Colorado elk unit · GMU 69
Wet Mountains · Westcliffe
The quiet Wet Mountains above Westcliffe — a low-key limited tag for the hunter who likes elbow room.
About GMU 69
Colorado Game Management Unit 69 sits in the Wet Mountains (north), spanning Custer, Fremont counties near Westcliffe, Cañon City, Florence. The terrain runs from 5,100 – 10,400 ft, with the primary big game being Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer.
The Wet Mountains run north–south through the unit's spine — rolling timbered hills, ridges, and canyons under Hardscrabble Mountain, with sage and piñon-juniper low, ponderosa and oakbrush mid, and spruce-fir and aspen on top.
Elk success rates (CPW 2024)
Published by Colorado Parks and Wildlife in the CPW 2024 Elk Harvest Estimates (small per-season samples) 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 |
|---|---|
| All seasons | 26% |
Tags & draw odds
Tag type: Limited draw (all seasons).
Fully limited — application or leftover only, not OTC. A lower-density unit, so bull and antlerless codes have generally been low-point to attainable. Verify current-year odds with CPW.
Access & crowding
Forest Service road access on the public crest off CO 96 and CO 69; the valley flanks are largely private, so confirm boundaries.
Quiet — a smaller, limited-tag unit that flies under the radar next to the bigger central-Colorado names.
Who GMU 69 is for
A modest-density, low-key limited unit — 26% all-manner success with rifle as the workhorse season. CPW's per-season samples here are small year to year, so treat single-season rates with care. Opportunity hunting with elbow room.
In a line: The hunter who values solitude over odds and wants a quiet, drawable Wet Mountains tag above Westcliffe.
Recent changes: Long-standing limited unit; unaffected by the OTC changes.
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 69draw, 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.
