Colorado elk unit · GMU 6
East North Park · Medicine Bow
North Park's east side — moose-and-antelope country with honest, hard public-land elk odds.
About GMU 6
Colorado Game Management Unit 6 sits in the North Park, spanning Jackson county near Walden, Cowdrey, Gould, Rand. The terrain runs from 7,900 – 12,900 ft, with the primary big game being Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Pronghorn Antelope.
Open sage-grassland park in the center and west rises abruptly to steep, timbered mountains and alpine zones along the Medicine Bow and Rawah country on the eastern and northern edges, topping out near Clark Peak.
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 | 6% |
| Muzzleloader | 6% |
| 1st rifle | 7% |
| 2nd rifle | 8% |
| 3rd rifle | 15% |
| 4th rifle | 25% |
| All seasons | 10% |
Tags & draw odds
Tag type: Limited draw (quality unit) — verify current status with CPW.
Managed as a limited / quality North Park unit (not on the OTC roster), so a bull tag is drawn — generally in the low-to-mid nonresident points — but confirm 6's current bull-license type and odds with CPW before applying.
Access & crowding
County and Forest Service roads ring the park and climb the east edge; the private checkerboard on the valley floor means careful land-status work to reach the public timber.
Moderate — a limited tag keeps it below OTC levels, but the accessible public edges still draw North Park's elk, deer, and antelope hunters.
Who GMU 6 is for
Famous North Park scenery and a multi-species draw — elk, mule deer, pronghorn, even moose in the basin — but honestly tough elk odds, single-digit success through the early seasons, improving only in the late rifle. An opportunity unit that rewards persistence and access.
In a line: The hunter who loves North Park's wild, open country and multi-species options, and accepts hard elk odds for it.
Recent changes: For 2026, CPW added a second antelope rifle hunt across the North Park units (6/16/161/17/171); no change to elk OTC/limited status.
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 6draw, 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.
