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  3. Elk

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
66
 
66
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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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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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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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: Nonresident allocations are determined by the average number of preference points a Colorado resident needs to draw a specific license during a 3-year period. For hunt codes that require six or more points for a Colorado resident to draw an elk or deer license, up to 20 percent of licenses may go to nonresidents. For elk and deer hunt codes that require fewer than six points for a Colorado resident to draw, up to 35 percent may go to nonresidents.

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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: Ever hunt a unit with a 100% success rate and not see any deer? If you're nodding your head to any of these scenarios then you're one of the people who knows that statistics are a good guide, but they aren't a guarantee.

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  • Harvest stats by hunt_code, manner, season, sex, type
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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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