Colorado elk unit · GMU 441
California Park · Elkhead Mountains
California Park and the Elkheads — high-looking success on a returned OTC tag, with private access the real key.
About GMU 441
Colorado Game Management Unit 441 sits in the Far Northwest Colorado (Bears Ears), spanning Moffat, Routt counties near Craig, Hayden, Steamboat Springs. The terrain runs from 6,400 – 10,900 ft, with the primary big game being Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Pronghorn Antelope.
Sage ridgelines and cottonwood bottoms low, oakbrush and ponderosa mid, aspen and spruce with big open parks (California Park) up high in the Elkhead Mountains northeast of Craig.
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 | 20% |
| 1st rifle | 41% |
| 2nd rifle | 12% |
| 3rd rifle | 30% |
| All seasons | 37% |
Tags & draw odds
Tag type: OTC bull (2nd & 3rd rifle) — back to OTC for 2026.
2nd/3rd-rifle bull returned to OTC for 2026 (limited 2024–25 after the winterkill); 1st/4th rifle now either-sex limited. Nonresident archery draw-only; muzzleloader limited. Verify current-year status with CPW.
Access & crowding
Forest Service roads into the steep eastern Forest; the lower productive ground is largely private, so plan access carefully.
Public hunters concentrate on the steep eastern Forest while the better lower ground stays private — the OTC return adds pressure there.
Who GMU 441 is for
Among the better-odds Bears Ears units (37% all-manner, 41% first rifle), but that success leans on private-land quality — strong with access, a steep grind on public alone.
In a line: The hunter who can pair the OTC tag with private or RFW access to the lower California Park country, or the fit hunter who'll grind the public Forest.
Recent changes: 2026: 2nd/3rd rifle bull back to OTC (limited 2024–25); 1st/4th rifle now either-sex limited; RFW antler-point restriction on enrolled properties.
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 441draw, 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.
