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Elk Hunting in Colorado GMU 41 - Mesa and Delta Counties

The elk herd is well distributed with good hunting success expected. Elk are scattered throughout the forest and on private lands. Most elk stay at higher elevations (8500- 10,000ft) in thick timber and oakbrush.

GMU 41 - Mesa and Delta Counties

Scores

Scores
User Scores
Ease of Drawing
86
 
86
Success
33
 
33
Trophy Potential
47
 
47
Public Access
62
 
62
Ease of Terrain
85
 
85
Room to Breathe
1
 
1
Opportunity
65
 
65
Convenience
0
 
N/A
Ease of Effort
48
 
48
64
HuntScore

Access Notes

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  • Public Landownership Layers
  • Roads and Trails Layers
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Bounded on N by Colorado River and County Highway 65; on E by County Highway 65, Lands End Road, Flowing Park Road and Mesa-Delta County line; on W by US Highway 50.

Hunters should be prepared to spend time on foot or horseback. Much of the area is public land. Overall, the hunting pressure is heavy.

County

Mesa, Delta

Size

328 Square Miles (209,743 Acres)

Land Ownership

38% Private, 62% Public, 27% USFS, 35% BLM

Latitude/Longitude

39.0231, -108.2649

Wildfires

Check for current or recent wildfires in this area.

Amenities

There are 0 hospitals, 0 hotels, 0 campgrounds, and 0 grocery stores within a 20 mile radius.

Elk Notes

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  • Toggle between terrain, satellite, and topographic views
  • Additional species-specific map layers

The elk herd is well distributed with good hunting success expected. Elk are scattered throughout the forest and on private lands. Most elk stay at higher elevations (8500- 10,000ft) in thick timber and oakbrush. There is no migration during the season, movement to the more remote areas is in response to hunting pressure.

They will seek classic cover - the heavily wooded, north-facing slopes near water. You will need to get away from the roads. There are lots of legal bulls as the area is managed for quantity of bulls rather than trophy status. Hence, trophy bulls are present but relatively rare.

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

Elk Management Plan

State Agency Website

Visit Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Other Species in Unit

Deer, Pronghorn, Shiras Moose, Black Bear, Mountain Lion, Turkey,

Photos and Terrain Notes


Add a Photo

Grand Mesa terrain ranges from high elevation (11,000ft) spruce/fir forests to low elevation (4,800ft) piñon-juniper woodlands.

Elk Over The Counter Hunts (2021)

There are 4 OTC hunts in this unit. Go Pro to view the details!

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  • 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)

Total Quota
3,835
Licenses Drawn
3,669
Licenses Surplus
166
Resident Quota
2,341
Nonresident Quota
1,328
Landowner Quota
269
Youth Quota
269
85%
Overall Unit
1st Choice Draw Odds
Choose a hunt below to take a deeper dive into quotas, drawing odds, drawing trends, and harvest data.
Stats Apply For Sex Manner Season Type Draw Odds HuntScore Notes
EF041O2R
F
R
O2
LL
100%
79
EE041P4R
E
R
P4
LL
100%
73 Permit Type A; License Valid for Units: 41, 42, 52, 411, 421, 521;
EF041O1M
F
M
O1
LL
100%
75 Permit Type B; License Valid for Units: 41, 42, 52, 411, 421;
EF041O1R
F
R
O1
LL
55.1%
69 Permit Type B; License Valid for Units: 41, 42, 52, 411, 421;
EM041O1M
M
M
O1
LL
69.2%
72 Permit Type A; License Valid for Units: 41, 42, 52, 411, 421, 521;
EF041O3R
F
R
O3
LL
100%
79
EF041O4R
F
R
O4
LL
100%
79
EF041P5R
F
R
P5
LL
100%
79
EM041O1R
M
R
O1
LL
100%
73 Permit Type A; License Valid for Units: 41, 42, 52, 411, 421, 521;
EM041O4R
M
R
O4
LL
100%
74 Permit Type A; License Valid for Units: 41, 42, 52, 411, 421, 521;
EE041P1R
E
R
P1
LL
94.3%
73 Permit Type A; License Valid for Units: 41, 42, 52, 411, 421, 521;
HuntScore Tip: If you have not held a big game, small game, annual fishing or combo license in the previous year when applying for a preference point, you will be charged a preference point fee of $30 or $40 based on species and residency.

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)

Total Hunters
1,907
Total Harvest
253
Harvest Male
148
Harvest Female
92
13%
Average Success
Manner Season Type Sex Hunters Harvest Male Female Youth
A
A
N/A 396 36
18
11
0
ALL
ALL
N/A 1907 253
148
92
0
M
M
N/A 122 26
26
0
0
R
O3
N/A 278 59
29
30
0
R
PLO
PLO
N/A 179 6
0
6
0
R
PLO
N/A 252 30
20
10
0
R
O4
LL
F
50 15
0
15
0
R
O4
LL
M
86 0
0
0
0
R
O4
N/A 158 19
4
15
0
R
O2
N/A 436 66
34
26
0
R
O3
LL
F
778 30
0
30
0
R
O2
LL
F
150 32
0
26
0
R
O1
N/A 336 41
37
4
0
R
O1
LL
M
249 21
21
0
0
R
O1
LL
F
36 0
0
0
0
R
D
R
N/A 2 0
0
0
0
R
R
N/A 1389 191
104
81
0
HuntScore Tip: Also keep in mind that past performance doesn't necessarily guide future success. Warm weather during the previous year may have limited harvest. Cold and snowy weather may have sent hunters home early the previous year, limiting the harvest. You may have better conditions. Look at the 3-5 year trends and not a specific year.

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.

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  • Precip totals by month
  • Snow depth by month
  • Min/Max precip and snow depth
  • Average # of days between precip or snow event

Gear Recommendations for Elk Hunting From logo

Camping

Cyclops 900 Lumen 10 Watt Handheld Spotlight

Cyclops 900 Lumen 10 Watt Handheld Spotlight

When you need serious lighting, you'll appreciate the powerful Cyclops 900-Lumen 10W Handheld LED Spotlight! The super-bright CREE XM-L2 10W LED bulb is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and produces a powerful 900-lumen spot beam for lighting up the night. The ABS polycarbonate housing stands up to your wildest adventures, while a rubberized handle allows easy control. After 5 minutes, the Cyclops 900-Lumen 10W Handheld LED Spotlight automatically reduces brightness to conserve battery. An adjustable kickstand lets you set the spotlight down for hands-free use! Simple high, low, and off settings. Rechargeable via either an AC/DC charger or a 12V car-plug adapter (both included), while a charging indicator lets you know when the handheld spotlight is ready to go again!

Clothing

Banded Impact Floating Gun Case

Banded Impact Floating Gun Case

If you drop the hammer on waterfowl among the reeds, the floating Impact Gun Case from Banded is built to keep its contents above water. Beneath its heavy-duty 900-denier fabric, the case boasts a layer of nonabsorbing closed-cell foam for reliable floatation and protection against impacts. Interior liner is made of 210-denier, PVC-coated polyester. Buckle closure makes access easy. Side storage pocket for extra gear. Handle and padded shoulder strap adds comfort during transport. Hang clip. Fits guns up to 54". Features:Inner layer of nonabsorbing closed-cell foam will keep your gun afloat Protective exterior is made of heavy-duty 900-denier fabricInside liner is made of 210-denier, PVC-coated polyesterHandle and padded shoulder strap add comfort during transport

Food

MTN OPS Biotics - Probiotics & Enzymes

MTN OPS Biotics - Probiotics & Enzymes

BIOTICS is an advanced Pre and Probiotic blend specifically formulated to increase healthy gut bacteria, while decreasing the bad gut bacteria at the same time. Properly balancing these bacterias aids in improved digestive health, stronger gut lining and combating symptoms such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea and irregular stool frequency. Improve your gut health, comfort and overall well-being with BIOTICS.USAGE: For best results take 1 serving (2 capsules) 20-30 min before any meal. Take on a daily consistent basis for best results. 80% of your immune system is stored right in your gut and that is why MTN OPS BIOTICS(TM) is so important for your daily health and wellness.

Footwear

Danner Pronghorn 8" All-Leather Un-Insulated Hunting Boot

Danner Pronghorn 8" All-Leather Un-Insulated Hunting Boot

We all walk a fine line between change for the sake of new versus change because it creates something better. As Danner developed the fourth generation Pronghorn, they looked back at the previous two decades of their most iconic boot. We extracted the best parts from each generation and created the new Pronghorn.Durable, waterproof full-grain CamoHide(TM) all-leather upperFull-grain leather toe and heel capRugged hardware for secure fit and long lasting performance100% waterproof and breathable GORE-TEX(R) liningCushioning three density open cell polyurethane Ortholite(R) footbedLightweight and stable performance of Danner's TERRA FORCE(R) platformDanner(R) Pronghorn outsole for solid traction over rugged terrainTPU shank

Optics

Leupold Freedom (RDS) 1x34mm Red Dot Sight

Leupold Freedom (RDS) 1x34mm Red Dot Sight

All red dots are not created equal. The Freedom RDS (red dot sight) changes the game when it comes to consistency and durability in a red dot sight. Leupold took took 70+ years of optics knowledge and created a red dot that's built Leupold tough, performs in extreme conditions, and won't break the bank. It's everything you need in a red dot and nothing you don't.FeaturesIncludes AR-specific mount.Battery Life at Brightness 4 of 8: 1000 hours minimumRDS - no mount with battery = 7.2 ouncesRDS - with mount, battery & capped adjustments = 12.6 ouncesWeight: 7.2ozLength: 5.3inElevation Adjustment Range (MOA): 80Windage Adjustment Range (MOA)l 80Video -Leupold Freedom (RDS) 1x34mm Red Dot Sight

Packs

Badlands Vario 3300 Pack

Badlands Vario 3300 Pack

No two hunts are the same. It's a fact. The Badlands Vario Modular Pack System was designed to adapt to the changing conditions of the hunt. A truly customizable system, the Vario will be there for you like a trusty companion. No, not like a spouse...more like a loyal thoroughbred workhorse that would never leave you stranded. We think everyone deserves a partner like that. The best part? This companion comes with an Unconditional Lifetime Warranty.FeaturesVario 33 Bag OnlyFrame Sold SeparatelyCompatible with Vario FrameLightweight Durable NEW KXO-50 FabricExtender Straps for Use with Game BagsWide-Mouth OpeningIncludes Rifle/Bow BootSide Stretch PocketsCarry Compatible: Pistol, Rifle, BowFits Reservoir: 3LVideo -Badlands Vario 3300 PackVideo -Badlands Vario 3300 Bag

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