New Or Noteworthy For This Year

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Colorado's Elk Breakdown

Colorado's Antelope Breakdown

COLORADO'S 2024 ELK AND ANTELOPE APPLICATION OVERVIEW

Note: The application deadline for all Colorado species is 8:00 p.m. MT on April 2, 2024. You can apply online here.

Nonresident license allocation modified

New for elk

New for antelope

Insider features

Hunt Planner

To aid in your research and planning efforts, we have a tool called Hunt Planner. This product will help you be more efficient at planning for hunts and also keeps all your research data organized. No more notepads getting lost or headaches when trying to remember what units caught your eye during your research! Everything you need is always in one place at GOHUNT.

What can you do in Hunt Planner?

Point Tracker

Your GOHUNT Insider account also has the Point Tracker feature. This allows you to enter the number of points you have for each state and species and, as you research through Filtering and Draw Odds, your point total will automatically be highlighted.

State Information

To view important information and an overview of Colorado’s rules/regulations, the draw system and preference points, tag and license fees and an interactive boundary line map, check out our State Profile. You can also view the Species Profiles to access historical and statistical data to help you find trophy units.

Colorado is a fairly easy state to apply in. You will have to create an online account if you have not previously done so. Or you can call 1-800-244-5613 for help getting an account.

Be aware that some units may have slightly different dates. Review the Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW) brochure for details of the hunts you plan to apply for.

Be aware that some units may have slightly different dates. Review the CPW brochure for details of the hunts you plan to apply for.

IMPORTANT DATES AND INFORMATION

*Elk and/or antelope license cost will only be charged if you are successful in the draw.

The Colorado Draw System

UNDERSTANDING THE DRAW

Unless there is an insufficient number of resident applications, nonresident hunters shall receive no more than 25% of available deer, elk, bear and antelope licenses for hunt codes requiring fewer than six preference points for resident hunters to draw in the regular drawing, and no more than 20% of available deer, elk, bear and antelope licenses for hunt codes requiring six or more preference points for resident hunters to draw in the regular drawing as calculated using a rolling three-year average for the previous three limited license draws with a one year lag. 

POINT SYSTEM

Colorado utilizes a true preference point system to allocate elk and antelope draw licenses. This means that the applicants with the most preference points who apply for any given hunt will draw the licenses. There is no random draw for licenses. There are OTC elk licenses for many units for archery, second and third rifle seasons. There are also OTC archery either-sex antelope licenses in many units. It should be noted that a large portion of the better  OTC archery antelope units are in the eastern portion of the state where access to public land is very limited. We’ll cover all OTC opportunities in a separate article later this year.

Applicants will gain one preference point for every year they apply for a hunt and are unsuccessful in drawing their first choice. If applicants want to build preference points only, they can use the preference point only code as their first choice. Applicants can draw a hunt as a second, third or fourth choice and still build a preference point for that year. You cannot build more than one preference point per species per year. If you draw your first hunt choice, your preference points will be purged. If you fail to apply for a species or have not purchased a license for 10 consecutive years, then all accumulated preference points for that species will be purged.

Elk preference point only code: E-P-999-99-P

Antelope preference point only code: A-P-999-99-P

HUNT CHOICES

Colorado allows applicants to select up to four hunt choices for elk and antelope. Colorado considers every applicant's first choice before moving to subsequent choices. In essence, in order to draw a license as a second choice, there must be a surplus of permits after every applicant's first choice is considered and so on and so forth throughout the other choices. As previously stated, you may be able to draw some hunts as a second choice while using the preference point code as your first choice. This would allow you to build a point for future years and also draw the second choice hunt. 

You can explore the odds of drawing as a second choice within your Insider account. Simply change the “choice” filter from first to second and you can see all hunt odds of drawing as a second choice.

GROUP APPLICATIONS

Group applications of any number are accepted for elk and antelope. Residents and nonresidents can apply together. When a resident and nonresident apply together on a group application, the nonresident license comes out of the nonresident quota for that hunt. One person must be the group leader and all applications in that group are linked together with that group leader’s CID number. Every member of the group must apply for the same hunt at each choice. The group application will go into the draw with the lowest number of preference points of any single member of the group. This means that if a group of three apply and they have one, seven and 12 points, the application will go into the draw with one point. CPW will not over allocate licenses to cover a group application if there are not enough licenses left. For example, if there were two licenses left and an application for a group of three was selected, they would reject that application and move to the next applicant.

SECOND DRAWING

Licenses remaining after the primary drawing will be available in a secondary drawing. The secondary drawing is open to anyone — whether they applied in the primary drawing or not. Applicants must have purchased a qualifying license to apply for the secondary draw. The secondary draw does not use preference points and you cannot apply for preference points. The secondary drawing is a random draw.

The timeframe to apply in the second drawing is June 20 to June 28, 2024 at 8 p.m. MT. Youth ages 12 to 17 receive priority for all licenses that make it to the second draw. Draw results for the secondary drawing will be available on July 8. The surrender deadline for the secondary drawing is July 10. 

RETURNED, LEFTOVER AND REISSUED LICENSES

Colorado allows applicants who have drawn a license to return it if they do not want it. There will be a timeframe after the draw where applicants can refuse the license and have their points restored to the pre-draw level. Applicants can also choose to pay for the license and return it at a later date as long as it’s done at least 30 days prior to the hunt. In this case, they can choose to receive a refund for the cost of the license or have their preference points reinstated to a pre-draw level. Note: If you have your points reinstated, you will not receive a point for that year's application.

Any returned or leftover licenses after the secondary draw will be reissued via a first come, first served process starting on Aug. 6 at 9 a.m. MST. The leftover list will be made available in late July.  Beyond Aug. 6, every Tuesday at 11:00 a.m., all reissued licenses will be placed on a list and published on the CPW website for customers to review. The following day, Wednesday at 11:00 a.m., those licenses will be sold on a first come, first served basis. Reissued licenses can be purchased online or in-person at CPW offices or other license agents.

SNOWPACK AND DROUGHT IN COLORADO

2024

2023

2022

Colorado boasts the world's largest elk herd, presenting unparalleled hunting opportunities in the West with a robust elk population exceeding 300,000 animals. Colorado is the sole state offering truly unlimited OTC rifle elk licenses. However, trends indicate a shift towards more units transitioning from OTC to draw only. Regardless, for 2024, applicants should plan on applying for the draw and utilizing the OTC hunts to get out in the field this fall to hunt elk if they do not draw. 

Trophy quality in Colorado is not in the same category as its neighboring states like Nevada, Arizona, Utah or New Mexico. Colorado should be considered an opportunity state rather than a trophy state. Every year, there will be some 340”+ bulls killed and that type of bull exists in almost every unit — whether it’s a draw or OTC unit. With the number of elk on the landscape, there will always be a decent age structure and a few bulls that live long enough to get big. We recommend trying to draw a tag every few years. For the most part, the harder-to-draw hunts aren’t worth chasing unless you already have a couple of decade's worth of points built up.

When many people think or dream of hunting elk in the Rocky Mountains, it’s typically in Colorado for good reasons. There is no reason you shouldn’t be hunting elk there this year!

Elk populations and bull:cow ratios 

The current Colorado elk population has dipped slightly, according to the most recent 2022 surveyed data, with a total of 303,190 animals — down from 308,901 in 2021. Colorado manages their herds in different Data Analysis Units (DAU) with the various units placed in unit groups. The following tables will give you the estimated populations and bull:cow ratios for the top DAUs and the units within each group.

Hit list units for Colorado elk in 2024

The top units in Colorado for elk are no secret. They have crazy draw odds and do produce some great bulls. I wouldn’t lump this into the same category as the top units in Arizona or Utah, but every year they do produce some great bulls. One thing that I would call attention to while looking at standalone Draw Odds is to make note of the comparison of the “early” or rut type of seasons to the post-rut seasons. Often, even with the top-tier units, the odds fluctuate quite a bit. If you are willing, you might be able to shave off a few years of applying and jump into a later season in a great unit.

*Unit 851 Bosque Del Oso WA is a 30,000-acre state wildlife area (SWA). Annually, elk move off of the adjacent private lands and winter on the SWA. The third and fourth rifle seasons here offer very good low pressure hunts for great bulls. There are other hunts, too, but the better hunts are later in the season.

How to uncover hidden gem elk units

Hidden gems can mean different things to different people. To some, it might be an opportunity they weren’t aware of or it might be an off-the-radar unit that produces a certain caliber of animal — or it might be a combination of the two.

Regardless of how you define it, the tools in your Insider account can help you find them. Colorado elk hunting has so many options, you can all but throw a dart and find a great opportunity. The better hidden gems in Colorado, in my opinion, are the second, third and fourth rifle seasons. The early archery, muzzleloader and rifle seasons in most units occur during the rut or close after and those licenses are typically harder to draw. The late rifle hunts are more challenging as the bigger bulls will have pulled away from cows and are seeking refuge to put weight on after the rut; however, for hunters willing to hunt hard and deal with cold, snowy weather, there is potential for a nice bull. The other thing that I often look at is the draw archery, second and third seasons versus the OTC seasons. There are great OTC units and hunts, but you can often pick up one of the draw seasons with just a couple of points and end up less pressure on the mountain.

Something to consider is that Colorado’s draw system is such that applicants can draw hunts as a second choice and still retain and build a point for that year. In this scenario, applicants could go hunting and still keep and build a preference point for the following year. One factor that makes these types of hunts attractive over some of the OTC hunts is that there is a limited number of licenses and, thus, generally less hunting pressure. In the table below, we have selected hunts that were good options as a second choice.

The points system

2024 maximum preference points for elk: 37

MANAGING POINTS AND EXPECTATIONS

I HAVE 0 TO 8 ELK PREFERENCE POINTS. WHAT CAN I EXPECT?

This is a wide point range, but most of the hunts that I consider fall within the range. I don’t consider Colorado a state to build multiple decades' worth of points in. The trophy potential just doesn’t support the number of years of waiting. Draw tags more often and have some of the best experiences of your life.

To find what you are looking for, jump into Filtering and Draw Odds to identify what fits your style and expectations. Unit Profiles and GOHUNT Maps help when it comes time to narrow down the search to just a few hunts. The table below shows a few hunts that stand out while running through Filtering.

I HAVE 9 TO 12 ELK PREFERENCE POINTS. WHAT CAN I EXPECT?

This is somewhat of a no-mans land for elk hunts in Colorado. If you find yourself in this group of points you’re likely chasing one of the premier units after decades of building points or you’re going to be burning points on one of the hunts we’ve previously mentioned. If you are a resident, there are a couple of hunts that open up that you may want to consider. For nonresidents, better hunts are still pretty slim pickings. Those hunts are displayed in the table below.

I HAVE 13 TO 20 ELK PREFERENCE POINTS. WHAT CAN I EXPECT?

Falling into this category of points, there really aren’t any hunts that I would say are worth the points it takes to draw them. You have two options: either continue to build points and chase the top-tier units or use those points on one of the previously mentioned hunts and go hunting. With all the changes that we are seeing in Colorado, I would recommend that you put those points to use and find a hunt to go on in 2024!

I HAVE 20+ ELK PREFERENCE POINTS. WHAT CAN I EXPECT?

At 20-plus points, hunters have been applying and building points for two decades or more. Often, when talking with other hunters, they have a certain unit and season that they have been chasing for the entire time. That doesn’t always mean that particular unit is the same as it was 20 years ago. One thing that I have learned over the years is that things change, units change and the caliber of animals changes. I don’t want to talk anyone out of their dream hunt, but I do want to recommend that you continue to look into options and be aware that there may be an up-and-coming unit that offers a better hunt for fewer points. If you are in this point pool, a lot of the top units and seasons are going to be obtainable in the coming years.

Antelope in Colorado took a little hit with winterkill last winter, particularly in the northern part of the state. That’s represented in the overall 2022 population report of 73,440 animals across the state. That's down from 77,400 reported in 2021 and significantly down from the high of 82,170 in 2020. That doesn’t necessarily mean doom and gloom as populations are still stable and healthy for the most part.

Colorado is not considered a trophy state for antelope although there are a handful of true trophy bucks taken every year. The biggest bucks in most units are going to be in the 70” to 75” range. Applicants who are solely focused on a trophy potential might consider focusing on other states like New Mexico or Wyoming; however, the draw odds for antelope in Colorado are relatively good and the cost to apply is cheap if you are applying for other species.

One unique thing Colorado offers for antelope is the type of terrain and areas you get to hunt them. Yes, the eastern part of the state is your typical flat agriculture brush country, but much of the western part of the state rolls into pretty mountainous terrain. Being able to hunt antelope in sagebrush aspen flats a few years ago gave me a whole new perspective on antelope hunting. It was one of the most enjoyable hunts I’ve been able to take part in.

Colorado offers limited quota hunts for archery, muzzleloader and rifle antelope. As you review Filtering and Draw Odds, you’ll notice that the rifle hunts typically require far more points to draw than the archery and muzzleloader hunts. You might consider one of those primitive weapon types for a better opportunity to get a permit. 

Although Colorado is not a top-tier destination for trophy antelope, I would highly suggest at a minimum that you apply and build points. It’s a good antelope state and can be a great option in a year when your schedule permits it. 

I would suggest that you spend time looking at GOHUNT Maps and reviewing the public land and access before applying. Typically, draw odds for antelope are closely tied to the amount of public land. The more public land, or BLM land, the harder it is to draw and vice versa.

The points system

MANAGING POINTS AND EXPECTATIONS

2024 maximum preference points for antelope: 36

Fort Collins Natural Areas: A free permit is required for hunters using City of Fort Collins’ Gateway Natural Area (GMU 191) to access other lands.

Forest Service closure (GMU 74): There is a Forest Service closure on Hermosa Park Rd. (FS 578) from Aug. 19 to Sept. 13, 2024, affecting access to GMU 74.

Mount Blue Sky construction closure: Beginning Sept. 3, 2024, all public motorized and non-motorized (foot, bike, horseback) travel will be prohibited on Mt. Blue Sky Hwy. (Colo. 5).

Never lose track of units you want to further research

Can help decide what unit to apply for or what order to place your units when applying on a state's website

Annual licenses (valid March 1 to 31): 

• Annual resident and nonresident small game

• Annual resident combination small game/fishing

• Annual resident senior combination small game/fishing

Resident and nonresident spring turkey (over-the-counter (OTC) turkey licenses on sale March 1)

Resident and nonresident fall turkey (valid for the secondary draw only)

Resident veteran lifetime combination small game/fishing

Resident first responder lifetime combination small game/fishing

Annual small game license for resident 

Senior lifetime fishing license holders