Colorado — Elk

CO Elk Unit 481

Name: Colorado Unit 481 Elk Hunting Data
Creator: HuntPilot
License: https://huntpilot.ai/terms

Total Acres

180,848

Public Land

84%

Wilderness

31%

Elevation

7,597–14,377 ft

Season Dates

Year	Weapon	Dates	Tag Type	Sex
2026	Archery — EE-481-O-1-A	Sep 2, 2026 — Sep 30, 2026	—	either
2026	Muzzleloader — EM-481-O-1-M	Sep 12, 2026 — Sep 20, 2026	—	male
2026	Muzzleloader — EF-481-O-1-M	Sep 12, 2026 — Sep 20, 2026	—	female
2026	Rifle — EM-481-O-1-R	Oct 14, 2026 — Oct 18, 2026	—	male
2026	Rifle — EM-481-O-4-R	Nov 18, 2026 — Nov 22, 2026	—	male
2026	Rifle — EF-481-O-4-R	Nov 18, 2026 — Nov 22, 2026	—	female
2026	Rifle — EF-481-O-3-R	Oct 24, 2026 — Nov 1, 2026	—	female
2026	Rifle — EF-481-O-2-R	Oct 24, 2026 — Nov 1, 2026	—	female
2026	Rifle — EF-481-P-5-R	Sep 1, 2026 — Jan 31, 2027	—	female
2026	Rifle — EM-481-O-3-R	Nov 7, 2026 — Nov 15, 2026	—	male
2026	Rifle — EM-481-O-2-R	Oct 24, 2026 — Nov 1, 2026	—	male

Trophy Data

B&C Entries

Avg Score

376.2

Top Score

380.6

Recent (5yr)

Herd Data

Bull : Cow

24per 100

2024 Survey

Population Est.

3,390

2024 Survey

AI Scout Analysis

# CO 481 — Tactical Analysis ## Terrain & Habitat High-elevation alpine and mixed conifer terrain (7,600–14,400 ft) with 84% public land and 31% wilderness. Rugged country requiring solid fitness and navigation skills; wilderness access requires careful planning and early season scouting to locate elk before higher elevations become inaccessible. ## Herd Quality Wildlife survey data shows an average bull:cow ratio of 24:100 across six years (2018–2024)—a **below-average** herd composition...

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Tag Quotas & Applicant Volume

Year	Weapon	Residency	Applicants	Tags issued
41 recent records available — Sign up to see current data
2023	Archery (Either S1)	resident	103	57
2023	Archery (Either S1)	nonresident	96	32
2023	Muzzleloader (Female S1)	resident	11	23
2023	Muzzleloader (Female S1)	nonresident	2	2
2023	Rifle (Female S2)	resident	63	63
2023	Rifle (Female S2)	nonresident	4	3
2023	Rifle (Female S3)	resident	31	35
2023	Rifle (Female S3)	nonresident	2	2
2023	Rifle (Female S4)	resident	10	17
2023	Rifle (Female S5)	resident	56	33
2023	Rifle (Female S5)	nonresident	2	2
2023	Muzzleloader (Male S1)	resident	47	22
2023	Muzzleloader (Male S1)	nonresident	15	10
2023	Rifle (Male S1)	resident	82	32
2023	Rifle (Male S1)	nonresident	26	17
2023	Rifle (Male S2)	resident	67	45
2023	Rifle (Male S2)	nonresident	33	23
2023	Rifle (Male S3)	resident	25	27
2023	Rifle (Male S3)	nonresident	6	6
2023	Rifle (Male S4)	resident	6	15

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Harvest Data

Year	Weapon	Hunters	Harvest	Success
15 recent records available — Sign up to see current harvest data
2023	Archery	93	15	16.0%
2023		493	111	22.0%
2023	Rifle	341	84	25.0%
2023	Muzzleloader	59	12	20.0%