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  3. Elk

Elk Hunting in Colorado GMU 11 - Moffat and Rio Blanco Counties

The large elk herd occupies all available habitat. The later seasons are usually better, especially on public land, due to snow and hunting pressure pushing the elk out of the adjacent units. The success rate is very good on late cow elk hunts.

GMU 11 - Moffat and Rio Blanco Counties

Scores

Scores
User Scores
Ease of Drawing
92
 
92
Success
39
 
39
Trophy Potential
78
 
78
Public Access
69
 
69
Ease of Terrain
83
 
83
Room to Breathe
1
 
1
Opportunity
66
 
66
Convenience
0
 
N/A
Ease of Effort
59
 
59
68
HuntScore

Access Notes

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Bounded on N by County Highway 318 and US Highway 40; on E by Deception Creek-Strawberry Creek Road; on S by White River; on W by Wolf Creek, Coal Creek, Winter Valley Gulch to Drill Hole to Elk Springs Ridge to mile marker 38.3 on US Highway 40, Twelvemile Gulch Road, Yampa River and Little Snake River.

Overall access is easy and 4WD is not necessary in most areas. Hunting pressure is heavy.

County

Moffat, Rio Blanco

Size

610 Square Miles (390,321 Acres)

Land Ownership

32% Private, 68% Public, 62% BLM, 6% State, 10% Wilderness

Latitude/Longitude

40.3009, -108.2263

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 large elk herd occupies all available habitat. The later seasons are usually better, especially on public land, due to snow and hunting pressure pushing the elk out of the adjacent units. The success rate is very good on late cow elk hunts. Axial Basin CRM is a hot spot for hunting, but crowding is significant.

The best bull hunting will be on private lands.

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, Black Bear, Mountain Lion, Turkey,

Photos and Terrain Notes


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The lower elevations of 6,000ft consist of sage and sage steepe. piñon and juniper cover the upper elevations up to 8,500ft. Expect zero to light snow cover in 1st and 2nd seasons. The later seasons may bring moderate snow and a potential for near zero temperatures.

If the weather is mild, deer and elk will not be present in high numbers until the later seasons.

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
12,805
Licenses Drawn
8,864
Licenses Surplus
3,941
Resident Quota
4,997
Nonresident Quota
3,867
Landowner Quota
1,095
Youth Quota
1,095
94%
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
EF011P5R
F
R
P5
LL
100%
77 Permit Type B; License Valid for Units: 11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 211;
EF011O1M
F
M
O1
LL
100%
69 Permit Type B; License Valid for Units: 11, 13, 131, 211;
EF011O1R
F
R
O1
LL
100%
73 Permit Type B; License Valid for Units: 11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 25, 26, 33, 34, 131, 211, 231;
EF011O2R
F
R
O2
LL
100%
78 Permit Type B; License Valid for Units: 11, 211;
EF011O3R
F
R
O3
LL
100%
79 Permit Type B; License Valid for Units: 11, 211;
EF011O4R
F
R
O4
LL
100%
78 Permit Type B; License Valid for Units: 11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 33, 131, 211;
EF011W6R
F
R
W6
LL
35.1%
62 ELK SPRINGS RANCH
EF011W1R
F
R
W1
LL
20%
55 Permit Type A; License Valid for Units: 11, 211; BUFFALO HORN RANCH
EF011W2R
F
R
W2
LL
58.8%
65 ELK SPRINGS RANCH
EF011W3R
F
R
W3
LL
24.2%
56 Permit Type A; License Valid for Units: 11, 211; BUFFALO HORN RANCH
EF011W4R
F
R
W4
LL
19%
63 ELK SPRINGS RANCH
EM011O1R
M
R
O1
LL
100%
70 Permit Type A; License Valid for Units: 11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 25, 26, 33, 34, 131, 211, 231;
EM011O4R
M
R
O4
LL
100%
78 Permit Type A; License Valid for Units: 11, 211;
EF011L1R
F
R
L1
LL
71.1%
76
HuntScore Tip: Private land only licenses, also called PLO licenses, require the holder to hunt in a specific GMU and are valid only on private land. You must obtain permission from a landowner. It is recommended that you secure permission from a landowner before purchasing the license.

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Elk Harvest Stats (2020)

Total Hunters
5,724
Total Harvest
1,133
Harvest Male
591
Harvest Female
500
20%
Average Success
Manner Season Type Sex Hunters Harvest Male Female Youth
A
A
N/A 396 55
48
7
0
ALL
ALL
N/A 5724 1133
591
500
0
M
M
N/A 91 22
20
2
0
R
R
N/A 5237 1056
523
491
0
R
PLO
PLO
N/A 169 28
0
28
0
R
PLO
N/A 262 78
33
45
0
R
O4
N/A 1098 179
48
109
0
R
O4
LL
M
288 48
48
0
0
R
O4
LL
F
810 131
0
109
0
R
O3
LL
F
561 29
0
23
0
R
O2
LL
F
356 68
0
54
0
R
O3
N/A 1170 105
76
23
0
R
O2
N/A 827 152
84
54
0
R
O1
LL
M
1045 200
200
0
0
R
O1
N/A 1531 334
233
101
0
R
O1
LL
F
393 84
0
84
0
R
L0
N/A 220 770
0
770
0
R
D
R
N/A 8 6
0
6
0
R
ALL
N/A 220 70
0
70
0
R
W0
N/A 200 179
82
97
0
HuntScore Tip: In some smaller units you may not see any data reported for a season. There are instances where not enough hunters respond to the post-hunt survey inquiries and therefore it isn't possible to report any data.

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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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