Colorado elk unit · GMU 18
Troublesome · Middle Park
Troublesome country in Middle Park — ~88% public, OTC bull, and reshaped by the 2020 fire.
About GMU 18
Colorado Game Management Unit 18 sits in the Middle Park, spanning Grand county near Hot Sulphur Springs, Granby, Kremmling. The terrain runs from 7,500 – 12,300 ft, with the primary big game being Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer.
Sagebrush, scrub-oak, and bitterbrush foothills along the Colorado River climb through aspen and conifer to timberline parks and alpine peaks, with a big roadless and Wilderness backcountry. Much of it was reshaped by the 2020 East Troublesome Fire.
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 | 7% |
| Muzzleloader | 13% |
| 1st rifle | 21% |
| 2nd rifle | 11% |
| 3rd rifle | 19% |
| 4th rifle | 7% |
| All seasons | 13% |
Tags & draw odds
Tag type: OTC bull (2nd & 3rd rifle).
OTC bull for 2nd & 3rd rifle (no points) — the bull license is a statewide pooled tag valid here, so don't be fooled by the unit's limited cow/either-sex codes. Unchanged for 2026. 1st & 4th rifle limited; nonresident archery draw-only (since 2025); muzzleloader limited. Verify with CPW.
Access & crowding
Forest roads off US 40 and the Troublesome and Willow Creek drainages reach the lower country; the high backcountry and Never Summer Wilderness are foot or horseback.
A large, very public OTC unit, so the road corridors and burn edges draw hunters; the roadless backcountry holds quieter elk.
Who GMU 18 is for
Big public Middle Park country on an OTC tag, still settling after the 2020 fire reshaped the cover and elk movement. Honest low-teens overall success — a high, public, work-for-it unit.
In a line: The DIY hunter who wants a big, ~88%-public OTC unit and will learn the post-fire country.
Recent changes: Reshaped by the 2020 East Troublesome Fire. Unaffected by the 2026 OTC changes — remains OTC bull for 2nd/3rd rifle.
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 18draw, 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.
