Application Strategy 2023: Colorado elk and antelope

Colorado's 2023 elk and antelope application overview

Jump to: NEW FOR 2023 State Information Draw System Elk Breakdown Antelope Breakdown

Note: The application deadline for all Colorado species is 8:00 p.m. MT on April 4, 2023. You can apply online here.

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New for 2023

• Unit group 41/42/421 is now a draw hunt for archery either sex elk. Previously, these units were available to hunt on the over-the-counter (OTC) license.  
• Unit group 52/411 is now a draw hunt for archery either sex elk. Previously, these units were available to hunt on the OTC license.
• Unit 521 is now a draw hunt for archery either sex elk. Previously, these units were available to hunt on the OTC license.
• New archery and rifle antelope hunts are available for Unit 83.  
• Nonresident cow elk license fees are no longer discounted. The cost will be the same as either sex or bull elk licenses: $760.99.
• Colorado has changed the three-year average qualification for the resident/nonresident quota split. Previously, if a hunt required six or more preference points for a resident to draw between the years of 2007 to 2009, the permit quota split for that hunt was 80% to residents and 20% to nonresidents. Going forward, the quota split for each hunt will be based on a three-year rolling average with a one year lag. For example, 2019-2020-2021. If the rolling average for a hunt requires six or more resident points to draw, the quota will be 80% to residents, 20% to nonresidents. This change could make some hunts harder for nonresidents to draw due to there being fewer nonresident permits. Hunts that require less than six resident points to draw during the three-year rolling average will have a 65% and 35% permit split between residents and nonresidents.
  • Hunt codes that required six or more points for an adult resident to draw for elk, deer and antelope, 20% of the licenses may be allocated to nonresidents
  • Hunt codes that required less than six points for a adult resident to draw for elk, deer, and antelope, 35% of the licenses may be allocated to nonresidents
• Applicants who draw a permit in the primary draw will have until June 5, 2023 to surrender their permit. In the case they surrender the permit, they will be refunded the cost of permit and preference points will be restored to a pre-draw level.

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Insider features

HUNT PLANNER

To aid in your research and planning efforts, we created a brand new tool for Insiders called Hunt Planner. This tool 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?

• Save unit seasons in Filtering 2.0; 
• Never lose track of units you want to further research;
• Rank seasons;
• Can help decide what unit to apply for or what order to place your units when applying on a state's website;
• Compare seasons (up to three at a time);
• Save the filter settings you used in Filtering 2.0 to find a great hunt;
• Add notes to your research folder under season level or hunt folder level; and
• Much more!

Learn more about Hunt Planner here

POINT TRACKER

Point Tracker allows you to enter the number of points you have for each state and species and, as you research through Filtering 2.0 and Draw Odds, your point total will automatically be highlighted. Learn more about Point Tracker here.

Access Point Tracker here

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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. Or you can call 1-800-244-5613 for help getting an account.

Colorado State Profile Elk Profile Antelope Profile GOHUNT Maps Draw Odds Filtering 2.0 Point Tracker Hunt Planner

Colorado elk 2023 season dates
Season	Dates
Archery	Sept. 2 to 30
Muzzleloader	Sept. 9 to 17
First rifle	Oct. 14 to 18
Second rifle	Oct. 28 to Nov. 5
Third rifle	Nov. 11 to 17
Fourth rifle	Nov. 22 to 26

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.

Colorado antelope 2023 season dates
Season	Dates
Archery	Aug. 15 to Sept. 20
Muzzleloader	Sept. 21 to 29
Rifle	Oct. 7 to 15

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

• The deadline to apply for all species in Colorado is 8:00 p.m. MT on April 4, 2023.
• You can apply online here or by calling 1-800-244-5613.
• Draw results will be available May 30 to June 2, 2023.
• 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 for nonresidents: 
  • 2023 spring turkey license
  • 2023 annual small game license
• A qualifying license is one of the following for residents: 
  • 2023 spring turkey license
  • 2023 annual small game license 
  • 2023 annual small game/fishing combo license 
• 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 true preference point state for elk and antelope. The applicants with the most points who apply for any given hunt will draw the permit.
• If you draw a permit and 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 16. 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 draw a license you would like to return, you will have a window of time when you can decline the license if you do not want it. If you choose to keep it, payment will be charged to the card used to apply.
• You can also return a license you drew 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 (per species)	$8	$10
Qualifying license/ annual small game hunting license	$33.96	$93.78
Youth qualifying license/ annual small game hunting license	$1.40	$1.40
Habitat stamp	$11.50	$11.50
*Elk license (adult)	$62.72	$760.99
*Elk license (youth)	$17.57	$116.50
*Antelope (adult)	$45.46	$456.14
*Antelope (youth)	$17.57	$116.50

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

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The Colorado Draw System

Understanding the draw

For elk and antelope hunts that require six or more points on a rolling three-year average for a Colorado resident to draw, up to 20% of the licenses can be allocated to nonresidents. Hunts that require fewer than six points for a Colorado resident to draw will have up to 35% of the licenses allocated to nonresidents.

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.

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 21 to June 30, 2023 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 7. 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. 1 at 9 a.m. MT. The leftover list will be made available in late July.  Beyond Aug. 1, 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.

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Snowpack and drought in Colorado

2023

Colorado snow water equivalent update as of March 13, 2023. Source: National Resources Conservation Service

2023 Colorado drought monitor status from March 7. Source: United States Drought Monitor

2022

Colorado snow water equivalent update from March 14, 2022. Source: National Resources Conservation Service
 

2022 Colorado drought monitor status from March 8. Source: United States Drought Monitor

2021

Colorado snow water equivalent from March 5, 2021. Source: National Resources Conservation Service

2021 Colorado drought monitor status from March 2. Source: United States Drought Monitor

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Colorado's 2023 elk breakdown

Colorado has the world's largest elk herd and represents the best opportunity in the West to obtain a license to hunt. Elk populations are generally very healthy with the most recent statewide estimate at more than 300,000 elk. For perspective, consider that the population is almost four times greater than its western neighbor: Utah. Colorado really is the last state that still offers unlimited OTC rifle elk licenses. Currently, CPW can still offer those, but as we are seeing with the archery hunts, there are going to be more units moved from OTC to draw only. The transition is largely being pushed by resident hunters wanting to see less pressure on the landscape, which is completely understandable and I see that trend continuing since even more hunters will now be pushed to the open OTC units. Add in the reintroduction of gray wolves and we are likely on the cusp of OTC hunting opportunities moving towards draw only and having to select units to apply for rather than banking on a guaranteed backup license in Colorado. However, for 2023, 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. 

Most hunters consider OTC units being transitioned to draw only as a negative and, certainly, there is some merit to that. In saying that, Colorado offers so many hunts and manages a significant number of units and most of those hunts can be drawn with very few preference points. For reference, there were 326 hunts available for nonresidents to apply for in 2022 and 114 of them were drawn with zero points. With one point, that number climbs to 179 and, with five points, 260 hunts could have been drawn. Even more, there were 74 hunts that could have been drawn as a second choice, which allows the applicant to build a preference point as their first choice and go hunting on the license they drew as a second. Also, remember that hunts that are drawn have a limited quota and, although the hunting pressure is still going to be high in easy to draw units, there will typically be much less pressure than if it were an OTC unit. 

Trophy quality in Colorado is not in the same discussion as it is in 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 a number of 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, there will always be a decent age structure and a few bulls that live long enough to grow a big set of antlers. The units that require a decade or more worth of preference points generally offer better quality bulls, but it’s not significantly better in my opinion. For the most part I recommend hunters apply and draw a license within zero to five years. The hard to draw units are not worth chasing unless you are one of the applicants who has already built up 20 plus points. There are very few good options for applicants with 10 to 20 points and applicants in that range should look at the detailed Draw Odds pages for the hunts they are considering to evaluate if it’s worth continuing to chase those. With that, let's look at the statewide populations by data analysis unit (DAU), bull to cow ratios and our recommendations for the Colorado hit list and good hunts available at each point range.

Elk populations and bull:cow ratios

The current Colorado elk population was up slightly again in the most recent survey (2021) with a total of 308,901 animals, which is and increase from 2020 at 293,590 elk statewide.

Colorado manages their herds in different DAUs 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
Unit(s) DAU	2021 population	Population trend	Bull:cow ratio
2, 201	1,500	Up (20%)	37:100
3, 301, 4, 441, 5, 14, 214	24,060	Up (24%)	25:100
6, 16, 161, 17, 171	4,715	Down (22%)	21:100
7, 8, 9, 19, 191	6,440	Up (32%)	31:100
53, 54, 63	8,476	Down (1%)	20:100
11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 25, 26, 33, 34, 131, 211, 231	40,581	Up (1%)	13:100
15, 27	4,868	Down (5%)	35:100
18, 181	4,145	Down (10%)	42:100
20	2,107	Down (14%)	48:100
21, 22, 30, 31, 32	14,930	Up (20%)	22:100
82	5,783	Up (9%)	35:100
35, 36	4,092	Up (10%)	21:100
28, 37, 371	4,121	Down (14%)	40:100
41, 411, 42, 421, 52, 521	14,337	Down (7%)	28:100
43, 471	4,436	Down (11%)	23:100
44, 444, 45, 47	7,597	Up (9%)	20:100
48, 481, 56, 561	3,066	Up (9%)	22:100
50, 500, 501	2,259	Up (11%)	37:100
40	3,914	Up (13%)	25:100
61, 62	12,540	Up (7%)	22:100
10	1,477	Down (1%)	40:100
49, 57, 58	3,847	Up (3%)	30:100
511, 512, 581, 59, 591	4,512	Up (23%)	23:100
70, 71, 711, 72, 73	19,551	Down (3%)	17:100
66, 67	6,568	Up (9%)	24:100
68, 681	4,814	Up (4%)	21:100
86, 691, 861	2,337	Down (12%)	19:100
69, 84	2,291	Down (4%)	37:100
74, 741	6,135	Up (17%)	15:100
75, 751, 77, 771, 78	23,670	Up (7%)	14:100
80, 81	12,858	Up (8%)	17:100
83, 85, 851, 140	14,892	Up (6%)	33:100
76, 79	7,330	Up (5%)	30:100
64, 65	7,398	Up (6%)	23:100
29, 38	1,554	Up (10%)	29:100
39, 46, 391, 461	2,424	Up (9%)	37:100
60	2,582	Down (36%)	31:100
55, 551	6,552	Up (13%)	26:100
1	202	Up (1%)	33:100
51, 104, 105, 106, 110, 111	2,520	Up (8%)	24:100
133, 134, 135, 141, 142	1,270	Up (6%)	27:100
682, 791	150	Stable	16:100

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Hit list units for Colorado elk in 2023

Top hit list hunt units to consider for 340" or better bulls (not in order of quality)
Unit(s)	Trophy potential	Harvest success	Resident points to draw	Nonresident points to draw
201	370”+	Archery: 63% Muzzleloader: 100% Early rifle: 82%	60% with 25 84% with 25  100% with27	50% with 29 25% with 30 30% with 31
2	360”+	Archery: 50% Muzzleloader: 60% Early rifle: 69%	50% with 23 31% with 24 34% with 25	100% with 30 50% with 29 45% with 30
10	350”+	Archery: 53% Muzzleloader: 100% Early rifle: 83%	72% with 22 34% with 23 67% with 24	25% with 28 17% with 28 83% with 30
61	350”+	Archery: 50% Muzzleloader: 68% Early rifle: 71% 1st rifle: 68% 2nd rifle: 56% 3rd rifle: 60% 4th rifle: 39%	43% with 15 38% with 16 20% with 20 48% with 12 73% with 10 73% with 10 73% with 10	86% with 25 25% with 26 23% with 27 50% with 24 44% with 23 44% with 23 44% with 23
40	360”+	Archery: 41% Muzzleloader: 56% 1st rifle: 45% 2nd rifle: 44% 3rd rifle: 54% 4th rifle: 32%	52% with 9 82% with 9 88% with 12 41% with 10 55% with 9 100% with 9	88% with 15 83% with 22 50% with 26 50% with 20 100% with 18 50% with 17
76	350”+	Archery: 36% Muzzleloader: 59% Early rifle: 84% 1st rifle: 42% 2nd rifle: 36% 3rd rifle: 36%	100% with 9 56% with 10 41% with 19 100% with 8 52% with 6 80% with 6	100% with 17 75% with 23 13% with 25 26% with 17 100% with 15 100% with 16
*851	370”+	Archery: 14% Muzzleloader: 0% 1st rifle: 0% 2nd rifle: 21% 3rd rifle: 18% 4th rifle: 60%	50% with 8 67% with 4 100% with 17 40% with 15 100% with 21 100% with 19	100% with 15 100% with 11 N/A 100% with 17 100% with 26 33% with 27
49	340”+	Archery: 34% Muzzleloader: 27% 1st rifle: 61% 2nd rifle: 38% 3rd rifle: 58% 4th rifle: 33%	54% with 6 67% with 7 48% with 9 67% with 5 67% with 5 67% with 5	31% with 7 14% with 13 100% with 15 57% with 5 57% with 5 57% with 5
20	330”+	Archery: 30% Muzzleloader: 40% 1st rifle: 47% 2nd rifle: 61% 3rd rifle: 42% 4th rifle: 58% Late rifle: 50% Late rifle: 50%	50% with 4 100% with 4 89% with 5 20% with 4 47% with 4 63% with 4 88% with 5 92% with 7	100% with 10 50% with 11 100% with 9 50% with 6 80% with 7 100% with 7 40% with 7 40% with 9
66	330”+	Archery: 41% Muzzleloader: 66% 1st rifle: 47% 2nd rifle: 34% 3rd rifle: 34% 4th rifle: 34%	24% with 3 89% with 6 29% with 1 25% with 0 88% with 1 76% with 1	21% with 9 80% with 19 14% with 4 38% with 2 11% with 1 90% with 3

*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

The list of offered Colorado elk hunts in CPW’s brochure is 11 pages long, which shows that the number of hunts and areas is extensive to say the least. It can be hard to decide what to apply for, but we have some tips worth considering and will offer tables below with the best hunt options at a wide range of points.

The bulk of the elk hunts can be drawn with zero to eight points. Beyond eight points, the good options are few and far between and applicants will need to decide to chase one of those or use their points on a hunt that likely could have been drawn with far fewer points. This is the reason I advise applicants in the zero to eight point range to utilize their points and go hunting. The better hidden gems in Colorado, in my opinion, are the second, third, and  fourth rifle season.  The early archery, muzzleloader and rifle seasons in the better units occur during the rut or close after and those licenses are harder to draw. The late rifle hunts in those units are more challenging as the bigger bulls will have pulled away from cows and are seeking refuge to put weight on after the rut, but for hunters willing to hunt hard and deal with cold, snowy weather, there is potential for a nice bull. 

Other hidden gem options occur in areas that have remote, difficult access to wilderness or are roadless. Those areas will require backpack hunting or packstock, but the potential for a bigger bull is better. If you review the population and bull:cow ratio table above, you can correlate that with GOHUNT Maps with wilderness and wildfire layers displayed and easily start to see units where the opportunity at a bigger bull is better.

By using the standalone Draw Odds page, it’s easy to assess what hunts may best fit your needs. You can filter by seasons, draw odds at your point level and, even, explore odds at first and second choice. By utilizing our Filtering 2.0 feature, Insiders can filter by trophy potential, harvest success, bull:cow ratios, public land and 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 best for you.

Good hunts in the 0 to 8 preference point range
Unit(s)	Trophy potential	Bull:cow ratio	Harvest success	Resident points to draw	Nonresident points to draw
49	340”+	30:100	Archery-34%  2nd rifle-38% 3rd rifle-58% 4th rifle 33%	54% with 6 67% with 5 67% with 5 67% with 5	31% with 7 57% with 5 57% with 5 57% with 5
501	330”+	37:100	Archery-24% Muzzleloader-65% 1st rifle-42% 2nd rifle-28% 3rd rifle-50% 4th rifle-62%	13% with 3 27% with 4 100% with 5 18% with 2 18% with 2 18% with 2	30% with 4 14% with 8 40% with 6 6.7% with 2 6.7% with 2 6.7% with 2
69/84	330”+	37:100	Archery-33% (84) Muzzleloader-36% (84) 1st rifle-36% (84) 2nd rifle-29% (69) 3rd rifle-43% (84) 4th rifle-57% (69)	29% with 3 45% with 4 100% with 5 100% with 3 54% with 3 34% with 2	100% with 4 57% with 6 100% with 5 100% with 3 60% with 3 100% with 5
20	330”+	48:100	Archery-30% 2nd rifle-61% 3rd rifle-42% 4th rifle-58% Late rifle-50%	7% with 2 20% with 4 47% with 4 63% with 4 88% with 5	31% with 3 50% with 6 80% with 7 100% with 7 40% with 7
66	320”+	24:100	1st rifle-47% 2nd rifle-34% 3rd rifle-34% 4th rifle-34%	29% with 1 25% with 0 88% with 1 76% with 1	14% with 4 38% with 2 11% with 1 90% with 3
67	320”+	24:100	Archery-26% Muzzleloader-9% 1st rifle-38% 2nd rifle-23% 3rd rifle-28% 4th rifle-16%	81% with 2 32% with 3 28% with 0 32% with 0 66% with 1 76% with 1	23% with 5 25% with 10 100% with 2 70% with 1 64% with 1 25% with 1
57/58	310”+	30:100	Archery-24% (57) Muzzleloader-75% (57) 1st rifle-51% (58) 2nd rifle-30% (58) 3rd rifle-37% (58) 4th rifle-41% (58)	7.1% with 1 3.9% with 1 67% with 3 8.2% with 2 30% with 2 89% with 2	76% with 2 31% with 3 50% with 4 62% with 3 43% with 2 58% with 2
48	310”+	22:100	Archery-14% Muzzleloader-26% 1st rifle-39% 2nd rifle-41% 3rd rifle-0%	44% with 1 67% with 2 42% with 3 63% with 2 63% with 2	59% with 2 100% with 5 47% with 5 15% with 3 15% with 3
500	300”+	37:100	Archery-27% Muzzleloader-46% 1st rifle-41% 2nd rifle-29% 3rd rifle-20% 4th rifle-67%	29% with 2 24% with 2 25% with 2 85% with 1 85% with 1 85% with 1	26% with 2 15% with 5 62% with 3 83% with 1 83% with 1 83% with 1
4/5/441	300”+	25:100	Archery-26% (4) Muzzleloader-47% (4)	11% with 0 79% with 2	95% with 3  64% with 6
23/24/33	300”+	13:100	Archery-22% (24) Muzzleloader-23% (12)	24% with 1  69% with 2	14% with 1 83% with 4
39	300”+	37:100	Archery-27% Muzzleloader-52% 1st rifle-6% 2nd rifle-39% 3rd rifle-29% 4th rifle-20%	78% with 2 68% with 1 45% with 1 94% with 1 79% with 0 100% with 0	83% with 2 36% with 2 71% with 1 100% with 1 88% with 0 100% with 0
80/81	300”+	17:100	Archery-12% (81) Muzzleloader-26% (81) 1st rifle-36% (81) 4th rifle-67% (81)	100% with 0 73% with 1 9% with 0 19% with 0	100% with 0 65% with 4 52% with 1 24% with 0
51	280”+	24:100	Archery-32% Muzzleloader-54% 1st rifle-51% 2nd rifle-28% 3rd rifle-41% 4th rifle-33%	71% with 1 36% with 1 3.9% with 0 39% with 0 39% with 0 39% with 0	71% with 1 83% with 2 100% with 1 86% with 0 86% with 0 86% with 0
12/23/24	280”+	13:100	Archery-24% (12) Muzzleloader-23% (12)	27% with 0 69% with 2	77% with 3 88% with 7

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.

Good hunts as a second choice
Unit(s)	Harvest success	Resident second choice draw odds	Nonresident second choice draw odds
70-archery	18%	37%	35%
77/78/771-archery	17%	48%	37%
44/45/47/444-archery	17% (444)	48%	43%
74/741-archery	12%	63%	38%
80/81-archery	12% (81)	70%	67%
75/751-archery	10% (751)	100%	100%
43/471-muzzleloader	28% (43)	35%	31%
15/27-muzzleloader	12%	25%	11%
35/36/361-muzzleloader	11% (361)	44%	33%
18/181-muzzleloader	10% (181)	100%	100%
28/37/371-muzzleloader	9% (28)	67%	44%
21/22/30/31/32-1st rifle	39% (32)	11%	15%
64/65-1st rifle	29%	19%	11%
11/12/13/23/24/25/26/ 33/34/131/211/231-1st rifle	24% (211)	100%	100%
63-1st rifle	20%	100%	100%
82-1st rifle	19%	100%	100%
41/42/52/411/521-1st rifle	16% (41)	27%	16%
79-2nd rifle	20%	27%	29%
19-2nd rifle	14%	100%	100%
21/22/30/31/32-4th rifle	41% (31)	100%	100%
64/65-4th rifle	36% (65)	12%	25%
43-4th rifle	27%	18%	35%
231-4th rifle	27%	100%	100%
68/681-4th rifle	26% (681)	100%	43%
47-4th rifle	24%	100%	100%
54-4th rifle	24%	100%	100%
45-4th rifle	21%	100%	100%

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 archery elk hunts
Unit(s)	Trophy potential	Harvest success	Bull:cow ratio
3	320”+	22%	25:100
22	300”+	22%	22:100
21	300”+	21%	22:100
211	300”+	21%	13:100
31	310”+	17%	22:100
60	320”+	14%	31:100
62	320”+	14%	22:100
30	320”+	13%	22:100
63	280”+	11%	20:100

 

Good OTC rifle elk hunts
Unit(s)	Trophy potential	Harvest success	Bull:cow ratio
60-2nd rifle	320”+	30%	31:100
47-second rifle	300”+	26%	20:100
30-2nd rifle	320”+	25%	22:100
70-2nd rifle	300”+	25%	17:100
751-2nd rifle	290”+	25%	14:100
64-2nd rifle	280”+	24%	23:100
32-2nd rifle	310”+	22%	22:100
211-2nd rifle	300”+	22%	13:100
11-2nd rifle	300”+	21%	13:100
471-3rd rifle	290”+	50%	23:100
47-3rd rifle	300”+	28%	20:100
211-3rd rifle	300”+	29%	13:100
44-3rd rifle	310”+	25%	20:100
11-3rd rifle	300”+	20%	13:100
22-3rd rifle	300”+	19%	22:100
31-3rd rifle	310”+	17%	22:100
54-3rd rifle	310”+	16%	20:100
42-3rd rifle	300”+	15%	28:100
43-3rd rifle	300”+	15%	23:100

There are many more OTC hunt options for archery, second and third rifle seasons that are not included above. Many of those areas have healthy populations and can offer good hunts. The hunts recommended above are based on harvest success, bull to cow ratios and trophy potential. Use your Insider research platform, specifically the trophy potential, public land percentage, harvest success filters and the Unit Profiles in Filtering 2.0 to explore and find the best option for you.

The points system

2023 maximum preference points for elk: 37

Colorado elk points going into the 2023 draw
Points	Resident	Nonresident
1	22,329	23,132
2	12,283	14,803
3	7,875	8,821
4	5,196	6,727
5	4,317	5,922
6	3,240	2,997
7	2,769	2,217
8	2,409	1,803
9	2,060	1,471
10	1,583	1,366
11	1,255	1,178
12	1,055	1,051
13	993	1,062
14	827	937
15	715	949
16	676	874
17	616	921
18	564	759
19	460	583
20	410	544
21	401	588
22	358	521
23	331	568
24	292	559
25	266	478
26	195	408
27	137	298
28	68	270
29	32	161
30	10	81
31	9	21
32	4	17
33	1	3
34	0	0
35	2	0
36	1	0
37	2	0

Managing points and expectations

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

When reviewing the draw odds, it makes sense to draw a permit every few years and go hunting because there are very few good options in the eight to 15 point range. With point creep factored in, it may take decades of building points to draw a 10 point hunt if you are just starting out. Review the table above entitled, “Good hunts in the 0 to 8 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 in 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.

I HAVE 9 TO 12 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. The best hunts are going to require several more points and, if you continue to chase those, you will want to visit the detailed Draw Odds pages of the hunts you are considering to gauge how long it might take. It could take another decade or more. In some cases, for example Units 10, 2 and 201, you are unlikely to catch those in your lifetime if the system remains the same. If you would like to draw a permit within this range, some of the better hunts are listed below.

Top archery hunts nine to 12 preference point range
Hunt	Trophy potential	Harvest success	Resident points to draw (2022)	Nonresident points to draw (2022)
40	360”+	41%	52% with 9	N/A
76	350”+	36%	100% with 9	N/A
851	370”+	14%	50% with 8	N/A
49	340”+	34%	54% with 6	31% with 7
20	330”+	30%	50% with 4	100% with 10
66	320”+	41%	24% with 3	21% with 9

 

Top muzzleloader hunts nine to 12 preference point range
Hunt	Trophy potential	Harvest success	Resident points to draw (2022)	Nonresident points to draw (2022)
76	350”+	59%	56% with 10	N/A
40	360”+	56%	82% with 9	N/A
49	340”+	27%	67% with 7	N/A
66	320”+	66%	9% with 6	N/A
20	330”+	40%	100% with 4	50% with 11
69/84	330”+	36% (84)	45% with 4	57% with 6
501	330”+	65%	27% with 4	14% with 8
851	370”+	0%	67% with 4	100% with 11
67	320”+	9%	32% with 3	25% with 10
12/23/24	280”+	23% (12)	69% with 2	88% with 7

 

Top first rifle hunts nine to 12 preference point range
Hunt	Trophy potential	Harvest success	Resident points to draw (2022)	Nonresident points to draw (2022)
40	360”+	45%	88% with 12	N/A
49	340”+	61%	48% with 9	N/A
76	350”+	42%	100% with 7	N/A
20	330”+	47%	89% with 5	100% with 9
501	330”+	42%	100% with 5	40% with 6

 

Top second, third and fourth rifle hunts nine to 12 preference point range
Hunt	Trophy potential	Harvest success	Resident points to draw (2022)	Nonresident points to draw (2022)
40-2nd rifle	360”+	44%	41% with 10	N/A
61-2nd rifle	350”+	56%	73% with 10	N/A
61-3rd rifle	350”+	60%	73% with 10	N/A
61-4th rifle	350”+	39%	73% with 10	N/A
40-3rd rifle	360”+	54%	55% with 9	N/A
40-4th rifle	360”+	32%	100% with 9	N/A
20-late rifle	330”+	50%	92% with 7	40% with 9
76-2nd rifle	350”+	36%	52% with 6	N/A
20-late rifle	330”+	50%	88% with 5	40% with 7
20-3rd rifle	330”+	42%	47% with 4	80% with 7
20-4th rifle	330”+	58%	63% with 4	100% with 7

I HAVE 13 TO 20 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.

Top archery hunts 13 to 20 preference point range
Hunt	Trophy potential	Harvest success	Resident points to draw (2022)	Nonresident points to draw (2022)
1	350”+	0%	100% with 16	N/A
61	350”+	50%	43% with 15	N/A
40	360”+	41%	52% with 9	88% with 15
76	350”+	36%	100% with 9	100% with 17
851	370”+	14%	50% with 8	100% with 15

 

Top muzzleloader hunts 13 to 20 preference point range
Hunt	Trophy potential	Harvest success	Resident points to draw (2022)	Nonresident points to draw (2022)
61	350”+	68%	38% with 16	N/A
1	350”+	0%	50% with 13	N/A
49	340”+	27%	67% with 7	14% with 13
66	330”+	66%	89% with 6	80% with 19

 

Top early rifle hunts 13 to 20 preference point range
Hunt	Trophy potential	Harvest success	Resident points to draw (2022)	Nonresident points to draw (2022)
61	350”+	71%	20% with 20	N/A
76	350”+	84%	41% with 19	N/A

 

Top first rifle hunts 13 to 20 preference point range
Hunt	Trophy potential	Harvest success	Resident points to draw (2022)	Nonresident points to draw (2022)
40	360”+	45%	88% with 12	N/A
61	350”+	68%	48% with 12	N/A
851	370”+	0%	100% with 17	N/A

 

Top second, third and fourth rifle hunts 13 to 20 preference point range
Hunt	Trophy potential	Harvest success	Resident points to draw (2022)	Nonresident points to draw (2022)
851-2nd rifle	370”+	21%	40% with 15	100% with 17
40-2nd rifle	360”+	44%	41% with 10	50% with 20
61-2nd rifle	350”+	56%	73% with 10	N/A
61-3rd rifle	350”+	60%	73% with 10	N/A
61-4th rifle	350”+	39%	73% with 10	N/A
40-3rd rifle	360”+	54%	55% with 9	100% with 18
40-4th rifle	360”+	32%	1005 with 9	50% with 17
76-2nd rifle	350”+	36%	52% with 6	100% with 15
76-3rd rifle	350”+	36%	10% with 6	100% with 16

 

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

Many applicants in this range may be looking at top-tier units like Units 2, 10, 201, 61, 40, 85 and 76. If you are a nonresident in the 20 point range, some of the hunts within a few of these are obtainable. The top-tier Units 2, 10 and 201 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. Review the GOHUNT hit list for the top-tier units. 

Find your draw odds

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Colorado's 2023 antelope breakdown

Statewide, the population of antelope has increased slightly in the most recent population estimate, which is from 2021. That estimate is 78,182 — an increase from the 2020 estimate, which was 77,400. However, both of those estimates are down from approximately 82,170 antelope in 2020. Colorado is not considered a trophy state for antelope although there are a handful of true trophy bucks taken every year. Reports of a few giants from this last year have leaked in and Colorado always has the ability to produce a Boone & Crockett buck; however, for the most part, 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, but the draw odds for antelope in Colorado are relatively good and the cost to apply is cheap if you are applying for other species.

The draw system for antelope is similar to elk and deer; the applicants with the most preference points who apply for each hunt will draw the licenses.

The change in license allocation this year will impact draw odds for nonresident antelope. Previously residents and nonresidents were on an equal playing field for licenses since there was not a quota split. In 2023, 20% of the licenses for any hunt that required an adult resident six or more points to draw will be available to nonresidents. For hunts that required an adult resident less than six points to draw, 35% will be available to nonresidents. This change is going to make it extremely hard to determine the number of points it will take a nonresident to draw. The best advice we can offer to nonresidents is to review the demand for each hunt you are considering at each point level and consider applying for a hunt that requires fewer points than you currently have if indeed you want to burn your points and try to draw a license. The other alternative, if you have a good number of points, is to apply for a hunt that is at or close to your point level and if you do not draw, review the odds next year as we will have a much better understanding of how many points were required under the new allocation splits.

The biggest limiting factor to hunting antelope in Colorado is finding public land with good access to hunt. The eastern plains have healthier populations, but the amount of public land is very limited. The western portion of the state has much better access to public land generally; however, the populations are lower and more susceptible to harsh winters. Applicants can still find success on public lands and harvest success is typically very good across all weapons/hunts. The eastern portion of the state has greater populations, but once again finding a place to hunt for a DIY unguided hunter is difficult.

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. However, within those areas, it’s difficult to find public land to hunt. As you review the hit list and the draw odds, you’ll notice that the rifle hunts require far more points to draw than the archery and muzzleloader hunts. The key to getting a license to hunt antelope more often is to consider either one of those two more primitive weapon types. 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 filler option in a year when your schedule permits it. As with most antelope states, I would suggest spending time looking at GOHUNT Maps and reviewing the public land and access before you apply. 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. Make sure that Colorado is on your list to apply for antelope in 2023 — even if it’s just to build a preference point!

Colorado antelope populations by unit
Unit(s) DAU	2021 population	Population trend	Buck:doe ratio
87, 88, 89, 90, 94, 95, 951	6,633	Down (12%)	31:100
99, 100	1,323	Down (18%)	32:100
6, 16, 17, 161, 171	1,759	Up (81%)	34:100
93, 97, 98, 101, 102	666	Up (6%)	11:100
120, 121, 125, 126	3,092	Up (11%)	25:100
112, 113, 114, 115	2,895	Down (2%)	32:100
128, 129, 133, 134, 135, 140, 141, 142, 147	8,693	Up (4%)	30:100
110, 111, 118, 119, 123, 124	8,238	Down (7%)	29:100
3, 4, 5, 13, 14, 214, 301, 441	20,532	Up (6%)	40:100
11	779	Up (47%)	46:100
1, 2, 201	841	Down (43%)	32:100
116, 117, 122, 127	1,363	Up (13%)	23:100
130, 136, 137, 138, 143, 144, 146	2,710	Down (9%)	21:100
68, 79, 82, 681, 682, 791	1,487	Up (2%)	11:100
80, 81, 83	848	Up (1%)	19:100
132, 139, 145	1,000	Stable	50:100
103, 106, 107, 109	2,415	Up (21%)	20:100
69, 84, 85, 86, 691, 851, 861	2,254	Up (6%)	27:100
10, 21	250	Stable	88:100
66, 67, 551	414	Down (6%)	36:100
49, 50, 57, 58, 500, 501, 511, 581	1,334	Up (53%)	25:100
59, 591	271	Up (5%)	59:100
9, 19, 191	1,209	Down (18%)	103:100
12, 23, 211	187	Down (29%)	27:100
51, 104, 105	5,489	N/A	47:100
7, 8	577	N/A	44:100
15, 18, 26, 27, 28, 37, 181, 231, 371	697	Down (9%)	76:100
48, 56, 481	226	Up (12%)	20:100

 

Top hit list hunt units to consider for 75" or better antelope (not in order of quality)
Unit(s)	Trophy potential	Harvest success	Preference points to draw (2022)
3/301	80"+	Archery: 70% (301) Muzzleloader: 76% (3) Rifle: 78% (3)	17% with 4 56% with 5 32% with 8
6/16/17/161/171	80"+	Archery: 65% (16) Muzzleloader: 71% (6)	37% with 3  15% with 6
11	80"+	Archery: 78% Muzzleloader: 100% Rifle: 87%	33% with 10 33% with 7 64% with 16
161	80"+	Rifle: 89%	33% with 17
67	80"+	Archery: 67% Muzzleloader: 100% Rifle: 100%	25% with 5 100% with 8 12% with 19
1/2/201	80"+	Muzzleloader: 100% (201)	50% with 19
2/201	80"+	Archery: 50% (201) Rifle: 93% (201)	26% with 20 50% with 22
80	80"+	Archery: 0% Rifle: 71%	100% with 4 100% with 11
81	80"+	Archery: 38% Rifle: 89%	100% with 5 42% with 15
87	80"+	Archery: 30% Rifle: 84%	23% with 0 21% with 4
87/88/89/90/95/951	80"+	Muzzleloader: 100% (951)	100% with 2
68/681/682	80"+	Rifle: 100% (68 & 682)	38% with 19
6	75”+	Rifle: 91%	33% with 18
49/50/500/501	75”+	Archery: 11% (50) Rifle: 100% (500)	92% with 4 22% with 10
57/58/581	75”+	Archery: 80% (581) Rifle: 100% (581)	88% with 3  100% with 10
88	75”+	Archery: 8% Rifle: 61%	100% with 0 31% with 4
79/791	75”+	Archery: 0%  Rifle: 84% (79)	36% with 4  100% with 18
68/79/80/81/82/ 83/681/682/791	75”+	Muzzleloader: 100% (81)	60% with 9

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.

The points system

MANAGING POINTS AND EXPECTATIONS

2023 maximum preference points for antelope: 35

Colorado antelope points going into the 2023 draw
Points	Resident	Nonresident
1	11,144	6,717
2	8,370	4,967
3	5,715	3,446
4	4,627	3,250
5	4,272	2,776
6	2,411	619
7	1,860	444
8	1,495	393
9	1,205	341
10	1,049	295
11	773	243
12	675	228
13	543	176
14	502	184
15	464	159
16	456	180
17	426	152
18	390	162
19	379	123
20	374	122
21	286	111
22	303	90
23	212	84
24	129	83
25	62	51
26	63	27
27	30	16
28	12	3
29	5	4
30	2	5
31	1	0
32	0	1
33	0	0
34	3	0
35	1	0

Find your draw odds