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Which units accept OTC elk tags
Colorado Parks and Wildlife publishes the exact GMUs open to over-the-counter elk directly, as maps that update with the brochure each year — the honest way to answer "which units" is to read CPW's own current map rather than trust a typed-out list that's already out of date by the time you find it. The shape of it: residents get OTC either-sex archery in eligible units, plus OTC 2nd/3rd rifle for bull elk in the mountains; non-residents keep OTC rifle but lost OTC archery west of I-25 and in GMU 140. Two OTC rifle licences fall outside that mountain pattern entirely — the plains either-sex licence and the Unit 128 bull licence. CPW · OTC licenses
Why this page won't type out a unit list
CPW adjusts the OTC unit list most years — a unit that was OTC last season can move to limited (draw-only) the next, the way GMUs 54, 55, and 551 in the Gunnison Basin did for 2026, dropping their 2nd- and 3rd-season bull elk from unlimited OTC to fully limited. CPW · why 54/55/551 moved to limited A hand-typed list on this page would be stale the moment CPW updates the brochure. CPW's own maps and brochure are always current; this page teaches you to read them.
CPW's either-sex archery elk map
CPW publishes a dedicated map showing exactly which GMUs are open to over-the-counter either-sex archery elk — the license type residents rely on for OTC archery. CPW · OTC either-sex archery elk map It's a shaded GMU map, not a text list, so open it directly rather than reading a description of it secondhand — that's the only way to be sure you're looking at the current season's shading. Remember that non-resident OTC archery elk was eliminated west of I-25 and in GMU 140, so the map's "OTC" shading for archery now functionally applies to residents only in most of those units. CPW · Non-resident hunting
Two OTC units the "2nd and 3rd season" shorthand hides
"OTC rifle elk means second and third season" is the shorthand everyone repeats, and it is wrong in a way that matters on a page about units. CPW sells two more over-the-counter rifle elk licences that are tied to specific country rather than to the mountain unit map, and neither runs in those seasons:
- The plains, either-sex — hunt code E-E-087-U5-R, running September 1 through January 31, a five-month season rather than a nine-day one.
- Unit 128, antlered — hunt code E-M-128-U5-R, spanning all four rifle season windows. GMU 128 is largely private, so landowner permission is the real constraint there, not the licence.
Both are sold through license agents only. If you are hunting east of the mountains, the mountain OTC map above is not your answer and the shorthand will send you looking for a season your licence doesn't use — the OTC page has the full breakdown with dates. CPW 2026 Big Game Brochure · Elk
How to check a specific unit yourself
- Open the CPW OTC either-sex archery elk map for archery, or the current Big Game Brochure for the season-by-season, unit-by-unit OTC/limited table covering rifle.
- Find your candidate GMU and read its current status directly off the page — don't rely on a screenshot or a summary from a prior season.
- Cross-check it in CPW's Hunting Atlas to see the unit's public-land mix before you commit to it.
What OTC actually gets you — which methods, which residency rules — is covered separately; this page is specifically about finding out whether your unit qualifies. CPW · Hunting Atlas
Gear this season actually calls for
Over-the-counter units are big, public, and crowded at the trailheads. Getting away from the roads is the whole game.
- Paper GMU maps on AmazonUnit boundaries matter for an OTC tag; carry the map, not just the app.
- Spotting scope on AmazonGlass the basins other hunters walk past.
- Frame pack rated for meat on AmazonThe farther from the road you hunt, the more the pack-out matters.
- Satellite communicator on AmazonMost OTC country has no cell service at all.
Gear links go to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we list. More.
Common questions
How do I find out if my elk unit is over-the-counter?
Check CPW's own OTC either-sex archery elk map for archery, or the current Big Game Brochure's unit-by-unit table for rifle — both are linked above. CPW updates these annually, so a list on a third-party site (including this one) can go stale; the map and brochure are the current source. Two exceptions don't appear on that mountain map at all: the plains either-sex licence and the Unit 128 bull licence are sold over the counter on their own hunt codes.
Is over-the-counter elk only available in 2nd and 3rd rifle season?
No — that shorthand only covers bull elk in the mountains. CPW also sells an over-the-counter either-sex elk licence for the plains (E-E-087-U5-R), valid September 1 through January 31, and an over-the-counter antlered licence for Unit 128 (E-M-128-U5-R) that spans all four rifle seasons. If you hunt east of the mountains, the "2nd and 3rd season" rule doesn't describe your licence.
Are GMUs 54, 55, and 551 still OTC for elk?
No — for 2026 those Gunnison Basin units moved their 2nd- and 3rd-season bull elk from unlimited over-the-counter to fully limited (draw-only). Confirm any unit you're relying on in the current brochure, since this kind of change happens most years somewhere in the state.
Can non-residents buy OTC elk tags in any unit?
Non-residents can still buy OTC rifle elk broadly, and OTC archery elk in a small number of units east of I-25. Non-resident OTC archery elk west of I-25 and in GMU 140 was eliminated and now requires the draw. See OTC tags for the full breakdown.