Colorado GMU 81 elk hunting: 2024 harvest and hunter numbers
Unit 81 covers about 1,214 square miles in Alamosa, Archuleta, Conejos and Rio Grande counties.
In 2024, an estimated 3,726 elk hunters hunted Game Management Unit 81 across all seasons and took 882 elk, a success rate of 24%. The statewide rate that year was 20%.
That is 54 fewer hunters than 2023, when success was 18%.
2nd rifle was the busiest rifle season, with 1,411 hunters, about 116 for every 100 square miles of the unit.
4th rifle had the highest rifle success at 58%.
Among the 130 units with at least 100 rifle elk hunters, unit 81 ranked 54 for rifle success and 70 for fewest rifle hunters per square mile.
2024 elk harvest in unit 81, by season
| Season | Hunters | Harvest | Bulls / Cows / Calves | Success 2024 | Success 2023 | Hunters per 100 sq mi | Days per hunter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st rifle | 242 | 129 | 129 / 0 / 0 | 53% | 40% | 20 | 3.3 |
| 2nd rifle | 1,411 | 243 | 201 / 42 / 0 | 17% | 15% | 116 | 4.8 |
| 3rd rifle | 582 | 122 | 88 / 29 / 5 | 21% | 10% | 48 | 4.1 |
| 4th rifle | 95 | 55 | 6 / 41 / 8 | 58% | 39% | 8 | 3.4 |
| All rifle seasons | 2,442 | 630 | 424 / 186 / 19 | 26% | 19% | 201 | 4.4 |
| Archery | 1,182 | 218 | 133 / 79 / 5 | 18% | 14% | 97 | 8.1 |
| Muzzleloader | 101 | 35 | 22 / 11 / 2 | 35% | 39% | 8 | 4.8 |
| All seasons and methods | 3,726 | 882 | 580 / 276 / 26 | 24% | 18% | 307 | 5.6 |
These figures cover the whole unit, private land included. On public land, crowding is higher and success is usually lower than the unit number. Season rows include limited and over-the-counter licenses together.
2026 rifle season dates
- 1st rifle: Oct 14-18
- 2nd rifle: Oct 24-Nov 1
- 3rd rifle: Nov 7-15
- 4th rifle: Nov 18-22
Dates are from the 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure. Whether a license for unit 81 is over-the-counter or limited depends on the hunt code: check the brochure before you buy.
Hunting unit 81 this fall?
Numbers tell you how busy a unit is. They do not tell you where to park, camp and sit. FilledTag builds one exact plan for your tag, with every pin checked against public land and road rules. It is free for 25 testers this season.
Unit 81 is still being prepared. Ask now and we will tell you when it is ready.
Nearby units
Unit 80 Unit 791 Unit 78 Unit 83 Unit 79 Unit 682 Unit 81 deer All elk units
Where these numbers come from
Colorado Parks and Wildlife surveys license holders after each season and publishes estimates of hunters, harvest and days hunted for every unit. This page uses the 2024 Colorado Elk Harvest Estimates and the 2023 report in the same series. They are estimates from a survey, not counts, and they cover the whole unit.