Colorado elk unit · GMU 5
Little Snake · Slater Creek
Little Snake high country, OTC again for 2026 — one of the better-odds Bears Ears units for the hunter who'll climb.
About GMU 5
Colorado Game Management Unit 5 sits in the Far Northwest Colorado (Bears Ears), spanning Moffat, Routt counties near Steamboat Springs, Craig, Clark. The terrain runs from 6,300 – 12,000 ft, with the primary big game being Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Pronghorn Antelope.
Demanding, hilly-to-mountainous country along the Little Snake and Slater Creek toward the Sierra Madre and Diamond Peak — sage and oakbrush low, ponderosa and aspen mid, high spruce on the Continental Divide. The Mount Zirkel Wilderness backs the eastern edge.
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 | 27% |
| 1st rifle | 39% |
| 2nd rifle | 19% |
| 3rd rifle | 10% |
| All seasons | 36% |
Tags & draw odds
Tag type: OTC bull (2nd & 3rd rifle) — back to OTC for 2026.
Like its Bears Ears neighbors, the 2nd/3rd-rifle bull tag was limited for 2024–25 after the winterkill and RETURNED to over-the-counter for 2026; 1st/4th rifle are now either-sex limited. Nonresident archery is draw-only (since 2025); muzzleloader is limited draw. Verify current-year status with CPW.
Access & crowding
Forest Service roads on the public east; the private western half concentrates public hunters, and some BLM is landlocked. Physically demanding once you climb.
OTC again for 2026, so rifle pressure returns to the public east; the rugged terrain still thins the crowds for those willing to climb.
Who GMU 5 is for
A strong Bears Ears unit with a solid 36% all-manner rate (among the better in the group) and good early-rifle success — opportunity hunting on a recovering herd, not a managed-trophy tag.
In a line: The fit DIY hunter who wants an OTC northwest bull tag and will work the steep public country along the Divide.
Recent changes: 2026: 2nd/3rd rifle bull back to OTC (limited in 2024–25 post-winterkill); 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 5draw, 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.
