The Colorado Hunting Guide

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Which units accept OTC elk tags

Colorado Parks and Wildlife publishes the exact GMUs open to over-the-counter elk directly, as maps that update with the brochure each year — the honest way to answer "which units" is to read CPW's own current map rather than trust a typed-out list that's already out of date by the time you find it. The shape of it: residents get OTC either-sex archery in eligible units plus OTC 2nd/3rd rifle; non-residents keep OTC rifle but lost OTC archery west of I-25. CPW · OTC licenses

Why this page won't type out a unit list

CPW adjusts the OTC unit list most years — a unit that was OTC last season can move to limited (draw-only) the next, the way GMUs 54, 55, and 551 in the Gunnison Basin did for 2026, dropping their 2nd- and 3rd-season bull elk from unlimited OTC to fully limited. CPW · why 54/55/551 moved to limited A hand-typed list on this page would be stale the moment CPW updates the brochure. CPW's own maps and brochure are always current; this page teaches you to read them.

CPW's either-sex archery elk map

CPW publishes a dedicated map showing exactly which GMUs are open to over-the-counter either-sex archery elk — the license type residents rely on for OTC archery. CPW · OTC either-sex archery elk map It's a shaded GMU map, not a text list, so open it directly rather than reading a description of it secondhand — that's the only way to be sure you're looking at the current season's shading. Remember that non-resident OTC archery elk was eliminated west of I-25 and in GMU 140, so the map's "OTC" shading for archery now functionally applies to residents only in most of those units. CPW · Non-resident hunting

How to check a specific unit yourself

  1. Open the CPW OTC either-sex archery elk map for archery, or the current Big Game Brochure for the season-by-season, unit-by-unit OTC/limited table covering rifle.
  2. Find your candidate GMU and read its current status directly off the page — don't rely on a screenshot or a summary from a prior season.
  3. Cross-check it in CPW's Hunting Atlas to see the unit's public-land mix before you commit to it.

What OTC actually gets you — which methods, which residency rules — is covered separately; this page is specifically about finding out whether your unit qualifies. CPW · Hunting Atlas

Common questions

How do I find out if my elk unit is over-the-counter?

Check CPW's own OTC either-sex archery elk map for archery, or the current Big Game Brochure's unit-by-unit table for rifle — both are linked above. CPW updates these annually, so a list on a third-party site (including this one) can go stale; the map and brochure are the current source.

Are GMUs 54, 55, and 551 still OTC for elk?

No — for 2026 those Gunnison Basin units moved their 2nd- and 3rd-season bull elk from unlimited over-the-counter to fully limited (draw-only). Confirm any unit you're relying on in the current brochure, since this kind of change happens most years somewhere in the state.

Can non-residents buy OTC elk tags in any unit?

Non-residents can still buy OTC rifle elk broadly, and OTC archery elk in a small number of units east of I-25. Non-resident OTC archery elk west of I-25 and in GMU 140 was eliminated and now requires the draw. See OTC tags for the full breakdown.

Primary sources

Never miss a deadline

The Colorado draw application closes in early April, and season dates shift a little each year. Leave your email and we'll send one short reminder before the draw deadline and a note whenever the season dates change — nothing else.