Elk in GMU 48

Where GMU 48 is

GMU 48 lies in Lake & Chaffee counties. CPW's boundary description: bounded on N by Continental Divide; on E by Tennessee Creek and Arkansas River; on S by Clear Creek and South Fork of Clear Creek; 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 48

GMU 48 is not on CPW's 2026 map for the unlimited 2nd and 3rd season bull licenses. 2026 brochure, OTC maps pp. 38–40 No over-the-counter archery license is valid in GMU 48; archery elk here is drawn.

GMU 48 has 10 limited elk codes for 2026 (1 archery, 2 muzzleloader and 7 rifle), 10 of them valid in this GMU alone. Resident adult cutoffs, highest first: E-M-048-O1-R at 4 preference points, E-M-048-O1-M at 2 preference points, E-M-048-O2-R at 2 preference points, E-M-048-O3-R at 2 preference points and E-E-048-O1-A at 1 preference point. The code with the most licenses is E-E-048-O1-A (valid in this GMU alone): 110 licenses and 147 resident adult first-choice applicants. CPW 2026 Elk Draw Recap

Largest codes valid in GMU 48 alone: E-E-048-O1-A (110 licenses, drew out at 1 preference point), E-F-048-O2-R (50 licenses, drew out at 1 preference point) and E-M-048-O1-R (50 licenses, drew out at 4 preference points).

The 2025 harvest row with the most hunters among codes that include GMU 48 is EE048O1A: 18.1% success among 105 hunters, for the whole code across 1 GMU, not GMU 48 alone. CPW 2025 Elk Harvest Estimates

2026 elk hunt codes

There is no over-the-counter elk license valid in GMU 48 in 2026: every elk code here is drawn. "Statewide framework" dates are the general season windows on the elk seasons page.

2026 draw results

These codes are valid in GMU 48 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.

CPW 2026 Elk Draw Recap CPW 2026 Elk Drawn Out At

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 48. Why success rates mislead.

* CPW flags this estimate: few hunters responded.

CPW 2025 Elk Harvest Estimates

Outfitters

• Halfmoon Packing & Outfitting LLC OUT.2843: GMU 48 is among its registered GMUs in the state record (a self-report on the registration: 45, 48, 49). own site
• Track 'Em Outfitters LLC OUT.2365: GMU 48 is among its registered GMUs in the state record (a self-report on the registration: 48, 58, 581, 69, 84, 86). own site

Listings come only from this site's verified outfitter directory (this unit's region: Central), 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 48?

No. GMU 48 is on none of CPW's 2026 over-the-counter elk maps, so every elk license here is drawn.

What does it take to draw elk in GMU 48?

The highest-cutoff 2026 code that includes GMU 48, E-M-048-O1-R, drew out at 4 preference points for resident adults and 8 preference points for nonresident adults; it covers this GMU alone.