AmmoSight

Colorado Elk — GMU 23

Colorado GMU 23 covers 271,005 acres and lies 28 miles north of Rifle and 41 miles south of Craig. 45% of it is public land, mostly national forest (32%) and BLM (8%). In 2024, 1,870 people hunted elk here and took 423 — 23% of them killed something. The 2026 draw put up 1,748 tags here for 70 first-choice applicants.

Tags (2026):16,654 Nonresident share:capped at 25% Applicants:4,920 Hunter success (2024):23% Public land:45% Size:271,005 acres

Your chance of drawing here

Every elk license type on offer in GMU 23, with the prior-draw chance for a first-choice nonresident applicant. Type your points in to see your own number.

39 licenses on offer · 16,654 tags · 4,920 applicants in the 2026 draw

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
  • 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
  • EE012O1A elk either-sex archery season 1 GMU 12 [12, 23 north of the White River, and 24 north of the North Fork of the White River] 157 tags · 607 applicants · needed 4 pts · Standard
    0% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
  • EE012O1A elk either-sex archery season 1 GMU 12 [12, 23 north of the White River, and 24 north of the North Fork of the White River] 20 tags · 10 applicants · Youth
    0% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
  • EE012O1M elk either-sex muzzleloader season 1 GMU 12 [12, 23 north of the White River, and 24 north of the North Fork of the White River] 27 tags · 148 applicants · needed 8 pts · Standard
    0% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
  • EE012O1M elk either-sex muzzleloader season 1 GMU 12 [12, 23 north of the White River, and 24 north of the North Fork of the White River] 2 tags · 5 applicants · Youth
    0% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
  • EE012P1M elk either-sex muzzleloader private-land-only GMU 12 [12, 13, 23, 24, 33] 51 tags · 54 applicants · needed 0 pts · Standard
    69% Real chance 0% as 2nd choice
  • EE012P1M elk either-sex muzzleloader private-land-only GMU 12 [12, 13, 23, 24, 33] 1 tags · 2 applicants · needed 0 pts · Youth
    100% Undersubscribed
  • EE023W1R elk either-sex rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 23 2 tags · 0 applicants · Standard
    100% No first-choice applicants
  • EE033O1A elk either-sex archery season 1 GMU 33 [33, 23 south of the White River, and 24 south of the North Fork of the White River] 168 tags · 682 applicants · needed 3 pts · Standard
    0% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
  • EE033O1A elk either-sex archery season 1 GMU 33 [33, 23 south of the White River, and 24 south of the North Fork of the White River] 6 tags · 18 applicants · needed 4 pts · Youth
    0% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
  • EE033O1M elk either-sex muzzleloader season 1 GMU 33 [33, 23 south of the White River, and 24 south of the North Fork of the White River] 28 tags · 109 applicants · needed 6 pts · Standard
    0% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
  • EE033O1M elk either-sex muzzleloader season 1 GMU 33 [33, 23 south of the White River, and 24 south of the North Fork of the White River] 3 tags · 2 applicants · Youth
    0% Point builder 0% 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
  • EF011O4R elk female rifle season 4 GMU 11 [11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 211] 1,748 tags · 70 applicants · Standard
    100% Undersubscribed 19% as 2nd choice
  • EF011O4R elk female rifle season 4 GMU 11 [11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 211] 1,667 tags · 11 applicants · Youth
    100% Undersubscribed 0% as 2nd choice
  • EF011P5R elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 11 [11, 12, 13, 23, 24 211] 1,339 tags · 237 applicants · Standard
    100% Undersubscribed 27% as 2nd choice
  • EF011P5R elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 11 [11, 12, 13, 23, 24 211] 339 tags · 7 applicants · Youth
    100% Undersubscribed 33% as 2nd choice
  • EF012O1M elk female muzzleloader season 1 GMU 12 [12, 23 north of the White River, and 24 north of the North Fork of the White River] 32 tags · 24 applicants · Standard
    100% Undersubscribed 32% as 2nd choice
  • EF012O1M elk female muzzleloader season 1 GMU 12 [12, 23 north of the White River, and 24 north of the North Fork of the White River] 100 tags · 1 applicants · Youth
    100% Undersubscribed 100% as 2nd choice
  • EF012O2R elk female rifle season 2 GMU 12 [12, 13, 23, 24] 974 tags · 127 applicants · Standard
    100% Undersubscribed 46% as 2nd choice
  • EF012O2R elk female rifle season 2 GMU 12 [12, 13, 23, 24] 833 tags · 12 applicants · Youth
    100% Undersubscribed 29% as 2nd choice
  • EF012O3R elk female rifle season 3 GMU 12 [12, 13, 23, 24] 1,201 tags · 125 applicants · Standard
    100% Undersubscribed 38% as 2nd choice
  • EF012O3R elk female rifle season 3 GMU 12 [12, 13, 23, 24] 1,066 tags · 7 applicants · Youth
    100% Undersubscribed 67% as 2nd choice
  • EF012P1M elk female muzzleloader private-land-only GMU 12 [12, 13, 23, 24, 33] 190 tags · 2 applicants · Standard
    100% Undersubscribed 11% as 2nd choice
  • EF012P1M elk female muzzleloader private-land-only GMU 12 [12, 13, 23, 24, 33] 90 tags · 0 applicants · Youth
    100% No first-choice applicants 0% as 2nd choice
  • EF023P5R elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 23 [23, 24] 149 tags · 14 applicants · Standard
    100% Undersubscribed 22% as 2nd choice
  • EF023W1R elk female rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 23 6 tags · 0 applicants · Standard
    100% No first-choice applicants
  • EF023W2R elk female rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 23 6 tags · 0 applicants · Standard
    100% No first-choice applicants
  • EF023W3R elk female rifle Ranching for Wildlife GMU 23 6 tags · 0 applicants · Standard
    100% No first-choice applicants
  • EF033O1M elk female muzzleloader season 1 GMU 33 [33, 23 south of the White River, and 24 south of the North Fork of the White River] 24 tags · 17 applicants · Standard
    100% Undersubscribed 43% as 2nd choice
  • EF033O1M elk female muzzleloader season 1 GMU 33 [33, 23 south of the White River, and 24 south of the North Fork of the White River] 100 tags · 3 applicants · needed 0 pts · Youth
    100% Undersubscribed 0% 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
  • EM012O4R elk male rifle season 4 GMU 12 [12, 13, 23, 24] 396 tags · 119 applicants · Standard
    100% Undersubscribed 25% as 2nd choice
  • EM012O4R elk male rifle season 4 GMU 12 [12, 13, 23, 24] 268 tags · 9 applicants · Youth
    100% Undersubscribed 80% as 2nd choice
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 23

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

Rifle Craig Grand Junction Delta Boulder
GMU 23 within Colorado
11 12 131 211 22 231 24 25 26 32 33 34 Rifle Glenwood Springs Gypsum
GMU 23 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 150,291 ac · 55%
  • National Forest 85,481 ac · 32%
  • BLM 20,901 ac · 8%
  • County or city land 14,331 ac · 5%

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.

Season Hunters Harvest Success
2024 1,870 423 23%
2023 2,436 433 18%
2022 3,883 739 19%
2021 4,481 717 16%

What people carried (2024 harvest)

  • Rifle 294 · 70% · 1,352 hunters, 22% success
  • Archery 112 · 26% · 431 hunters, 26% success
  • Muzzleloader 17 · 4% · 88 hunters, 19% success

Boundary: CPW GMU Boundary (Big Game)

Harvest: 2024 Statewide Elk Harvest

Harvest: 2023 Statewide Elk Hunting Harvest Estimates

Harvest: 2022 Statewide Elk Harvest

How we compute draw odds · All Colorado elk hunts