Colorado · Rifle elk
Rifle 1st (5 days, mid-Oct) · 2nd (9 days, late Oct) · 3rd (9 days, mid-Nov) · 4th (5 days, late Nov). Four CPW windows. The reliable trophy hunt. Long days in the country, longer shots, the highest harvest rate of the season.
The hunt
Rifle elk on GMU 59 is the workhorse of the season. Four CPW windows from mid-October through late November. The cattle moves are done, the aspen has turned and dropped, and the bulls have shifted from the high country to the south-facing benches we hunt.
Most of our hunters book rifle 2nd (combined deer + elk, 9 days, late October) or rifle 3rd (combined, 9 days, mid-November). Rifle 2nd hits the post-rut period when bulls are recovering on south slopes; rifle 3rd hits the harder cold push when bulls bunch in dark timber.
Rifle 1st is bull-only limited entry; rifle 4th is the late-snow option for hunters chasing a specific late tag. Both are smaller, quieter hunts than 2nd and 3rd.
How we hunt it
First light on the East Beaver bench. Find a bull working a feeding pattern on the south face, close to a 200–300 yard rest, take the shot when the wind lines up. Our highest-yield method.
Rifle 3rd specifically — bulls hide in dark timber under cold pressure. We push them onto edges with a methodical approach from the back side of the timber pocket. Shooter sets up on the exit; pusher works the timber.
Fresh snow + bull tracks + cold wind = a textbook hunt. Rifle 4th is a 5-day season; we typically need two of those days at the right conditions to put a hunter on a bull.
Rifle-specific gear
Full gear list lives on the hunting page. Below are the additions that matter specifically for rifle.
Rifle 2nd (late October) hits the post-rut and the warmest of the four rifle seasons. Rifle 3rd (mid-November) brings cold and snow that bunches bulls in dark timber — historically our most reliable trophy season. Rifle 1st is bull-only limited entry, smaller crowds. Rifle 4th is late-snow tracking. If you want flexibility, book rifle 2nd or 3rd.
Yes — rifle 2nd, 3rd, and 4th are combined deer-and-elk on GMU 59. Most of our rifle hunters add the deer voucher and hunt both species off the same camp. See the mule deer hunt page for the deer-specific tactics.
.30-06, .300 Winchester Magnum, .270 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor, and 7mm Remington Magnum all clean-kill bulls on this country. The country is open enough that we don't need a stopping cartridge — we need accuracy at 200–400 yards. Bring what you shoot well.
Compare the seasons
Book a rifle season
CPW draw applications open in early March. We coordinate the application, check landowner voucher availability for hunters wanting to bypass the draw, and hold the date once your tag is in hand.
From the journal
The Hunt · September 30, 2026
The list, with reasons. The brochure version on most outfitter sites lists what you need; this is what we've seen guys show up without and regret. Andre walks the gear shelf piece by piece.
Andre · 7 min read
The Hunt · September 22, 2026
The CPW elk draw deadline, the preference point math, the OTC vs. draw decision, and the landowner voucher window. Pre-application notes from a guide on the south slope of Pikes Peak.
Andre · 7 min read
The Hunt · September 22, 2026
Bulls get the photos. But ask anyone who hunts to eat which animal they'd rather have on the grill, and the answer is usually a cow.
Jim Johnson · 3 min read
