Colorado's 2020 elk and antelope application overview

Jump to: NEW FOR 2020 State Information Draw System Elk Breakdown Antelope Breakdown

The application deadline for Colorado is April 7, 2020 at 8:00 MST. You can apply online here or via telephone at 1-800-244-5613. Paper applications are no longer available.

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New for 2020

• New secondary big game drawing will replace the leftover draw. Licenses remaining after the primary drawing will be available in the secondary drawing. The secondary drawing is open to anyone — whether they applied in the primary drawing or not (more on the secondary drawing under the draw system section below). Learn more here.
• Every applicant must purchase a qualifying license to apply in a big game draw (primary or secondary). The annual qualifying license and habitat stamp will now be valid from March 1 to 31 of the following year (i.e. for 13 months). 
• The new 2020 to 2024 big game season structure starts in 2020. Be aware that season dates fluctuate. Review the dates for the hunts you are planning to apply for or purchase licenses for to make sure they meet your objectives. 
• New this year, there are some archery and muzzleloader bear licenses available in unlimited numbers as an “add on” license. You can add one of these licenses if you have a deer or elk license for the same method of take and at least one unit overlaps. Look for the “bear paw” symbol in the 2020 regulations brochure for those opportunities.
• The Big Game Walk-In Access Program will now offer big game hunting on many properties across eastern Colorado. See page 12 and the current Regular Walk-in Atlas for more details.
• Many float groups — groups of hunt codes where the quota is shared between them — have changed this year. Be sure to apply for the hunt code you wish to hunt as you may not be able to exchange your license once you receive it.

Elk

• Previously over-the-counter (OTC), there are new limited archery hunts for bull elk in Units 44, 45, 47 and 444. 
• Previously OTC, there are new limited archery hunts in Units 70, 71, 72, 73, 711, 74, 741, 75, 751, 77, 78, 771. Applicants can apply for bull or cow hunts. The licenses are not either sex.
• Second and third rifle seasons for either sex elk in Unit 83 are now limited and will be allocated through the draw.
• Unit 214 has a new first season rifle bull elk hunt.
• The boundary split in Unit 521 has been removed for second, third and fourth rifle season. 

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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. That can be done by going here. Or you can call 1-800-244-5613 for help getting an account.

Colorado State Profile Elk Profile Antelope Profile Draw Odds Filtering 2.0

Important dates and information

• The deadline to apply for all species in Colorado is 8:00 p.m. MST on April 7, 2020.
• You can only apply online here or by calling 1-800-244-5613.
• Draw results will be available roughly June 3 to 7, 2020.
• All applicants, including youth, must purchase a qualifying license before applying for the big game draw(s).
• A qualifying license is one of the following:
  • Residents or Nonresidents
    • 2020 annual resident or nonresident spring turkey
    • 2020 annual small game license
    • 2020 annual youth small game license
  • Residents Only
    • 2020 annual resident combination small game/fishing license
    • Veteran's lifetime resident combination small game/fishing license
    • New in 2020: annual resident senior combo small game/fishing
    • New in 2020: disabled resident first responder lifetime combo small game/fishing
• Applicants do not have to front the cost of the licenses that they are applying for.
• Applicants born after Jan. 1, 1949 must have completed an approved hunter’s education course before applying and you must carry your hunter’s education card with you while you hunt.
• Hunters over the age of 50 or military personnel who have not completed hunter’s education can take a one-time online test to test out. The cost is $24.50 and you must pass with 90%.
• Colorado is a preference point state for deer, elk and antelope (more on points below).
• If you draw a license and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is unable to charge the credit card on file, you must pay for the license online or by phone or at a CPW office by June 19. If you do not, your license is surrendered and you lose both the license and any preference points you used to draw it.
• If you drew a license you would like to return, payment for the license is still required first. You can then return it for a refund or preference point restoration. You must relinquish your license and carcass tag at least 30 days before the opening day of the season for which the license is valid.

Cost to apply
Item	Resident	Nonresident
Application fee	$7.00	$9.00
Qualifying license/annual small game hunt license	$30.11	$82.78
Youth qualifying license/annual small game hunt license	$1.26	$1.26
Habitat stamp	$10.13	$10.13
*Elk bull adult	$55.43	$670.25
*Elk either sex adult	$55.43	$670.25
*Elk cow adult	$55.43	$503.12
*Elk youth	$15.68	$102.78
*Antelope adult	$40.24	$401.83
*Antelope youth	$15.68	$102.78

Total cost for an adult nonresident to apply will be $92.91 plus $9 per species.

2020 season dates

Dates for elk seasons in 2020*
Season	Dates
Archery	Sept. 2 to 30
Muzzleloader	Sept. 12 to 20
First rifle season	Oct. 10 to 14
Second rifle season	Oct. 24 to Nov. 1
Third rifle season	Nov. 7 to 13
Fourth rifle season	Nov. 18 to 22

Dates for antelope seasons in 2020*
Season	Dates
Archery	Aug. 15 to Sept. 20
Muzzleloader	Sept. 21 to 29
Rifle	Oct. 3 to 11

2020 winter precipitation

2019 winter precipitation

2018 winter precipitation

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The draw system

Understanding the draw

Nonresidents can be allocated up to 35% of the elk licenses for each hunt code unless the hunt has taken residents at least six years or more to draw on average over a three year period. In these cases, nonresidents can be allocated up to 20% of the total licenses for those hunts.

There is no resident/nonresident allocation split in licenses for antelope.

Point system

Colorado utilizes a true preference point system to allocate elk and antelope licenses, meaning the applicants with the most points that apply for any given hunt draw the licenses. There is no random draw for licenses.

Preference points are acquired by either being unsuccessful in the draw for your first hunt choice or simply using the preference only code as your first hunt choice. Colorado considers every applicant's first choice before moving to subsequent choices. You 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 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 ten 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

Group applications

Group applications of any number are accepted for elk and antelope. Residents and nonresidents can apply together. One person must be the group leader and all applications in that group are linked together with that group leader’s CID. 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 four, nine and 14 points, the application will go into the draw with four points. CPW will not over allocate licenses to cover a group application if there are not enough permits left.

Second drawing

Licenses remaining after the primary drawing will be available in the 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. Any licenses remaining after the secondary draw will be placed on the leftover list and available for purchase on leftover day, starting Aug. 4 at 9 a.m.

Returned and reissued licenses 

Most limited licenses that have been returned will be made available to other hunters through a reissue process. Returned limited licenses that took five or more preference points to draw will be offered to the next applicant in line — up to five applicants. Those that took four or fewer preference points to draw will be available to the public on the leftover list. Any additional reissued hunt codes that are not on the initial list will be added starting Aug. 11 and periodically thereafter. 

OTC

Starting Aug. 6, OTC licenses will be available in person at sales agents, by phone at 1-800-244-5613, or online after the season starts. They are available at CPW locations only — except for OTC archery elk, OTC plains rifle either sex elk and OTC archery antelope licenses, which can be purchased at any sales agent.

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Colorado's 2020 elk breakdown

The current Colorado elk population is 286,680 elk statewide. Colorado manages their herds in 31 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.

Colorado elk populations by DAU (data analysis unit)
Unit	2018 population	Population trend	Bull:cow ratio
2, 201	1,630	Up	22:100
3, 301, 4, 441, 5, 14, 214	24,080	Down	16:100
6, 16, 161, 17, 171	6,480	Up	34:100
7, 8, 9, 19, 191	4,160	Down	24:100
53, 54, 63	8,070	Up	22:100
11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 25, 26, 33, 34, 131, 211, 231	45,870	Up	23:100
15, 27	5,750	Down	30:100
18, 181	4,480	Down	27:100
20	2,380	Up	47:100
21, 22, 30, 31, 32	11,070	Down	24:100
82	5,080	Up	52:100
35, 36	3,730	Up	25:100
28, 37, 371	5,880	Down	42:100
41, 411, 42, 421, 52, 521	13,340	Down	26:100
43, 471	4,240	Down	24:100
44, 444, 45, 47	6,060	Up	22:100
48, 481, 56, 561	3,420	Down	26:100
50, 500, 501	2,190	Up	36:100
40	3,400	Up	23:100
61, 62	9,540	Up	16:100
10	1,640	Down	70:100
49, 57, 58	3,800	Down	31:100
511, 512, 581, 59, 591	3,940	Up	25:100
70, 71, 711, 72, 73	16,890	Down	17:100
66, 67	6,560	Up	22:100
68, 681	3,710	Up	18:100
86, 691, 861	2,090	Up	22:100
69, 84	2,080	Down	39:100
74, 741	4,810	No change	16:100
75, 751, 77, 771, 78	18,690	Down	15:100
80, 81	10,320	Down	20:100
83, 85, 851, 140	16,200	Down	22:100
76, 79	5,100	Down	28:100
64, 65	6,190	Up	21:100
29, 38	1,230	Up	26:100
39, 46, 391, 461	2,270	Up	33:100
60	2,810	Up	40:100
55, 551	4,650	Down	24:100
1	200	No change	33:100
51, 104, 105, 106, 110, 111	1,480	Up	15:100
133, 134, 135, 141, 142	1,020	Up	19:100
682, 791	150	No change	18:100

goHUNT's hit list units for Colorado elk in 2020

Top hit list hunt units to consider for 320" or better bulls (not in order of quality)
Unit	Trophy potential	Season offered	Resident points to draw	Nonresident points to draw
201	370”+	Archery Muzzleloader Early rifle	23 (57%) 23 (15%) 24 (16%)​​​​​​	27 (100%) 27 (17%) 28 (22%)​​​​​​
851*	370”+	Archery Muzzleloader First rifle Second rifle Third rifle Fourth rifle	8 (67%) 6 (20%) 17 (51%) 15 (100%) 22 (100%) 18 (67%)	11 (100%) 14 (100%) 23 (100%) 21 (100%) 24 (33%) 26 (100%)
2	360”+	Archery Muzzleloader Early rifle	21 (15%) 22 (67%) 23 (54%)​​​​​​	27 (100%) 27 (33%) 27 (19%)​​​​​​
40	360”+	Archery Muzzleloader First rifle Second rifle Third rifle Fourth rifle	7 (7.9%) 8 (67%) 10 (15%) 8 (29%) 8 (13%) 7 (36%)	12 (11%) 18 (75%) 23 (33%) 17 (100%) 14 (50%) 14 (33%)
10	350”+	Archery Muzzleloader Early rifle	19 (26%) 21 (51%) 22 (69%)	25 (14%) 26 (50%) 27 (33%)
1	350”+	Archery Muzzleloader Early rifle	16 (50%) 13 (100%) 16 (14%)	NA NA 24 (50%)
61	350”+	Archery Muzzleloader Early rifle First rifle Second rifle Third rifle Fourth rifle	14 (87%) 16 (71%) 19 (92%) 11 (7%) 9 (86%) 9 (86%) 9 (86%)	22 (29%) 23 (22%) 25 (31%) 22 (65%) 21 (65%) 21 (65%) 21 (65%)
49	340”+	Archery Muzzleloader First rifle Second rifle Third rifle Fourth rifle	5 (78%) 6 (52%) 8 (15%) 4 (41%) 4 (41%) 4 (41%)	5 (62%) 12 (62%) 12 (50%) 4 (38%) 4 (38%) 4 (38%)
76	340”+	Archery Muzzleloader Early rifle First rifle Second rifle Third rifle	7 (29%) 8 (42%) 17 (30%) 6 (14%) 5 (79%) 5 (65%)	14 (37%) 20 (16%) 22 (17%) 15 (54%) 13 (75%) 10 (50%)
20	330”+	Archery Muzzleloader First rifle Second rifle Third rifle Fourth rifle Late rifle Second late rifle	5 (100%) 3 (100%) 4 (100%) 3 (40%) 4 (100%) 3 (50%) 4 (46%) 6 (100%)	5 (25%) 11 (75%) 16 (50%) 6 (100%) 5 (67%) 5 (33%) 6 (78%) 9 (80%)
69, 84	330”+	Archery Muzzleloader First rifle Second rifle Third rifle Fourth rifle	2 (66%) 3 (32%) 4 (45%) 2 (52%) 3 (61%) 2 (43%)	2 (73%) 4 (50%) 4 (45%) 2 (50%) 4 (100%) 4 (100%)

*Unit 20 referenced above is valid in the entire unit. Unit 851 Bosque Del Oso WA only 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 also, but the better hunts are later in the season.

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How to uncover hidden gem elk units

Colorado is a great opportunity elk state and given that permits are allocated in a true preference point system, it’s relatively easy to see where the hidden gems might be by scrolling through the standalone draw odds. You can see that the hidden gems in Colorado are mostly tucked away in the hunts that can be drawn with zero to perhaps six or seven points and even the OTC areas produce nice bulls every year.

There were 36 archery draw hunts available last year. Of those, 28 hunts could have been drawn with zero to seven points. There were only three archery draw hunts that fell within the eight to 20 point range and there were five hunts that required more than 22 points. The muzzleloader and rifle hunts have similar ratios. If you are just getting into the system, consider drawing a license somewhere in the zero to seven point range to get back in the system and go hunting again.

There are 127 OTC archery units, 147 OTC second rifle season units, and 94 OTC third rifle season units. By utilizing our Filtering 2.0 feature, INSIDERs can filter by trophy potential, harvest success, bull:cow ratios, public land and the draw odds to narrow down the best hidden gem options. Visit the unit profiles, which offer terrain and other information like bull:cow ratios that can help you determine what unit is right for you. There are very good OTC options to hunt elk in Colorado.

Good hunts in the 0 to 7 preference point range
Unit	Trophy potential	Season	Resident points to draw	Nonresident points to draw	Harvest success
49	340”+	Archery Muzzleloader First rifle  Second rifle Third rifle Fourth rifle	5 (78%) 6 (52%) NA 4 (41%) 4 (41%) 4 (41%)	5 (62%) NA NA 4 (38%) 4 (38%) 4 (38%)<	21% 23% 45% 22% 42% 50%
20	330”+	Archery Muzzleloader First rifle Second rifle Third rifle Fourth rifle Late rifle Second late rifle	5 (100%) 3 (100%) 4 (100%) 3 (40%) 4 (100%) 3 (50%) 4 (46%) 6 (100%)	5 (25%) NA NA 6 (100%) 5 (67%) 5 (33%) 6 (78%) NA	25% 58% 24% 45% 67% 59% 52% 52%
69, 84	330”+	Archery Muzzleloader First rifle Second rifle Third rifle Fourth rifle	2 (66%) 3 (32%) 4 (45%) 2 (52%) 3 (61%) 2 (43%)	2 (73%) 4 (50%) 4 (45%) 2 (50%) 4 (100%) 4 (100%)	26% (84) 42% (84) 30% 17% (69) 68% (69) 47% (84)
501	330”+	Archery Muzzleloader First rifle Second rifle Third rifle Fourth rifle	3 (92%) 2 (62%) 3 (50%) 2 (76%) 2 (76%) 2 (76%)	2 (17%) 6 (75%) 4 (36%) 2 (75%) 2 (75%) 2 (75%)	12% 25% 16% 15% 37% 44%
66	320”+	Archery Muzzleloader First rifle Second rifle Third rifle Fourth rifle	1 (24%) 5 (100%) 0 (38%) 0 (91%) 0 (58%) 0 (50%)	6 (62%) NA 2 (38%) 0 (14%) 1 (88%) 1 (50%)	34% 33% 38% 31% 47% 27%
67	320”+	Archery Muzzleloader First rifle Second rifle Third rifle Fourth rifle	1 (11%) 2 (33%) 0 (89%) 0 (100%) 0 (48%) 0 (55%)	3 (39%) NA 0 (68%) 0 (100%) 0 (59%) 0 (17%)	27% 26% 24% 17% 54% 25%
57, 58	310”+	Archery Muzzleloader First rifle Second rifle Third rifle Fourth rifle	1 (52%) 1 (41%) 2 (24%) 2 (32%) 2 (4.7%) 1 (27%)	1 (50%) 2 (43%) 3 (86%) 2 (20%) 3 (100%) 1 (60%)	18% (58) 33% (58) 46% (57) 40% (58) 21% (57) 44% (57)
44, 45, 47, 444	310”+	Archery Muzzleloader First rifle	New hunt 0 (100%) 0 (21%)	New hunt 0 (100%) 0 (21%)	NA 28% (444) 43% (444)
48	310”+	Archery Muzzleloader First rifle Second rifle Third rifle	1 (37%) 2 (43%) 2 (53%) 1 (84%) 1 (84%)	1 (55%) 7 (67%) 3 (8.3%) 1 (100%) 1 (100%)	10% 29% 63% 33% 33%
29	300”+	Archery Muzzleloader First rifle Second rifle	2 (57%) 1 (88%) 1 (67%) 2 (78%)	3 (100%) 1 (100%) NA 2 (100%)	33% 23% 33% 67%
*23, 24, 33 (north of n. fork of white river)	300”+	Archery Muzzleloader First rifle	0 (99%) 2 (93%) 0 (100%)	0 (8.6%) 3 (14%) 0 (100%)	17% (23) 32% (23) 35% (211)
80, 81	300”+	Muzzleloader First rifle Fourh rifle	1 (46%) 0 (32%) 0 (63%)	4 (71%) 0 (17%) 0 (78%)	23% (81) 23% (81) 19% (80)
*12, 23, 24	280”+	Archery Muzzleloader First rifle	0 (70%) 2 (87%) 0 (100%)	2 (42%) NA 0 (100%)	17% (12&23) 42% (12) 35% (211)

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. In the table below, we have selected hunts that were good options as a second choice. 

Good hunts as a second choice
Unit	Resident second choice to draw	Nonresident second choice to draw	Harvest success
15, 27	24% - muzzleloader	32% - muzzleloader	17% (15)
12, 13, 23, 24	100% - fourth rifle	100% - fourth rifle	39% (13)
18, 181	43% - muzzleloader 66% - first rifle	45% - muzzleloader 44% - first rifle	19% (181) 23%
35, 36, 361	69% - muzzleloader	54% - muzzleloader	21% (361)
36, 361	3.6% - fourth rifle	100% - fourth rifle	44% (36)
39	100% - third rifle	100% - third rifle	47%
44, 45, 47, 444	72% - muzzleloader	64% - muzzleloader	28% (444)
67	22% - second rifle	30% - second rifle	17%
74, 741	100% - muzzleloader 54% - first rifle	100% - muzzleloader 29% - first rifle	100% (741) 14% (741)
75, 751	100% - muzzleloader 100% - first rifle	100% - muzzleloader 100% - first rifle	19% (75) 26% (75)
11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 25, 26, 33, 34, 131, 211, 231	100% - first rifle	100% - first rifle	35% (211)
21, 22, 30, 31, 32	100% - first rifle	100% - first rifle	30% (31)
41, 42, 52, 411, 421, 521	100% - first rifle	100% - first rifle	38% (52)
54	28% - first rifle	32% - first rifle	29%
82	100% - first rifle	45% - first rifle	38%

Colorado still has excellent OTC hunting opportunities for archery, second and third rifle seasons. Below we outline what we consider some of the best OTC hunts.

Good OTC hunts to consider
Unit	Trophy potential	Harvest success	Bull:cow ratio
4	300”+	Second rifle: 16% Third rifle: 23%	16:100
14	280”+	Archey: 10% Second rifle: 12% Third rifle: 11%	16:10
16	300”+	Archey: 9% Second rifle: 10% Third rifle: 9%​​​​​​	34:100
161	280”+	Archey: 7% Second rifle: 18% Third rifle: 10%	34:100
18	310”+	Archey: 7% Second rifle: 7% Third rifle: 16%	27:100
361	300”+	Archey: 8% Second rifle: 4% Third rifle: 16%	NA
25	300”+	Archey: 9% Second rifle: 11% Third rifle: 17%	23:100
26	300”+	Archey: 6% Second rifle: 11% Third rifle: 10%	23:100
35	310”+	Archey: 7% Second rifle: 6% Third rifle: 17%	25:100
36	310”+	Archey: 3% Second rifle: 18% Third rifle: 14%	25:100
30	320”+	Archey: 15% Second rifle: 23% Third rifle: 13%	24:100
31	310”+	Archey: 16% Second rifle: 23% Third rifle: 20%	24:100
32	310”+	Archey: 13% Second rifle: 16% Third rifle: 24%	24:100
62	320”+	Archey: 11% Second rifle: 17% Third rifle: 11%	16:100
65	300”+	Archey: 11% Second rifle: 24% Third rifle: 22%	21:100
77	300”+	Second rifle: 26% Third rifle: 17%	15:100
78	300”+	Second rifle: 21% Third rifle: 21%	15:100
444	310”+	Archey: 6% Second rifle: 11% Third rifle: 8%	22:100
521	310”+	Archey: 14% Second rifle: 18% Third rifle: 13%​​​​​​	26:100

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B&C entry trends for Colorado elk

Colorado's top Boone & Crockett producing counties since 2010 for typical elk
County	No. of entries	Units found within county
Moffat	7	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 201, 211, 301, 441
Mesa	4	30, 31, 40, 41, 42, 60, 61, 62, 411, 421
Park	4	39, 46, 49, 50, 500, 501, 57, 58, 581

Colorado's top Boone & Crockett producing counties since 2010 for nontypical elk
County	No. of entries	Units found within county
Las Animas	5	85, 133, 134, 136, 137, 140, 141, 142, 143, 147, 851
Fremont	3	58, 581, 59, 591, 69, 691, 84
Moffat	2	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 201, 211, 301, 441

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The points system

The preference point race

2020 maximum preference points for elk: 34

Managing points and expectations

I have 0 to 5 elk preference points. What can I expect?

When reviewing the draw odds, it makes more sense to draw a permit every few years and go hunting because there are very few great options in the eight to 15 point range. Review the table above entitled, “Good hunts in the 0 to 7 preference point range.” Cross reference those with the population and bull:cow ratios to narrow your search down to the best options. There are also many more hunts that can be explored by using the trophy potential, harvest success, public land percentage filters built into Filtering 2.0 and the standalone draw odds. There are so many options regardless of what weapon you want to hunt with or how many points you have. 

Find your resident archery elk draw odds with zero points here

Find your nonresident archery elk draw odds with zero points here

Find your resident muzzleloader elk draw odds with zero points here

Find your nonresident muzzleloader elk draw odds with zero points here

Find your resident rifle elk draw odds with zero points here

Find your nonresident rifle elk draw odds with zero points here

I have 6 to 10 elk preference points. What can I expect?

As previously stated, there are not many good hunts that can be drawn if you fall within this range. If you have been building points under the assumption that you will eventually catch a Unit 10, 2 or 201 permit, do yourself a favor and visit the detailed draw odds page for those hunts and see how many people are ahead of you. The number of years you will wait to draw is staggering. If you would like to draw a permit within this range, some of the better hunts are listed below. 

Residents 

• Archery: 20, 40, 49, 76, 851
• Muzzleloader: 40, 49, 76, 851
• First rifle: 49, 76
• Second rifle: 40, 61, 76
• Third rifle: 40, 61, 76
• Fourth rifle: 40, 61 

Nonresidents

• Archery: 20, 49, 66 
• Muzzleloader: 12/23/24, 48, 67, 501
• Fourth rifle: 20

Find your resident elk draw odds with 10 points here

Find your nonresident elk draw odds with 10 points here

I have 11 to 15 elk preference points. What can I expect?

There are not many quality hunts representative of the number of points it takes to draw them. Research the point creep on the top-tier hunts to see if banking points are worth it. 

If you would like to draw a permit within this range, some of the better hunts are listed below.

Residents 

• Archery: 61
• Muzzleloader: 1
• First rifle: 40, 61
• Second rifle: 851

Nonresidents

• Archery: 40, 76
• Muzzleloader: 20, 49, 851
• First rifle: 49
• Second rifle: 76
• Third rifle: 40, 76
• Fourth rifle: 40

Find your resident elk draw odds with 15 points here

Find your nonresident elk draw odds with 15 points here

I have 16 to 25 elk preference points. What can I expect?

A lot of applicants in this range may be looking at top-tier Units: 2, 10 and 201. If you are a nonresident in the 16 to 20 point range, those hunts could still take a couple of decades to draw so be aware of that and check the detailed draw odds page to see how long the wait could be. Below are good options within this point range.

Residents

• Archery: 1, 2, 10, 201
• Muzzleloader: 2, 10, 201
• Early rifle: 1, 2, 10, 61, 76, 201
• First rifle: 851
• Third rifle: 851
• Fourth rifle: 851

Nonresidents

• Archery: 61
• Muzzleloader: 40, 61, 76
• Early rifle: 1, 76
• First rifle: 20, 40, 61, 76, 851
• Second rifle: 40, 61, 851
• Third rifle: 61, 851
• Fourth rifle: 61 

Find your resident elk draw odds with 25 points here

Find your nonresident elk draw odds with 25 points here

I have 26 plus elk preference points. What can I expect?

Every archery and muzzleloader hunt was available to residents at 24 points. Every early rifle hunt could have been drawn at 25 points. For nonresidents, the archery hunt in Unit 2 and 201 required 27 points; Unit 10 required 26. Muzzleloader hunts in Unit 2 and 201 required 28 points; Unit 10 required 27 points. Early rifle in Unit 1 required 25 points, Unit 61 required 26 points, Unit 2 and Unit 10 took 28 points. Unit 201 required 29 points. The last hunt worth a look within this range is the fourth rifle hunt in Unit 851 that required 26 points. 

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Colorado's 2020 antelope breakdown

The antelope population has dipped some, dropping from a statewide estimated population of 85,280 to 79,290. Colorado also does not typically produce the trophy caliber of bucks that are found in Wyoming, New Mexico or Arizona. Overall, antelope hunting is more of an opportunity species rather than a trophy species in Colorado. 

One of the biggest issues with hunting antelope in Colorado is finding good portions of public land and access in some of the areas where antelope herds are the largest. The largest herds in the state occur in Unit 110, 111, 118, 119, 123, 124; Unit 3, 4, 5, 13, 14, 214, 301, 441 and Unit 128, 129, 133, 134, 135, 140, 141, 142, 147. If you look at a map of the units, you’ll see that most of those units are located on the eastern plains and there is very little public land. There may be some walk in or other accessible land to hunt, but it’s just going to take some additional work to find those.

There are other smaller pockets of antelope and good opportunities to hunt — it just takes some research. Colorado offers limited quota hunts for archery, muzzleloader and rifle antelope. There are also some units where you can still buy an OTC archery license. Within those areas, it’s difficult to find public land to hunt. 

The draw system of antelope is similar to elk and deer; the applicants with the most preference points who apply for each hunt will draw the licenses. The antelope draw is slightly different in that there is no license quota split between residents and nonresidents.

Current antelope herd condition

Colorado antelope populations by unit
Unit	2019 population	Population trend	Buck:doe ratio
87, 88, 89, 90, 94, 95, 951	6,680	Down	40:100
99, 100	1,720	Up	29:100
6, 16, 17, 161, 171	1,660	Down	35:100
93, 97, 98, 101, 102	640	Down	18:100
120, 121, 125, 126	3,620	Up	42:100
112, 113, 114, 115	3,030	Down	21:100
128, 129, 133, 134, 135, 140, 141, 142, 147	10,440	Up	46:100
110, 111, 118, 119, 123, 124	11,270	Down	53:100
3, 4, 5, 13, 14, 214, 301, 441	17,010	Down	42:100
11	360	Down	15:100
1, 2, 201	1,010	Down	36:100
116, 117, 122, 127	1,500	Up	60:100
130, 136, 137, 138, 143, 144, 146	3,150	Down	25:100
68, 79, 82, 681, 682, 791	1,860	Up	19:100
80, 81, 83	580	Down	15:100
132, 139, 145	700	Up	79:100
103, 106, 107, 109	1,800	Down	24:100
69, 84, 85, 86, 691, 851, 861	2,010	Down	24:100
10, 21	250	NA	88:100
66, 67, 551	350	Down	57:100
49, 50, 57, 58, 500, 501, 511, 581	1,380	Up	39:100
59, 591	280	Down	69:100
9, 19, 191	1,010	Down	45:100
12, 23, 211	360	Up	52:100
51, 104, 105	4,940	Up	40:100
7, 8	650	Down	30:100
18, 27, 28, 37, 181, 371	850	Down	95:100
48, 56, 481	180	Up	19:100

goHUNT’s hit list units for antelope in 2020

Top hit list hunt units to consider for 75" or better antelope (not in order of quality)
Unit	Trophy potential	Seasons offered	Preference points to draw	Harvest success
1, 2, 201	80”+	Muzzleloader	15 (20%)	100%
2, 201	80”+	Archery Rifle	18 (100%) 20 (21%)	33% 61%
3, 301	80”+	Archery Muzzleloader Rifle	4 (19%) 5 (14%) 9 (37%)	68% (3) 89% (3) 78% (3)
6, 16, 17, 161, 171	80”+	Archery Muzzleloader	2 (92%) 5 (7.7%)	38% (161) 81% (161)
11	80”+	Archery Muzzleloader Rifle	9 (60%) 8 (100%) 15 (64%)	40% 80% 89%
67	80”+	Archery Muzzleloader Rifle	5 (29%) 7 (67%) 17 (47%)	20% 100% 80%
68, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 681, 682, 791	80”+	Muzzleloader	10 (40%)	100% (79, 82)
80	80”+	Rifle	10 (53%)	80%
81	80”+	Archery Rifle	5 (29%) 13 (21%)	33% 100%
161	80”+	Rifle	15 (50%)	95%
87	80”+	Archery Rifle	1 (93%) 4 (47%)	24% 71%
87, 88, 89, 90, 95, 951	80”+	Muzzleloader	2 (32%)	69% (88)
88	75”+	Archery Rifle	0 (89%) 4 (87%)	17% 66%
89	75”+	Archery Rifle	OTC 2 (77%)	15% 79%
49, 50, 500, 501	75”+	Archery Rifle	2 (29%) 11 (100%)	48% (50) 81% (50)
49, 50, 57, 58, 500, 501, 581	75”+	Muzzleloader	6 (100%)	100% (581)

For the limited quota archery, muzzleloader and OTC archery permits, use Filtering 2.0 to search by draw odds and season. Then, filter down by harvest success and trophy potential to find those units that offer the best option.

Beyond that, some map and GPS work will allow you to whittle those units down to specific areas to hunt.

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B&C entry trends for Colorado antelope

Colorado's top Boone & Crockett producing counties since 2010 for antelope
County	No. of entries	Units found within county
Las Animas	13	85, 128, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 140, 141, 142, 143, 147, 851
Moffat	7	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 13, 201, 211, 301
Huerfano	5	84, 85, 128, 133, 861
Jackson	4	6, 16, 17, 161, 171
Lincoln	4	106, 107, 111, 112, 113, 114, 119, 120, 121
Park	4	39, 46, 49, 50, 500, 501, 57, 58, 581
Rio Grande	3	76, 78, 79, 80, 81, 791

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The points system

Managing points and expectations

2020 maximum preference points for antelope: 32

Find your draw odds

I have 0 to 5 antelope points. What can I expect?

There are some options. By using the draw odds portion of Filtering 2.0, you’ll find that there are permits you can draw for every season and weapon. Some of the best opportunities exist within the archery and muzzleloader seasons. Consider archery hunts in Unit 3, 301, 6, 16, 17, 161, 171, 67, 81, 87, 88, 49, 50, 500, 501, 68, 681, and 682. The muzzleloader hunt in Unit 87, 88, 89, 90, 95, and 951 is a good option. Rifle hunts in Unit 4, 5, 8, 18, 27, 28, 37, 181, 83, 87, 88, and 89 are worth researching if you are within this point range.

Find your resident antelope draw odds with zero points here

Find your nonresident antelope draw odds with zero points here

What can I do with 6 to 10 antelope points?

Archery hunts in Unit 11, 67, and 81 are good options. Consider muzzleloader hunts in Unit 3, 301, 6, 16, 17, 161, 171, 11, 49, 50, 57, 58, 500, 501, 581, 66 and 67. The best rifle options are Unit 3, 301, 7, 12, 211, and 82, 681.

Find your resident antelope draw odds with 10 points here

Find your nonresident antelope draw odds with 10 points here

What can I expect with 11 to 15 antelope points?

Consider the muzzleloader hunt in Unit 68, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 681, 682 and 791. The rifle hunts in Unit 3, 301, 6, 16, 17, 171, 49, 50, 500, 501, 57, 58, 581 and 81 are the best options.

Find your resident antelope draw odds with 15 points here

Find your nonresident antelope draw odds with 15 points here

What can I expect with 15 to 20 antelope points?

The archery hunt in Units 2 and 201 required 18 points. The muzzleloader hunt in Units 1, 2, and 201 required 16 points. The rifle hunt in Unit 2 and 201 required 21 points; Unit 10 required 22 points; Unit 67 required 18 points and Unit 551 required 16 points.

Find your resident antelope draw odds with 20 points here

Find your nonresident antelope draw odds with 20 points here