Colorado elk unit · GMU 161
North Park · Park Range Flank
OTC bull country on the Park Range flank — with a 4-point antler restriction that protects young bulls.
About GMU 161
Colorado Game Management Unit 161 sits in the North Park, spanning Jackson county near Walden, Steamboat Springs, Cowdrey. The terrain runs from 7,900 – 12,200 ft, with the primary big game being Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Pronghorn Antelope.
Alpine basins and steep timbered drainages on the eastern Sierra Madre / Park Range, with rocky ridges and deep canyons dropping to the rolling sage flats of western North Park.
Elk success rates (CPW 2024)
Published by Colorado Parks and Wildlife in the CPW 2024 Elk Harvest Estimates for the 2024 season — the percentage of hunters who harvested an elk. Success swings with weather and pressure year to year; this is the most recent published data.
| Season | Success |
|---|---|
| Archery | 10% |
| Muzzleloader | 7% |
| 1st rifle | 13% |
| 2nd rifle | 6% |
| 3rd rifle | 13% |
| 4th rifle | 15% |
| All seasons | 11% |
Tags & draw odds
Tag type: OTC bull (2nd & 3rd rifle) — antler-point restriction applies.
Still OTC for 2nd/3rd-rifle bull (no points), but with an antler-point restriction: a legal bull must have 4 or more points on one antler OR a brow tine at least 5 inches long. Nonresident archery now draws; muzzleloader and 1st/4th rifle are limited. Verify current-year regs with CPW.
Access & crowding
Forest Service roads and trails climb the Park Range flank; more public-dominant than neighboring 16, so reaching legal ground is easier, but it is high and steep.
Steady OTC pressure, though the high public share spreads hunters out more than in the checkerboarded units.
Who GMU 161 is for
A high, public-rich, still-OTC North Park unit with tough overall elk odds (low teens) — the 4-point antler restriction protects young bulls, so it is opportunity hunting with a quality-management twist.
In a line: The fit DIY hunter who wants an OTC bull tag on big public land and respects the antler-point rule.
Recent changes: Retains OTC bull (2nd & 3rd rifle) for 2026 with the 4-point / 5-inch-brow antler restriction in effect; nonresident OTC archery ended statewide in 2025.
Where Elk Glade fits in
Elk Glade Outfitters runs primarily in GMU 59, not this unit — but we know the surrounding country and the regional draw landscape. If you have a tag here or you’re building points toward one, get in touch and we’ll talk through the strategy. If you don’t draw, we may have a 59 slot.
Data sources: elk success rates from CPW Colorado Elk Harvest Estimates (year labeled above). Public-land percentages are approximate. Draw point requirements shift every year and are described as ranges only — always verify the current-year figures in the CPW big game brochure and draw recap before applying.
Plan a hunt
Need help with the 161draw, or want a 59 slot if it doesn’t come through?
Send us a note with what tag you’re applying for and your dates — we’ll walk through the draw strategy and let you know what’s open at Elk Glade.
