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Application Strategy 2023: Colorado elk and antelope

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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.


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.

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


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

SeasonDates

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

SeasonDates

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

ItemResidentNonresident

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.


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.


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


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) DAU2021
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


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

PointsResidentNonresident

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

HuntTrophy
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

HuntTrophy
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

HuntTrophy
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

HuntTrophy
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

HuntTrophy
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

HuntTrophy
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

HuntTrophy
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

HuntTrophy
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

HuntTrophy
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


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) DAU2021
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

PointsResidentNonresident

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

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