Colorado Elk — GMU 73

Colorado GMU 73 covers 570,198 acres and lies 9 miles south-east of Cortez and 30 miles west of Durango. 37% of it is public land, mostly national forest (20%) and national park (9%). A further 36% is tribal land rather than public land. In 2024, 639 people hunted elk here and took 105 — 16% of them killed something. The 2026 draw put up 490 tags here for 757 first-choice applicants.

Tags (2026):1,660 Nonresident share:capped at 25% Applicants:1,927 Hunter success (2024):16% Public land:37% Size:570,198 acres

Your chance of drawing here

Every elk license type on offer in GMU 73, 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

EE071P1A elk either-sex archery private-land-only GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] 169 tags · 151 applicants · needed 0 pts · Standard

>99% Likely draw 0% as 2nd choice
EE071P1A elk either-sex archery private-land-only GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] 165 tags · 3 applicants · needed 0 pts · Youth

100% Undersubscribed
EF071O1A elk female archery season 1 GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] 24 tags · 26 applicants · needed 0 pts · Standard

43% Real chance 0% as 2nd choice
EF071O1A elk female archery season 1 GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] 5 tags · 1 applicants · needed 1 pts · Youth

0% Undersubscribed 0% as 2nd choice
EF071O1M elk female muzzleloader season 1 GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] 6 tags · 21 applicants · needed 3 pts · Standard

0% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
EF071O1M elk female muzzleloader season 1 GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] 30 tags · 1 applicants · Youth

0% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
EF071O1R elk female rifle season 1 GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] 10 tags · 48 applicants · needed 4 pts · Standard

0% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
EF071O1R elk female rifle season 1 GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] 1 tags · 4 applicants · Youth

0% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
EF071P1R elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] 17 tags · 2 applicants · needed 0 pts · Standard

50% Real chance 0% as 2nd choice
EF071P1R elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] 15 tags · 0 applicants · Youth

100% No first-choice applicants 0% as 2nd choice
EF071P4R elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 71 25 tags · 1 applicants · Standard

0% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
EF071P4R elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 71 25 tags · 1 applicants · Youth

0% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
EF073O2R elk female rifle season 2 GMU 73 2 tags · 18 applicants · needed 6 pts · Standard

0% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
EF073O2R elk female rifle season 2 GMU 73 10 tags · 1 applicants · needed 0 pts · Youth

100% Undersubscribed
EF073O3R elk female rifle season 3 GMU 73 [73] 0 tags · 4 applicants · Standard

— Not open to nonresidents 0% as 2nd choice
EF073O4R elk female rifle season 4 GMU 73 0 tags · 0 applicants · Standard

— Not open to nonresidents
EM071O1A elk male archery season 1 GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] 490 tags · 757 applicants · needed 0 pts · Standard

40% Long shot 0% as 2nd choice
EM071O1A elk male archery season 1 GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] 34 tags · 9 applicants · needed 0 pts · Youth

43% Real chance 0% as 2nd choice
EM071O1M elk male muzzleloader season 1 GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] 143 tags · 331 applicants · needed 1 pts · Standard

0% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
EM071O1M elk male muzzleloader season 1 GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] 6 tags · 13 applicants · needed 2 pts · Youth

0% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
EM071O1R elk male rifle season 1 GMU 71 228 tags · 411 applicants · needed 0 pts · Standard

14% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
EM071O1R elk male rifle season 1 GMU 71 26 tags · 32 applicants · needed 0 pts · Youth

13% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
EM071O4R elk male rifle season 4 GMU 71 16 tags · 13 applicants · needed 0 pts · Standard

100% Undersubscribed 0% as 2nd choice
EM071O4R elk male rifle season 4 GMU 71 2 tags · 1 applicants · needed 0 pts · Youth

100% Undersubscribed 0% as 2nd choice
EM071P1R elk male rifle private-land-only GMU 71 76 tags · 58 applicants · Standard

100% Undersubscribed 3% as 2nd choice
EM071P1R elk male rifle private-land-only GMU 71 75 tags · 9 applicants · needed 0 pts · Youth

100% Undersubscribed
EM071P4R elk male rifle private-land-only GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] 30 tags · 11 applicants · Standard

100% Undersubscribed 33% as 2nd choice
EM071P4R elk male rifle private-land-only GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] 30 tags · 0 applicants · Youth

100% No first-choice applicants 0% as 2nd choice

Hunt	Your odds (0 pts)	As 2nd choice	Points needed	Tags / applicants	License	Season
EE071P1A ↗ elk either-sex archery private-land-only GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] Archery	>99% Likely draw	0%	0 steady since 2025	169 / 151	Standard	Sep 2–30, 2026
EE071P1A ↗ elk either-sex archery private-land-only GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] Archery	100% Undersubscribed	—	0 steady since 2022	165 / 3 undersubscribed	Youth	Sep 2–30, 2026
EF071O1A ↗ elk female archery season 1 GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] Archery	43% Real chance	0%	0 steady since 2021	24 / 26	Standard	Sep 2–30, 2026
EF071O1A ↗ elk female archery season 1 GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] Archery	0% Undersubscribed	0%	1 +1 since 2021	5 / 1 undersubscribed	Youth	Sep 2–30, 2026
EF071O1M ↗ elk female muzzleloader season 1 GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] Muzzleloader	0% Point builder	0%	3 +1 since 2021	6 / 21	Standard	Sep 12–20, 2026
EF071O1M ↗ elk female muzzleloader season 1 GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] Muzzleloader	0% Point builder	0%	—	30 / 1	Youth	Sep 12–20, 2026
EF071O1R ↗ elk female rifle season 1 GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] Rifle	0% Point builder	0%	4 +1 since 2021	10 / 48	Standard	Oct 14–18, 2026
EF071O1R ↗ elk female rifle season 1 GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] Rifle	0% Point builder	0%	— +1 since 2021	1 / 4	Youth	Oct 14–18, 2026
EF071P1R ↗ elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] Rifle	50% Real chance	0%	0 −2 since 2021	17 / 2	Standard	Oct 14–18, 2026
EF071P1R ↗ elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] Rifle	100% No first-choice applicants	0%	—	15 / 0	Youth	Oct 14–18, 2026
EF071P4R ↗ elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 71 Rifle	0% Point builder	0%	— +1 since 2021	25 / 1	Standard	Nov 18–22, 2026
EF071P4R ↗ elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 71 Rifle	0% Point builder	0%	—	25 / 1	Youth	Nov 18–22, 2026
EF073O2R ↗ elk female rifle season 2 GMU 73 Rifle	0% Point builder	0%	6 steady since 2023	2 / 18	Standard	Oct 24 – Nov 1, 2026
EF073O2R ↗ elk female rifle season 2 GMU 73 Rifle	100% Undersubscribed	—	0 −1 since 2024	10 / 1 undersubscribed	Youth	Oct 24 – Nov 1, 2026
EF073O3R ↗ elk female rifle season 3 GMU 73 [73] Rifle	Not open to nonresidents	0%	— −1 since 2023	0 / 4	Standard	Nov 7–15, 2026
EF073O4R ↗ elk female rifle season 4 GMU 73 Rifle	Not open to nonresidents	—	—	0 / 0	Standard	Nov 18–22, 2026
EM071O1A ↗ elk male archery season 1 GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] Archery	40% Long shot	0%	0 steady since 2023	490 / 757	Standard	Sep 2–30, 2026
EM071O1A ↗ elk male archery season 1 GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] Archery	43% Real chance	0%	0 steady since 2022	34 / 9	Youth	Sep 2–30, 2026
EM071O1M ↗ elk male muzzleloader season 1 GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] Muzzleloader	0% Point builder	0%	1 +1 since 2021	143 / 331	Standard	Sep 12–20, 2026
EM071O1M ↗ elk male muzzleloader season 1 GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] Muzzleloader	0% Point builder	0%	2 +2 since 2021	6 / 13	Youth	Sep 12–20, 2026
EM071O1R ↗ elk male rifle season 1 GMU 71 Rifle	14% Point builder	0%	0 steady since 2021	228 / 411	Standard	Oct 14–18, 2026
EM071O1R ↗ elk male rifle season 1 GMU 71 Rifle	13% Point builder	0%	0 steady since 2021	26 / 32	Youth	Oct 14–18, 2026
EM071O4R ↗ elk male rifle season 4 GMU 71 Rifle	100% Undersubscribed	0%	0 steady since 2021	16 / 13 undersubscribed	Standard	Nov 18–22, 2026
EM071O4R ↗ elk male rifle season 4 GMU 71 Rifle	100% Undersubscribed	0%	0 steady since 2021	2 / 1 undersubscribed	Youth	Nov 18–22, 2026
EM071P1R ↗ elk male rifle private-land-only GMU 71 Rifle	100% Undersubscribed	3%	—	76 / 58 undersubscribed	Standard	Oct 14–18, 2026
EM071P1R ↗ elk male rifle private-land-only GMU 71 Rifle	100% Undersubscribed	—	0 steady since 2023	75 / 9 undersubscribed	Youth	Oct 14–18, 2026
EM071P4R ↗ elk male rifle private-land-only GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] Rifle	100% Undersubscribed	33%	—	30 / 11 undersubscribed	Standard	Nov 18–22, 2026
EM071P4R ↗ elk male rifle private-land-only GMU 71 [71, 72, 73, 711] Rifle	100% No first-choice applicants	0%	—	30 / 0	Youth	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.

1 hunt not offered in 2026 is 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 73

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

EF073P5R — elk female rifle private-land-only GMU 73 [73 - South of Colo 184 09/01/2021– 10/15/2021 Antlerless and US 160] Standard

The country

GMU 73 within Colorado

GMU 73 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

Tribal 205,274 ac · 36%
Private 154,581 ac · 27%
National Forest 111,411 ac · 20%
National Park Service 53,860 ac · 9%
BLM 35,927 ac · 6%
State land 5,407 ac · 1%
County or city land 3,592 ac · 1%
National Wildlife Refuge 123 ac · 0%
Bureau of Reclamation 4 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.