Colorado elk unit · GMU 75
Pine & Florida River · NE of Durango
The Pine and Florida River country northeast of Durango — OTC, but the elk hold on the public north end.
About GMU 75
Colorado Game Management Unit 75 sits in the Southern San Juans, spanning La Plata, San Juan counties near Durango, Bayfield, Vallecito, Silverton. The terrain runs from 6,000 – 13,300 ft, with the primary big game being Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer.
Flat alfalfa and arid oakbrush-piñon foothills in the south give way to heavily forested, steep spruce-fir-aspen mountains and alpine tundra in the north around the Pine (Los Pinos) and Florida rivers and Vallecito.
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 | 12% |
| Muzzleloader | 17% |
| 1st rifle | 23% |
| 2nd rifle | 24% |
| 3rd rifle | 23% |
| 4th rifle | 35% |
| All seasons | 23% |
Tags & draw odds
Tag type: OTC bull (2nd & 3rd rifle).
OTC bull for 2nd & 3rd rifle (no points) — unchanged for 2026. 1st & 4th rifle bull limited; nonresident archery draw-only (since 2025); muzzleloader limited. Verify current-year status with CPW.
Access & crowding
Good Forest access on the public north end via the Vallecito and Florida drainages; the private/tribal south concentrates public hunters up high.
The OTC tag plus a limited public footprint funnels rifle hunters onto the northern Forest — expect company there.
Who GMU 75 is for
An OTC unit where the elk and the access are both up north — steady low-20s success that climbs late as elk move down. Opportunity hunting, with homework on land status.
In a line: The DIY hunter who wants an OTC Durango-area tag and will hunt the public Weminuche-edge country up north.
Recent changes: Unaffected by the 2026 OTC changes — remains OTC bull for 2nd/3rd rifle. A new 1st-rifle deer hunt was added regionally for 2026 (deer, not elk).
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 75draw, 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.
