elk female archery nonresident-only GMU 6 [6, 16, 17, 161, 171] 15 tags · 0 applicants · Youth

100% No first-choice applicants 0% as 2nd choice
EF006W1R elk female rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 6 7 tags · 0 applicants · Standard

100% No first-choice applicants
EF006W2R elk female rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 6 5 tags · 0 applicants · Standard

100% No first-choice applicants
EF006W3R elk female rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 6 5 tags · 0 applicants · Standard

100% No first-choice applicants
EF006W4R elk female rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 6 5 tags · 0 applicants · Standard

100% No first-choice applicants
EF161O3R elk female rifle season 3 GMU 161 117 tags · 5 applicants · Standard

100% Undersubscribed 25% as 2nd choice
EF161O4R elk female rifle season 4 GMU 161 [161] 130 tags · 0 applicants · Standard

— Cut level

Hunt	Your odds (0 pts)	As 2nd choice	Points needed	Tags / applicants	License	Season
EE006O1M ↗ elk either-sex muzzleloader season 1 GMU 6 [6, 16, 17, 161, 171] Muzzleloader	0% Point builder	0%	1 +1 since 2021	111 / 217	Standard	Sep 12–20, 2026
EE006O1M ↗ elk either-sex muzzleloader season 1 GMU 6 [6, 16, 17, 161, 171] Muzzleloader	0% Point builder	0%	1 −2 since 2021	9 / 12	Youth	Sep 12–20, 2026
EE006O1R ↗ elk either-sex rifle season 1 GMU 6 [6, 16, 17, 161, 171] Rifle	46% Real chance	0%	0 steady since 2021	203 / 273	Standard	Oct 14–18, 2026
EE006O1R ↗ elk either-sex rifle season 1 GMU 6 [6, 16, 17, 161, 171] Rifle	31% Long shot	0%	0 steady since 2021	16 / 16	Youth	Oct 14–18, 2026
EE006P1R ↗ elk either-sex rifle private-land-only GMU 6 [6, 16, 17, 161, 171] Rifle	100% Undersubscribed	16%	—	73 / 32 undersubscribed	Standard	Oct 14–18, 2026
EE006P1R ↗ elk either-sex rifle private-land-only GMU 6 [6, 16, 17, 161, 171] Rifle	100% Undersubscribed	100%	— steady since 2022	70 / 7 undersubscribed	Youth	Oct 14–18, 2026
EE006V1A ↗ elk either-sex archery nonresident-only GMU 6 [6, 16, 17, 161, 171] Archery	100% Undersubscribed	38%	—	994 / 403 undersubscribed	Standard	Sep 2–30, 2026
EE006V1A ↗ elk either-sex archery nonresident-only GMU 6 [6, 16, 17, 161, 171] Archery	100% Undersubscribed	56%	—	583 / 8 undersubscribed	Youth	Sep 2–30, 2026
EE006W1R ↗ elk either-sex rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 6 Rifle	100% No first-choice applicants	—	—	5 / 0	Standard	Sep 2–6, 2026
EE161O4R ↗ elk either-sex rifle season 4 GMU 161 Rifle	100% Undersubscribed	50%	—	12 / 9 undersubscribed	Standard	Nov 18–22, 2026
EE161O4R ↗ elk either-sex rifle season 4 GMU 161 Rifle	100% Undersubscribed	—	0 steady since 2021	100 / 1 undersubscribed	Youth	Nov 18–22, 2026
EF006O1M ↗ elk female muzzleloader season 1 GMU 6 [6, 16, 17, 161, 171] Muzzleloader	100% Undersubscribed	43%	—	12 / 8 undersubscribed	Standard	Sep 12–20, 2026
EF006O1M ↗ elk female muzzleloader season 1 GMU 6 [6, 16, 17, 161, 171] Muzzleloader	100% No first-choice applicants	50%	— steady since 2022	3 / 0	Youth	Sep 12–20, 2026
EF006O1R ↗ elk female rifle season 1 GMU 6 Rifle	100% Undersubscribed	40%	—	1,005 / 10 undersubscribed	Standard	Oct 14–18, 2026
EF006O1R ↗ elk female rifle season 1 GMU 6 Rifle	100% No first-choice applicants	43%	—	994 / 0	Youth	Oct 14–18, 2026
EF006O2R ↗ elk female rifle season 2 GMU 6 Rifle	100% Undersubscribed	47%	—	959 / 39 undersubscribed	Standard	Oct 24 – Nov 1, 2026
EF006O2R ↗ elk female rifle season 2 GMU 6 Rifle	100% Undersubscribed	67%	—	916 / 3 undersubscribed	Youth	Oct 24 – Nov 1, 2026
EF006P5R ↗ elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 6 [6, 16, 17, 161, 171] Rifle	100% Undersubscribed	42%	—	846 / 17 undersubscribed	Standard	Aug 15 – Jan 31, 2027
EF006P5R ↗ elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 6 [6, 16, 17, 161, 171] Rifle	100% Undersubscribed	—	—	500 / 1 undersubscribed	Youth	Aug 15 – Jan 31, 2027
EF006V1A ↗ elk female archery nonresident-only GMU 6 [6, 16, 17, 161, 171] Archery	— Undersubscribed	—	—	13 / 0 undersubscribed	Standard	Sep 2–30, 2026
EF006V1A ↗ elk female archery nonresident-only GMU 6 [6, 16, 17, 161, 171] Archery	100% No first-choice applicants	0%	—	15 / 0	Youth	Sep 2–30, 2026
EF006W1R ↗ elk female rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 6 Rifle	100% No first-choice applicants	—	—	7 / 0	Standard	Oct 14–18, 2026
EF006W2R ↗ elk female rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 6 Rifle	100% No first-choice applicants	—	—	5 / 0	Standard	Oct 28 – Nov 1, 2026
EF006W3R ↗ elk female rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 6 Rifle	100% No first-choice applicants	—	—	5 / 0	Standard	Nov 4–8, 2026
EF006W4R ↗ elk female rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 6 Rifle	100% No first-choice applicants	—	—	5 / 0	Standard	Nov 11–15, 2026
EF161O3R ↗ elk female rifle season 3 GMU 161 Rifle	100% Undersubscribed	25%	—	117 / 5 undersubscribed	Standard	Nov 7–15, 2026
EF161O4R ↗ elk female rifle season 4 GMU 161 [161] Rifle	— Cut level	—	—	130 / 0	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.

4 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 161

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

EE006W2R — elk either-sex rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 6 Standard EF006P2R — elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 6 [161, 171 10/30/2021– 11/07/2021 Antlerless] Youth EF161P3R — elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 161 [11/13/2021– 11/19/2021 Antlerless 161] Standard EF161P4R — elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 161 [161 11/24/2021– 11/28/2021 Antlerless] Standard

The country

GMU 161 within Colorado

GMU 161 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

National Forest 105,408 ac · 40%
Private 70,624 ac · 27%
BLM 66,274 ac · 25%
County or city land 17,969 ac · 7%
State land 661 ac · 0%
National Wildlife Refuge 42 ac · 0%

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.