Elk Hunting in Colorado GMU 86 - Fremont, Custer, and Chaffee Counties
Elk can be found throughout the unit during the regular fall seasons depending on the snow and weather. Elk hunting is best at higher elevations with pine, fir and meadows in the earlier seasons. Elk may move to lower elevations when heavy snows come.

Scores
Access Notes
With A Free Account Get:
- Satallite and Topo Layers
- Public Landownership Layers
- Roads and Trails Layers
- Burn Layers
- Water Tank Layer (AZ Only)
- 20% Discount on HuntStand Pro

Bounded on N by US Highway 50; on E by County Highway 69; on S by Huerfano-Custer County line; on W by Sangre De Cristo Divide and US Highway 285.
The access for this unit is fair to good for access for public lands. The access for this unit is fair to poor for on private lands.
Elk Notes
With A Free Account Get:
- Toggle between terrain, satellite, and topographic views
- Additional species-specific map layers
Elk can be found throughout the unit during the regular fall seasons depending on the snow and weather. Elk hunting is best at higher elevations with pine, fir and meadows in the earlier seasons. Elk may move to lower elevations when heavy snows come.
HuntScore Tip
Public land and private land percentages can sometime be misleading. A unit may have 80% public land, but a particluar species may only occupy 20% on the entire area. And that 20% species distribution may lie 100% within private lands. Does that sound confusing? Just remember that there are always exceptions to the rule, and land ownership is just one piece of the puzzle.
Management Plan
State Agency Website
Visit Colorado Parks and WildlifePhotos and Terrain Notes
The elevation in this area ranges from 14,064 feet on Humbolt Peak to 5,667 feet near Texas Creek. The terrain is Flat to gently rolling valley bottom climbing quickly to steep, rough mountains. The vegetation consists of Grassland to Grass to pine to spruce, firs and aspens to alpine meadows.
Elk Over The Counter Hunts (2021)
There are 4 OTC hunts in this unit. Go Pro to view the details!
Go Pro and get:
- The ability to filter OTC units by residency and manner/sex
- Over the counter unit hunts listed with:
- Residency Requirements
- Season and Manner of Take Restrictions
- Season Dates
Elk Drawing Stats (2021)
1st Choice Draw Odds
Stats | Apply For | Sex | Manner | Season | Type | Draw Odds | HuntScore | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EF086P5R |
F
|
R
|
P5
|
LL
|
100%
|
74 | Permit Type B; License Valid for Units: 86, 691, 861; 861 private land only | |
EF086O4R |
F
|
R
|
O4
|
LL
|
100%
|
72 | Permit Type B; License Valid for Units: 86, 691, 861; | |
EF086O3R |
F
|
R
|
O3
|
LL
|
100%
|
72 | Permit Type B; License Valid for Units: 86, 691, 861; | |
EF086O2R |
F
|
R
|
O2
|
LL
|
100%
|
73 | Permit Type B; License Valid for Units: 86, 691, 861; | |
EF086O1M |
F
|
M
|
O1
|
LL
|
100%
|
69 | Permit Type B; License Valid for Units: 86, 691, 861; | |
EE086P1R |
E
|
R
|
P1
|
LL
|
100%
|
68 | Permit Type A; License Valid for Units: 86, 691, 861; 861 private land only | |
EE086O4R |
E
|
R
|
O4
|
LL
|
100%
|
70 | Permit Type A; License Valid for Units: 86, 691, 861; | |
EE086O1R |
E
|
R
|
O1
|
LL
|
65.4%
|
68 | Permit Type A; License Valid for Units: 86, 691, 861; | |
EE086O1M |
E
|
M
|
O1
|
LL
|
86.5%
|
69 | Permit Type A; License Valid for Units: 86, 691, 861; |
Go Pro and get:
- Drawing trends across multiple years
- Individual hunt quotas
- 1st choice license applications and licenses drawn
- Draw odds for resident and nonresident applicants
- Minimum preference points to draw
- Point creep plots
Elk Harvest Stats (2020)
Manner | Season | Type | Sex | Hunters | Harvest | Male | Female | Youth |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A
|
A
|
|
N/A | 814 | 42 |
39
|
3
|
0
|
ALL
|
ALL
|
|
N/A | 2282 | 340 |
171
|
149
|
0
|
M
|
M
|
|
N/A | 150 | 35 |
16
|
10
|
0
|
R
|
D
|
R
|
N/A | 36 | 16 |
0
|
14
|
0
|
R
|
O1
|
|
N/A | 157 | 27 |
22
|
5
|
0
|
R
|
O1
|
LL
|
E
|
124 | 14 |
14
|
0
|
0
|
R
|
O2
|
|
N/A | 517 | 56 |
46
|
10
|
0
|
R
|
O2
|
LL
|
F
|
105 | 10 |
0
|
10
|
0
|
R
|
O3
|
|
N/A | 330 | 55 |
47
|
2
|
0
|
R
|
O3
|
LL
|
F
|
57 | 8 |
0
|
2
|
0
|
R
|
O4
|
|
N/A | 60 | 1 |
1
|
0
|
0
|
R
|
O4
|
LL
|
E
|
60 | 1 |
1
|
0
|
0
|
R
|
PLO
|
|
N/A | 251 | 121 |
8
|
110
|
0
|
R
|
PLO
|
PLO
|
N/A | 218 | 108 |
0
|
105
|
0
|
R
|
R
|
|
N/A | 1318 | 263 |
116
|
136
|
0
|
Go Pro and get:
- Harvest trends across multiple years
- Harvest stats by hunt_code, manner, season, sex, type
- Average harvest rates
- Average days per hunter
- Overall harvest trends
Weather Insights
Weather can vary by elevation. See how weather varies by elevation within a unit by selecting an elevation range. Elevation ranges are based on weather stations in or near the unit. Not all weather elements are available within the unit.
Average Temps
Use temperature ranges to plan and prepare for your hunt. Large swings indicate a good layering system should be used. Be sure to make note of the extreme temperatures as these often pose the greatest risk to hunters. If you plan on hunting in higher elevation, as a rule of thumb, expect the tempture to decrease roughly 5° for every 1000' in elevation gain.
WITH A FREE ACCOUNT GET:
- Precip totals by month
- Snow depth by month
- Min/Max precip and snow depth
- Average # of days between precip or snow event
Similar Nearby Elk Units
TrailHead Chatter
With A Free Account Get:
- Ability to read comments
- Ability to post comments
- Ability to upvote and downvote comments