Colorado — Elk

CO Elk Unit 81

Name: Colorado Unit 81 Elk Hunting Data
Creator: HuntPilot
License: https://huntpilot.ai/terms

Total Acres

777,197

Public Land

74%

Wilderness

11%

Elevation

7,393–13,248 ft

Season Dates

Year	Weapon	Dates	Tag Type	Sex
2026	Archery — EE-080-O-1-A	Sep 2, 2026 — Sep 30, 2026	—	either
2026	Muzzleloader — EM-080-O-1-M	Sep 12, 2026 — Sep 20, 2026	—	male
2026	Rifle — EM-080-O-1-R	Oct 14, 2026 — Oct 18, 2026	—	male
2026	Rifle — EF-081-O-3-R	Nov 7, 2026 — Nov 15, 2026	—	female
2026	Rifle — EF-081-O-2-R	Oct 24, 2026 — Nov 1, 2026	—	female
2026	Rifle — EF-081-O-4-R	Nov 18, 2026 — Nov 22, 2026	—	female
2026	Rifle — EF-081-P-5-R	Sep 1, 2026 — Jan 31, 2027	—	female

Herd Data

Bull : Cow

19per 100

2024 Survey

Population Est.

14,480

2024 Survey

AI Scout Analysis

# CO 81 Tactical Analysis **Terrain & Access:** CO 81 spans 7,393–13,248 ft with 74% public land and 11% wilderness. This is high-elevation terrain with moderate wilderness exposure—huntable without a guide but with some access constraints. Expect mixed aspen, conifer, and alpine habitat across the elevation range. **Herd Quality:** The unit shows a **below average** bull:cow ratio averaging 20:100 across six surveys (2018–2024). This indicates moderate to heavy historical harvest pressure on...

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Tag Quotas & Applicant Volume

Year	Weapon	Residency	Applicants	Tags issued
32 recent records available — Sign up to see current data
2023	Muzzleloader (Female S1)	resident	59	51
2023	Muzzleloader (Female S1)	nonresident	23	14
2023	Rifle (Female S2)	resident	290	94
2023	Rifle (Female S2)	nonresident	31	10
2023	Rifle (Female S3)	resident	135	73
2023	Rifle (Female S3)	nonresident	25	12
2023	Rifle (Female S4)	resident	35	62
2023	Rifle (Female S4)	nonresident	3	6
2023	Rifle (Female S5)	resident	23	14
2023	Rifle (Female S5)	nonresident	3	2
2023	Muzzleloader (Male S1)	resident	148	67
2023	Muzzleloader (Male S1)	nonresident	208	40
2023	Rifle (Male S1)	resident	473	257
2023	Rifle (Male S1)	nonresident	543	152
2023	Archery (Either S1)	resident	327	460
2023	Archery (Either S1)	nonresident	1,219	1,467

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Harvest Data

Year	Weapon	Hunters	Harvest	Success
10 recent records available — Sign up to see current harvest data
2023		3,780	669	18.0%
2023	Rifle	2,445	465	19.0%
2023	Archery	1,243	168	14.0%
2023	Muzzleloader	92	36	39.0%