State comparison · Updated 2026
Eight times the elk and over-the-counter access against some of the biggest bulls on Earth locked behind a decade-plus draw. The opportunity-versus-trophy choice at its most extreme — head to head on herd, tags, and the wait.
Head to head
| Dimension | Colorado | Arizona |
|---|---|---|
| Elk herd | ~280,000 — largest on Earth | ~35,000 |
| Nonresident tags | OTC available (archery, 2nd/3rd rifle) + limited entry | All limited entry — bonus-point draw |
| Point system | Preference points; OTC needs none | Bonus points; premium units take 10–20+ years |
| Time to hunt | Can hunt this year via OTC | Often a decade-plus wait for the best tags |
| Trophy quality | Strong in limited units | World-class — among the very best bulls anywhere |
| Famous units | GMU 201 + limited high-country units | Units 9, 10, 23, 1, 27 — giant-bull country |
| Terrain | Aspen-conifer benches, high country | Mogollon Rim, White Mountains, ponderosa |
| Best for | Opportunity, this-year hunts, big herd | Trophy hunters playing a very long game |
The honest verdict
Arizona is one of the best trophy-elk states on the planet — but it’s a trophy lottery, not a hunting opportunity. With about an eighth of Colorado’s elk and every tag locked behind a bonus-point draw that can take 10 to 20 years for the premium units, Arizona is a place you plan a hunt around for a decade, not a place you go elk hunting this fall.
Colorado is the opposite: the biggest herd in the world and over-the-counter tags you can buy and hunt this season. The trade is the obvious one — Colorado gives you the hunt now; Arizona might give you the bull of a lifetime eventually.
For almost everyone who wants to actually hunt elk in the near term, that’s Colorado — guided on GMU 59 at Elk Glade.
Frequently asked
It depends entirely on your goal. Colorado is dramatically better for opportunity — about eight times Arizona's elk (~280,000 vs ~35,000) and over-the-counter tags you can buy and hunt this year. Arizona is one of the best trophy-bull states on Earth, but every tag is limited entry through a bonus-point draw, and the premium units can take 10 to 20+ years to draw. Choose Colorado to hunt now; choose Arizona to chase a giant if you can wait.
Arizona manages its elk units for trophy quality by issuing very few tags, which lets bulls reach old age and maximum antler size in good habitat along the Mogollon Rim and in the White Mountains. Units like 9, 10, 23, 1, and 27 are famous for producing 400-inch-class bulls. The cost of that quality is access: almost no one draws those tags in a given year.
Very hard for the premium units. Arizona uses a bonus-point draw, and the best trophy units can require 10 to 20+ bonus points — effectively a once-in-a-lifetime or never draw for many nonresidents. More accessible hunts (later seasons, lesser units, archery) draw with fewer points, but Arizona overall is one of the toughest states to draw a quality elk tag. This is the opposite end of the spectrum from Colorado's over-the-counter access.
Colorado has roughly eight times as many — about 280,000 elk versus Arizona's approximately 35,000. Colorado holds the largest elk population of any state. Arizona's herd is small but exceptionally well-managed for trophy quality, which is why it punches far above its numbers for record-book bulls.
Colorado is cheaper to actually hunt because you can buy a tag and go, avoiding years of bonus-point fees. Arizona's premium trophy units require paying into the bonus-point system for a decade or more before you draw. For a hunter who wants to hunt soon rather than invest in a long-odds trophy draw, Colorado is the lower lifetime cost — and the country Elk Glade guides.
