Colorado — Elk

CO Elk Unit 500

Name: Colorado Unit 500 Elk Hunting Data
Creator: HuntPilot
License: https://huntpilot.ai/terms

Total Acres

103,662

Public Land

72%

Elevation

9,035–13,827 ft

Season Dates

Year	Weapon	Dates	Tag Type	Sex
2026	Archery — EE-500-O-1-A	Sep 2, 2026 — Sep 30, 2026	—	either
2026	Muzzleloader — EF-500-O-1-M	Sep 12, 2026 — Sep 20, 2026	—	female
2026	Muzzleloader — EM-500-O-1-M	Sep 12, 2026 — Sep 20, 2026	—	male
2026	Rifle — EM-500-O-1-R	Oct 14, 2026 — Oct 18, 2026	—	male
2026	Rifle — EF-500-P-5-R	Sep 1, 2026 — Jan 31, 2027	—	female
2026	Rifle — EM-500-O-4-R	Nov 18, 2026 — Nov 22, 2026	—	male
2026	Rifle — EF-500-O-3-R	Oct 14, 2026 — Oct 18, 2026	—	female
2026	Rifle — EF-500-O-2-R	Sep 1, 2026 — Jan 15, 2027	—	female
2026	Rifle — EF-500-L-1-R	Dec 12, 2026 — Dec 20, 2026	—	female
2026	Rifle — EF-500-O-4-R	Nov 18, 2026 — Nov 22, 2026	—	female
2026	Rifle — EM-500-O-3-R	Nov 7, 2026 — Nov 15, 2026	—	male
2026	Rifle — EM-500-O-2-R	Oct 24, 2026 — Nov 1, 2026	—	male

Trophy Data

B&C Entries

Avg Score

370.2

Top Score

380.5

Recent (5yr)

Herd Data

Bull : Cow

38per 100

2024 Survey

Population Est.

3,340

2024 Survey

AI Scout Analysis

# CO 500 — Tactical Analysis ## Terrain & Hunting Conditions Unit 500 spans high-elevation terrain (9,035–13,827 ft) across roughly 104,000 acres with strong public land access (72%). The elevation range suggests mixed aspen, conifer, and subalpine habitat typical of Colorado's central mountains. Expect demanding terrain and weather variability at higher elevations. ## Herd Quality & Population Wildlife surveys (2018–2024) show a stable bull:cow ratio averaging 36:100—a healthy, well-managed...

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Tag Quotas & Applicant Volume

Year	Weapon	Residency	Applicants	Tags issued
44 recent records available — Sign up to see current data
2023	Muzzleloader (Male S1)	nonresident	58	12
2023	Rifle (Male S1)	resident	172	37
2023	Rifle (Male S1)	nonresident	58	18
2023	Rifle (Male S2)	resident	85	42
2023	Rifle (Male S2)	nonresident	13	8
2023	Rifle (Male S3)	resident	34	26
2023	Rifle (Male S3)	nonresident	2	1
2023	Rifle (Male S4)	resident	13	8
2023	Rifle (Male S4)	nonresident	1	1
2023	Archery (Either S1)	resident	225	51
2023	Archery (Either S1)	nonresident	113	26
2023	Rifle (Female S1)	resident	10	9
2023	Muzzleloader (Female S1)	resident	60	46
2023	Muzzleloader (Female S1)	nonresident	10	8
2023	Rifle (Female S2)	resident	168	108
2023	Rifle (Female S2)	nonresident	9	4
2023	Rifle (Female S3)	resident	56	110
2023	Rifle (Female S3)	nonresident	5	6
2023	Rifle (Female S4)	resident	3	17
2023	Rifle (Female S5)	resident	32	14
2023	Muzzleloader (Male S1)	resident	93	24

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Harvest Data

Year	Weapon	Hunters	Harvest	Success
16 recent records available — Sign up to see current harvest data
2023	Archery	84	22	27.0%
2023		610	171	28.0%
2023	Rifle	425	123	29.0%
2023	Muzzleloader	102	25	25.0%