Colorado — Elk

CO Elk Unit 551

Name: Colorado Unit 551 Elk Hunting Data
Creator: HuntPilot
License: https://huntpilot.ai/terms

Total Acres

349,396

Public Land

92%

Elevation

7,824–13,206 ft

Season Dates

Year	Weapon	Dates	Tag Type	Sex
2026	Archery — EE-551-O-1-A	Sep 2, 2026 — Sep 30, 2026	—	either
2026	Muzzleloader — EM-551-O-1-M	Sep 12, 2026 — Sep 20, 2026	—	male
2026	Muzzleloader — EF-551-O-1-M	Sep 12, 2026 — Sep 20, 2026	—	female
2026	Rifle — EM-551-O-1-R	Oct 14, 2026 — Oct 18, 2026	—	male
2026	Rifle — EM-551-O-4-R	Nov 18, 2026 — Nov 22, 2026	—	male
2026	Rifle — EF-551-O-3-R	Nov 7, 2026 — Nov 15, 2026	—	female
2026	Rifle — EF-551-O-2-R	Oct 24, 2026 — Nov 1, 2026	—	female
2026	Rifle — EF-551-O-1-R	Oct 14, 2026 — Oct 18, 2026	—	female
2026	Rifle — EF-551-O-4-R	Nov 18, 2026 — Nov 22, 2026	—	female
2026	Rifle — EM-551-O-3-R	Nov 7, 2026 — Nov 15, 2026	—	male
2026	Rifle — EM-551-O-2-R	Oct 24, 2026 — Nov 1, 2026	—	male

Trophy Data

B&C Entries

Avg Score

379.3

Top Score

397.2

Recent (5yr)

Herd Data

Bull : Cow

24per 100

2024 Survey

Population Est.

7,310

2024 Survey

AI Scout Analysis

# CO 551 Tactical Analysis ## Terrain & Access Unit 551 spans 7,800–13,200 ft across nearly 350,000 acres with 92% public land—excellent access for self-sufficient hunters. High-elevation terrain limits early-season archery opportunity but opens strong early-muzzleloader and rifle windows when elk migrate to cooler zones. ## Herd Quality Wildlife survey data (2018–2024) shows a **below-average bull:cow ratio of 23:100**—indicating moderate harvest pressure and fewer mature bulls in circulation....

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Tag Quotas & Applicant Volume

Year	Weapon	Residency	Applicants	Tags issued
35 recent records available — Sign up to see current data
2023	Archery (Either S1)	resident	167	121
2023	Archery (Either S1)	nonresident	160	66
2023	Muzzleloader (Female S1)	resident	29	41
2023	Muzzleloader (Female S1)	nonresident	13	12
2023	Rifle (Female S1)	resident	78	41
2023	Rifle (Female S1)	nonresident	19	10
2023	Rifle (Female S2)	resident	178	62
2023	Rifle (Female S2)	nonresident	55	14
2023	Rifle (Female S3)	resident	145	50
2023	Rifle (Female S3)	nonresident	23	9
2023	Rifle (Female S4)	resident	22	8
2023	Rifle (Female S4)	nonresident	2	1
2023	Muzzleloader (Male S1)	resident	61	19
2023	Muzzleloader (Male S1)	nonresident	48	9
2023	Rifle (Male S1)	resident	92	39
2023	Rifle (Male S1)	nonresident	52	21
2023	Rifle (Male S4)	resident	16	6
2023	Rifle (Male S4)	nonresident	10	3

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Harvest Data

Year	Weapon	Hunters	Harvest	Success
13 recent records available — Sign up to see current harvest data
2023	Archery	176	26	15.0%
2023		1,443	157	11.0%
2023	Rifle	1,182	124	11.0%
2023	Muzzleloader	85	7	8.0%