Elk Hunting in Colorado GMU 27 - Grand and Routt Counties
Elk are well distributed in all Middle Park units. Bull to cow ratios are good because the area is fairly steep and heavily timbered. Generally, trophy bulls are rare (a few are taken every year) because bulls are managed for hunter opportunity.

Scores
Access Notes
With A Free Account Get:
- Satallite and Topo Layers
- Public Landownership Layers
- Roads and Trails Layers
- Burn Layer (Coming Soon)
- Water Tank Layer (Coming Soon)
Bounded on N and E by US Highway 40; on S by County Highway 9 and Colorado River; on W by Canyon Creek and Muddy Creek-Yampa River divide (Gore Range Divide).
This unit has a lot of private land.
Elk Notes
With A Free Account Get:
- Toggle between terrain, satellite, and topographic views
- Additional species-specific map layers
Elk are well distributed in all Middle Park units. Bull to cow ratios are good because the area is fairly steep and heavily timbered. Generally, trophy bulls are rare (a few are taken every year) because bulls are managed for hunter opportunity. With hunting pressure and snow, elk head for the inaccessible timber and private property.
Hunt the rough terrain and heavy cover away from roads and trails to increase your success.
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 Continental Divide and the Gore Range Divide encircle Middle Park. Most of this terrain is steep to very steep. Sagebrush/shrubs are common on southern exposures at lower elevations. The past decadefts mountain pine beetle killed an estimated 80 percent of mature lodgepole pine trees in Grand County, creating numerous hazards along public roadways as these trees begin to fall.
The Gore Range, north of the Colorado River, is a long ridge (10,000 feet elevation) that runs north to Rabbit Ears Pass. The landscape north of Gore Pass Highway is heavily timbered, primarily with lodgepole pine, aspen, Engelmann spruce and sub-alpine fir. The terrain is not rugged by Colorado standards. South of Gore Pass the elevation drops rapidly into piñon and juniper habitat.
There are several major geographical features besides the Gore Range in this area. They are: Thorpe Mountain, Blacktail Mountain, Green Ridge, Black Mountain, Congor Mesa, and Yarmony Mountain. The main drainages in the Yampa River drainage are Harrison Creek, Green Creek, Sarvis Creek, Silver Creek, and Morrison Creek. The main drainages in the Colorado River drainage are Muddy Creek, Blacktail Creek, Rock Creek, and Egeria Creek.
The highest elevation is Red Dirt Peak (10,811ft.) on Gore Divide and the lowest is the Colorado River at State Bridge (6,744 ft.)
Elk Drawing Stats (2020)
1st Choice Draw Odds
Stats | Apply For | Sex | Manner | Season | Type | Draw Odds | HuntScore |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EF027P5R |
F
|
R
|
P5
|
LL
|
100%
|
84 | |
EF027O4R |
F
|
R
|
O4
|
LL
|
100%
|
86 | |
EF027O3R |
F
|
R
|
O3
|
LL
|
100%
|
87 | |
EF027O2R |
F
|
R
|
O2
|
LL
|
100%
|
88 | |
EF027O1R |
F
|
R
|
O1
|
LL
|
100%
|
86 | |
EF027L1R |
F
|
R
|
L1
|
LL
|
100%
|
86 | |
EE027P4R |
E
|
R
|
P4
|
LL
|
100%
|
86 | |
EE027P1R |
E
|
R
|
P1
|
LL
|
100%
|
86 | |
EE027O4R |
E
|
R
|
O4
|
LL
|
100%
|
84 | |
EE027O1R |
E
|
R
|
O1
|
LL
|
95.2%
|
86 |
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 (2019)
Manner | Season | Type | Sex | Hunters | Harvest | Male | Female | Youth |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A
|
A
|
N/A
|
N/A | 519 | 41 |
24
|
17
|
0
|
ALL
|
ALL
|
N/A
|
N/A | 1715 | 213 |
106
|
100
|
0
|
M
|
M
|
N/A
|
N/A | 140 | 34 |
29
|
5
|
0
|
R
|
O2
|
N/A
|
N/A | 390 | 26 |
19
|
7
|
0
|
R
|
O4
|
LL
|
E
|
42 | 4 |
0
|
0
|
0
|
R
|
O4
|
N/A
|
N/A | 778 | 4 |
0
|
0
|
0
|
R
|
O4
|
LL
|
F
|
34 | 0 |
0
|
0
|
0
|
R
|
O3
|
N/A
|
N/A | 290 | 29 |
12
|
17
|
0
|
R
|
O3
|
LL
|
F
|
152 | 17 |
0
|
17
|
0
|
R
|
O1
|
N/A
|
N/A | 161 | 45 |
22
|
20
|
0
|
R
|
O2
|
LL
|
F
|
206 | 7 |
0
|
7
|
0
|
R
|
ALL
|
N/A
|
N/A | 61 | 3 |
0
|
3
|
0
|
R
|
O1
|
LL
|
E
|
90 | 26 |
14
|
9
|
0
|
R
|
O1
|
LL
|
F
|
61 | 11 |
0
|
11
|
0
|
R
|
L0
|
N/A
|
N/A | 61 | 3 |
0
|
3
|
0
|
R
|
EP
|
PLO
|
N/A | 74 | 30 |
0
|
30
|
0
|
R
|
D
|
R
|
N/A | 2 | 1 |
0
|
1
|
0
|
R
|
P0
|
N/A
|
N/A | 86 | 38 |
8
|
30
|
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.