Colorado elk unit · GMU 28
Byers & Vasquez Peaks · Winter Park
Three wilderness areas above Winter Park — an OTC tag and one of the hardest, highest hunts in Middle Park.
About GMU 28
Colorado Game Management Unit 28 sits in the Middle Park, spanning Grand county near Fraser, Winter Park, Granby, Hot Sulphur Springs. The terrain runs from 7,500 – 13,000 ft, with the primary big game being Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer.
Steep to very steep mountains above Winter Park and Fraser — piñon, sage, and oakbrush low; lodgepole, Douglas-fir, and aspen mid; Engelmann spruce and alpine rockslides up high. Three Wilderness areas make most of it non-motorized.
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 | 4% |
| Muzzleloader | 7% |
| 1st rifle | 14% |
| 2nd rifle | 4% |
| 3rd rifle | 5% |
| 4th rifle | 11% |
| All seasons | 6% |
Tags & draw odds
Tag type: OTC bull (2nd & 3rd rifle).
OTC bull for 2nd & 3rd rifle (no points) — the statewide pooled bull tag is valid here. Unchanged for 2026. 1st & 4th rifle limited; nonresident archery draw-only; muzzleloader limited. Verify with CPW. CPW itself flags the wilderness hunts here as challenging and low-success.
Access & crowding
Forest roads from US 40 and the Fraser valley reach the edges; the heart of the unit is roadless Wilderness, foot or horseback only. Demanding access.
Heavily pressured for its low elk density — close to the Front Range and Winter Park, so the accessible ground gets hunted hard.
Who GMU 28 is for
One of the hardest hunts in Middle Park — CPW flags it as challenging and low-success, and the ~6% all-manner rate backs that up. An OTC tag, but a high, steep, pressured wilderness grind for few elk.
In a line: The very fit, experienced backcountry hunter who wants solitude on an OTC tag and accepts low odds for it.
Recent changes: Unaffected by the 2026 OTC changes — remains OTC bull for 2nd/3rd rifle. Moose are present in the high basins (once-in-a-lifetime draw only).
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 28draw, 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.
