Last verified
Elk in GMU 161
GMU 161 has 21 2026 elk hunt codes (4 over the counter, 17 drawn), and the highest resident adult cutoff is E-E-006-W1-R at 12 preference points. CPW 2026 Big Game Brochure
Everything below is 2026: the 2026 hunt codes, the 2026 draw and the 2025 harvest. 2027 hunt codes and quotas are not on this site yet (CPW had not published them as of October 17, 2026, when this site last checked). Codes do change between years, so confirm yours in the 2027 brochure before you apply.
Where GMU 161 is
GMU 161 lies in Jackson County. CPW's boundary description: bounded on N by WY; on E by Colo. 125; on S by Colo. 14, CRs 12W & 16, Lone Pine Creek and Continental Divide; on W by Continental Divide.
2026 brochure, unit descriptions p. 69–72 Check the line on the ground and on private land in CPW's own Colorado Hunting Atlas; boundary roads and ridgelines are the legal edge, not a map shading. How GMUs work.
What is different about GMU 161
2026 brochure, OTC maps pp. 38–40 The unlimited 2nd and 3rd season bull licenses (E-M-000-U2-R and E-M-000-U3-R) are valid in GMU 161 in 2026, as they were on the 2025 maps. 2025 brochure, OTC maps pp. 38–41 Residents can also buy over-the-counter archery here (E-F-000-U1-A, E-E-000-U1-A); nonresidents cannot buy OTC archery elk west of I-25 and apply for a limited code.
GMU 161 has 17 limited elk codes for 2026 (2 archery, 2 muzzleloader and 13 rifle), 3 of them valid in this GMU alone. Resident adult cutoffs, highest first: E-E-006-W1-R at 12 preference points, E-F-006-W1-R at 4 preference points, E-F-006-W2-R at 4 preference points, E-F-006-W4-R at 3 preference points and E-F-006-W3-R at 2 preference points. The code with the most licenses is E-F-006-O1-R (shared across 5 GMUs, so its numbers are for the whole code): 1,400 licenses and 63 resident adult first-choice applicants. CPW 2026 Elk Draw Recap
Largest codes valid in GMU 161 alone: E-F-161-O3-R (260 licenses, drew out at leftover), E-F-161-O4-R (150 licenses, drew out at leftover) and E-E-161-O4-R (100 licenses, drew out at 2nd choice).
The 2025 harvest row with the most hunters among codes that include GMU 161 is EM000U2R (over the counter): 19.3% success among 23,668 hunters, for the whole code across 93 GMUs, not GMU 161 alone. CPW 2025 Elk Harvest Estimates
Ranching for Wildlife codes here (Silver Spur Ranch) are for Colorado residents only and good only on the ranch. 2026 brochure, Ranching for Wildlife, p. 41
2026 elk hunt codes
Over-the-counter elk is available here through E-F-000-U1-A, E-E-000-U1-A, E-M-000-U2-R, E-M-000-U3-R; how OTC units work. "Statewide framework" dates are the general season windows on the elk seasons page.
| Hunt code | Method / season | 2026 dates | Sex | License | Valid in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-E-000-U1-A | Archery | Sept. 2–30 | Either-sex | Over the counter Resident only | 115 GMUs (full list below) |
| E-E-006-V1-A | Archery | Sept. 2–30 | Either-sex | Limited (draw) Nonresident only | 5 GMUs: 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 |
| E-F-000-U1-A | Archery | Sept. 2–30 | Cow | Over the counter Resident only | 33 GMUs (full list below) |
| E-F-006-V1-A | Archery | Sept. 2–30 | Cow | Limited (draw) Nonresident only | 5 GMUs: 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 |
| E-E-006-O1-M | Muzzleloader | Sept. 12–20 | Either-sex | Limited (draw) | 5 GMUs: 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 |
| E-F-006-O1-M | Muzzleloader | Sept. 12–20 | Cow | Limited (draw) | 5 GMUs: 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 |
| E-E-006-O1-R | Rifle, 1st season | Oct. 14–18 | Either-sex | Limited (draw) | 5 GMUs: 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 |
| E-E-006-P1-R | Rifle | Oct. 14–18 | Either-sex | Limited (draw), private land only | 5 GMUs: 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 |
| E-E-006-W1-R | Rifle | Sept. 2–6; Oct. 21–25 | Either-sex | Ranching for Wildlife (limited) Colorado residents only | 4 GMUs: 6, 16, 161, 171 (GMU 161: Ranching for Wildlife: Silver Spur Ranch only) |
| E-E-161-O4-R | Rifle, 4th season | Nov. 18–22 | Either-sex | Limited (draw) | GMU 161 only |
| E-F-006-O1-R | Rifle, 1st season | Oct. 14–18 | Cow | Limited (draw) | 5 GMUs: 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 |
| E-F-006-O2-R | Rifle, 2nd season | Oct. 24–Nov. 1 | Cow | Limited (draw) | 5 GMUs: 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 |
| E-F-006-P5-R | Rifle | Aug. 15– Jan. 31, 2027 | Cow | Limited (draw), private land only | 5 GMUs: 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 |
| E-F-006-W1-R | Rifle | Oct. 14–18 | Cow | Ranching for Wildlife (limited) Colorado residents only | 4 GMUs: 6, 16, 161, 171 (GMU 161: Ranching for Wildlife: Silver Spur Ranch only) |
| E-F-006-W2-R | Rifle | Oct. 28–Nov. 1 | Cow | Ranching for Wildlife (limited) Colorado residents only | 4 GMUs: 6, 16, 161, 171 (GMU 161: Ranching for Wildlife: Silver Spur Ranch only) |
| E-F-006-W3-R | Rifle | Nov. 4–8 | Cow | Ranching for Wildlife (limited) Colorado residents only | 4 GMUs: 6, 16, 161, 171 (GMU 161: Ranching for Wildlife: Silver Spur Ranch only) |
| E-F-006-W4-R | Rifle | Nov. 11–15 | Cow | Ranching for Wildlife (limited) Colorado residents only | 4 GMUs: 6, 16, 161, 171 (GMU 161: Ranching for Wildlife: Silver Spur Ranch only) |
| E-F-161-O3-R | Rifle, 3rd season | Nov. 7–15 | Cow | Limited (draw) | GMU 161 only |
| E-F-161-O4-R | Rifle, 4th season | Nov. 18–22 | Cow | Limited (draw) | GMU 161 only |
| E-M-000-U2-R | Rifle, 2nd season | Oct. 24–Nov. 1 | Bull | Over the counter | 90 GMUs (full list below) |
| E-M-000-U3-R | Rifle, 3rd season | Nov. 7–15 | Bull | Over the counter | 90 GMUs (full list below) |
E-F-000-U1-A is valid in 33 GMUs in 2026
6, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 30, 31, 32, 38, 43, 59, 82, 85, 86, 133, 134, 140, 141, 142, 161, 171, 181, 431, 471, 511, 581, 591, 682, 691, 791, 851, 861
E-E-000-U1-A is valid in 115 GMUs in 2026
3, 6, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 43, 53, 59, 60, 62, 63, 64, 65, 68, 79, 82, 83, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 105, 106, 107, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 161, 171, 181, 211, 214, 231, 301, 361, 371, 431, 471, 511, 581, 591, 681, 691, 851, 861, 951
E-M-000-U2-R is valid in 90 GMUs in 2026
3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, 52, 53, 59, 60, 62, 63, 64, 65, 68, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 77, 78, 80, 81, 82, 85, 86, 131, 133, 134, 140, 141, 142, 161, 171, 181, 211, 214, 231, 301, 361, 371, 411, 421, 431, 441, 444, 471, 511, 521, 581, 591, 681, 691, 711, 741, 751, 771, 851, 861
E-M-000-U3-R is valid in 90 GMUs in 2026
3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, 52, 53, 59, 60, 62, 63, 64, 65, 68, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 77, 78, 80, 81, 82, 85, 86, 131, 133, 134, 140, 141, 142, 161, 171, 181, 211, 214, 231, 301, 361, 371, 411, 421, 431, 441, 444, 471, 511, 521, 581, 591, 681, 691, 711, 741, 751, 771, 851, 861
2026 draw results
These codes are valid in GMU 161 and nowhere else, so their draw numbers describe this unit. "Drawn out at" is the preference-point level of the last applicant drawn in that group, from CPW's Drawn Out At report; how to read it.
| Applicant group | Applicants, 1st choice | Drawn, all choices | Drawn out at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident adult | 57 | 80 | 2nd choice (every earlier-choice applicant drew); 23 of 46 drawn at that level |
| Nonresident adult | 9 | 10 | 2nd choice (every earlier-choice applicant drew); 1 of 2 drawn at that level |
| Resident youth | 4 | 9 | 2nd choice (every earlier-choice applicant drew); 5 of 6 drawn at that level |
| Nonresident youth | 1 | 1 | 0 preference points; 1 of 1 drawn at that level |
| Applicant group | Applicants, 1st choice | Drawn, all choices | Drawn out at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident adult | 69 | 136 | Leftover (licenses remained after the draw) |
| Nonresident adult | 5 | 6 | Leftover (licenses remained after the draw) |
| Resident youth | 7 | 10 | Leftover (licenses remained after the draw) |
| Applicant group | Applicants, 1st choice | Drawn, all choices | Drawn out at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident adult | 8 | 20 | Leftover (licenses remained after the draw) |
| Resident youth | 1 | 1 | Leftover (licenses remained after the draw) |
The codes below also include GMU 161, but they cover other units too. Their numbers are for the whole code.
| Applicant group | Applicants, 1st choice | Drawn, all choices | Drawn out at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident adult | 286 | 281 | 0 preference points; 239 of 244 drawn at that level |
| Nonresident adult | 217 | 100 | 1 preference point; 58 of 72 drawn at that level |
| Resident youth | 17 | 17 | 0 preference points; 12 of 12 drawn at that level |
| Nonresident youth | 12 | 2 | 1 preference point; 1 of 2 drawn at that level |
| Applicant group | Applicants, 1st choice | Drawn, all choices | Drawn out at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident adult | 522 | 512 | 0 preference points; 379 of 389 drawn at that level |
| Nonresident adult | 273 | 180 | 0 preference points; 77 of 166 drawn at that level |
| Resident youth | 51 | 51 | 0 preference points; 38 of 38 drawn at that level |
| Nonresident youth | 16 | 7 | 0 preference points; 4 of 13 drawn at that level |
| Applicant group | Applicants, 1st choice | Drawn, all choices | Drawn out at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident adult | 14 | 21 | Leftover (licenses remained after the draw) |
| Nonresident adult | 32 | 38 | Leftover (licenses remained after the draw) |
| Resident youth | 0 | 1 | Leftover (licenses remained after the draw) |
| Nonresident youth | 7 | 8 | Leftover (licenses remained after the draw) |
| Applicant group | Applicants, 1st choice | Drawn, all choices | Drawn out at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresident adult | 403 | 689 | Leftover (licenses remained after the draw) |
| Nonresident youth | 8 | 17 | Leftover (licenses remained after the draw) |
| Applicant group | Applicants, 1st choice | Drawn, all choices | Drawn out at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident adult | 78 | 5 | 12 preference points; 1 of 1 drawn at that level |
| Resident youth | 17 | 0 | None drawn |
| Applicant group | Applicants, 1st choice | Drawn, all choices | Drawn out at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident adult | 36 | 90 | 3rd choice (every earlier-choice applicant drew); 13 of 60 drawn at that level |
| Nonresident adult | 8 | 46 | 3rd choice (every earlier-choice applicant drew); 1 of 18 drawn at that level |
| Resident youth | 5 | 10 | 3rd choice (every earlier-choice applicant drew); 3 of 8 drawn at that level |
| Nonresident youth | 0 | 4 | 2nd choice (every earlier-choice applicant drew); 4 of 4 drawn at that level |
| Applicant group | Applicants, 1st choice | Drawn, all choices | Drawn out at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident adult | 63 | 312 | Leftover (licenses remained after the draw) |
| Nonresident adult | 10 | 71 | Leftover (licenses remained after the draw) |
| Resident youth | 7 | 35 | Leftover (licenses remained after the draw) |
| Nonresident youth | 0 | 3 | Leftover (licenses remained after the draw) |
| Applicant group | Applicants, 1st choice | Drawn, all choices | Drawn out at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident adult | 204 | 400 | Leftover (licenses remained after the draw) |
| Nonresident adult | 39 | 57 | Leftover (licenses remained after the draw) |
| Resident youth | 14 | 25 | Leftover (licenses remained after the draw) |
| Nonresident youth | 3 | 5 | Leftover (licenses remained after the draw) |
| Applicant group | Applicants, 1st choice | Drawn, all choices | Drawn out at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident adult | 53 | 112 | Leftover (licenses remained after the draw) |
| Nonresident adult | 17 | 25 | Leftover (licenses remained after the draw) |
| Resident youth | 6 | 16 | Leftover (licenses remained after the draw) |
| Nonresident youth | 1 | 1 | Leftover (licenses remained after the draw) |
| Applicant group | Applicants, 1st choice | Drawn, all choices | Drawn out at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresident adult | 0 | 3 | Leftover (licenses remained after the draw) |
| Applicant group | Applicants, 1st choice | Drawn, all choices | Drawn out at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident adult | 16 | 6 | 4 preference points; 3 of 3 drawn at that level |
| Resident youth | 4 | 1 | 3 preference points; 1 of 2 drawn at that level |
| Applicant group | Applicants, 1st choice | Drawn, all choices | Drawn out at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident adult | 18 | 5 | 4 preference points; 5 of 5 drawn at that level |
| Resident youth | 1 | 0 | None drawn |
| Applicant group | Applicants, 1st choice | Drawn, all choices | Drawn out at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident adult | 16 | 5 | 2 preference points; 2 of 4 drawn at that level |
| Resident youth | 1 | 0 | None drawn |
| Applicant group | Applicants, 1st choice | Drawn, all choices | Drawn out at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident adult | 15 | 5 | 3 preference points; 2 of 2 drawn at that level |
| Resident youth | 1 | 0 | None drawn |
2025 harvest, by hunt code
CPW reports harvest by hunt code and by herd area (DAU), not by GMU. A code that covers several units reports one number for all of them, so read those rows as the code, not as GMU 161. Why success rates mislead.
| 2025 hunt code | Valid in (2025) | Hunters | Elk harvested | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EE000U1A (OTC) | 115 GMUs (full list below) | 9,541 | 1,076 | 11.3% |
| EF000U1A (OTC) | 29 GMUs (full list below) | 872 | 50 | 5.7% |
| EM000U2R (OTC) | 93 GMUs (full list below) | 23,668 | 4,558 | 19.3% |
| EM000U3R (OTC) | 93 GMUs (full list below) | 17,371 | 2,096 | 12.1% |
| EE006V1A | 5 GMUs: 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 | 857 | 93 | 10.9% |
| EF006V1A | 5 GMUs: 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 | 9 | 0 | 0%* |
| EE006O1M | 5 GMUs: 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 | 389 | 70 | 18% |
| EF006O1M | 5 GMUs: 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 | 150 | 9 | 6% |
| EE006O1R | 5 GMUs: 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 | 749 | 112 | 15% |
| EE006P1R | 5 GMUs: 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 | 68 | 37 | 54.4% |
| EE161O4R | GMU 161 only | 77 | 9 | 11.7% |
| EF006O1R | 5 GMUs: 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 | 1,375 | 117 | 8.5% |
| EF006O2R | 5 GMUs: 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 | 1,321 | 106 | 8% |
| EF006P5R | 5 GMUs: 6, 16, 17, 161, 171 | 423 | 121 | 28.6% |
| EF161O3R | GMU 161 only | 205 | 2 | 1% |
| EF161O4R | GMU 161 only | 138 | 8 | 5.8% |
* CPW flags this estimate: few hunters responded.
EF000U1A was valid in 29 GMUs in 2025
6, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 30, 31, 32, 38, 43, 82, 85, 86, 133, 134, 140, 141, 142, 161, 171, 181, 431, 471, 682, 691, 791, 851, 861
EE000U1A was valid in 115 GMUs in 2025
3, 6, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 43, 53, 59, 60, 62, 63, 64, 65, 68, 79, 82, 83, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 105, 106, 107, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 161, 171, 181, 211, 214, 231, 301, 361, 371, 431, 471, 511, 581, 591, 681, 691, 851, 861, 951
EM000U2R was valid in 93 GMUs in 2025
3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, 52, 53, 54, 55, 59, 60, 62, 63, 64, 65, 68, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 77, 78, 80, 81, 82, 85, 86, 131, 133, 134, 140, 141, 142, 161, 171, 181, 211, 214, 231, 301, 361, 371, 411, 421, 431, 441, 444, 471, 511, 521, 551, 581, 591, 681, 691, 711, 741, 751, 771, 851, 861
EM000U3R was valid in 93 GMUs in 2025
3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, 52, 53, 54, 55, 59, 60, 62, 63, 64, 65, 68, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 77, 78, 80, 81, 82, 85, 86, 131, 133, 134, 140, 141, 142, 161, 171, 181, 211, 214, 231, 301, 361, 371, 411, 421, 431, 441, 444, 471, 511, 521, 551, 581, 591, 681, 691, 711, 741, 751, 771, 851, 861
Outfitters
No outfitter in this site's verified directory sells hunts in GMU 161 on its own website or lists it among its registered GMUs, so none is named here. We do not place outfitters on a unit page by mailing address.
Listings come only from this site's verified outfitter directory (this unit's region: Northwest), where every record is an Active state registration with guided hunting confirmed on the outfitter's own site. Check any outfitter's registration yourself before you book (how).
Common questions
Is there over-the-counter elk in GMU 161?
Yes: E-F-000-U1-A, E-E-000-U1-A, E-M-000-U2-R, E-M-000-U3-R are valid in GMU 161 for 2026.
What does it take to draw elk in GMU 161?
The highest-cutoff 2026 code that includes GMU 161, E-E-006-W1-R, drew out at 12 preference points for resident adults and no apps for nonresident adults; it covers 4 GMUs.