Colorado elk unit · GMU 61
Uncompahgre Plateau · West
The Uncompahgre Plateau — a true trophy tag worth a decade of points, with CPW's top-tier success to match.
About GMU 61
Colorado Game Management Unit 61 sits in the Uncompahgre Plateau, spanning Montrose, Mesa, San Miguel counties near Montrose, Norwood, Nucla, Ridgway. The terrain runs from 4,800 – 10,000 ft, with the primary big game being Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer.
A broad, flat-topped plateau uplift — spruce, aspen, and pine on the high bench, oakbrush and sagebrush on the slopes, and piñon-juniper and rimrock canyons dropping toward Gateway and the Dolores country.
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 | 67% |
| Muzzleloader | 58% |
| 1st rifle | 56% |
| 2nd rifle | 49% |
| 3rd rifle | 66% |
| 4th rifle | 42% |
| All seasons | 56% |
Tags & draw odds
Tag type: Limited draw (trophy unit, all seasons).
A premium trophy unit — fully limited in every season, with nonresident bull tags broadly running around 10–13+ preference points (among Colorado's harder draws). A long point-building wait. Verify current-year odds with CPW.
Access & crowding
Forest and BLM roads climb onto the plateau bench, which is relatively gentle on top; the canyon margins are rugged and walk-in.
Low — every tag is drawn and capped, so field pressure is light by design.
Who GMU 61 is for
A genuine trophy / quality unit and one of CPW's top success producers — a 56% all-manner rate that tops nearly every OTC option, with mature bulls the management goal. The prize you build points for.
In a line: The patient point-builder chasing a mature plateau bull with excellent odds once the tag finally comes.
Recent changes: Long-standing limited trophy unit; nonresident OTC archery ended statewide in 2025 but 61 was already 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 61draw, 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.
