Colorado elk unit · GMU 771
Navajo River · SE of Pagosa
OTC on paper, but mostly Southern Ute land — access, not the tag, is the catch here.
About GMU 771
Colorado Game Management Unit 771 sits in the Southern San Juans, spanning Archuleta county near Pagosa Springs, Arboles, Chromo. The terrain runs from 6,500 – 12,000 ft, with the primary big game being Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer.
Remote, heavily forested, steep country between the Piedra and the San Juan and Navajo rivers toward the New Mexico line — rolling meadows to rocky cliffs, with extensive beetle-kill dark timber. Elk are rarely visible from roads.
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 | 6% |
| 1st rifle | 14% |
| 2nd rifle | 13% |
| 3rd rifle | 15% |
| All seasons | 16% |
Tags & draw odds
Tag type: OTC bull (2nd & 3rd rifle) — but access-limited.
OTC bull for 2nd & 3rd rifle (no points) — unchanged for 2026; valid across 77, 78, and 771. But much of the unit is Southern Ute tribal land with no public access, so the real constraint is access, not the tag. 1st/4th rifle limited; nonresident archery draw-only; muzzleloader limited. Verify with CPW.
Access & crowding
The catch: most of the unit is closed Southern Ute land. Public hunting concentrates on the scattered accessible Forest pieces — verify boundaries carefully.
Light overall, because so little is accessible — and the accessible Forest gets concentrated pressure as a result.
Who GMU 771 is for
An OTC tag on paper, but the lowest-access and lowest-success of the Pagosa units — the tribal-land footprint, not the elk, is the story. Best for hunters who've nailed down legal access.
In a line: The hunter who has specifically scouted the accessible Forest pieces (or has tribal-permit access) and wants solitude.
Recent changes: Unaffected by the 2026 OTC changes — remains OTC bull for 2nd/3rd rifle. A new 1st-rifle deer hunt was added for 77/78/771 in 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 771draw, 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.
