Colorado archery — real draw odds
Every archery unit in Colorado for elk, deer, pronghorn and bear — with the actual nonresident points it took to draw, pulled straight from the state's official results. Not estimated.
Nonresident points-to-draw = the last preference-point level at which a nonresident archery license was drawn for that hunt code. "Leftover" = unfilled in the draw, so available at 0 points. Either-sex where offered; pronghorn shown as buck.
View CPW big-game statistics ↗How Colorado works
Preference points
Colorado is a preference-point state: the points line up applicants and the most-wanted tags go to the highest point-holders. But dozens of units go undrawn and land on the leftover list at 0 points — that's how a new hunter gets in this year.
You earn one preference point when you're unsuccessful drawing your first-choice hunt code — points are gained and used on the first choice only.
cpw.state.co.us · verified 2026 ↗Bank a point without a license by listing the point-only code (P-999-99-P) as your first choice. For moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat a point-only fee applies ($50 resident / $100 nonresident).
cpw.state.co.us · verified 2026 ↗When you draw your first-choice license you forfeit ALL of your preference points (regular and weighted) — they reset to zero.
cpw.state.co.us · verified 2026 ↗Moose, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and mountain goat are special: after 3 regular preference points you accrue WEIGHTED points, drawn via a random conversion formula rather than strict highest-point order.
cpw.state.co.us · verified 2026 ↗You can list up to four hunt choices to improve your odds — but you only ever earn or spend a point on the first choice.
cpw.state.co.us · verified 2026 ↗What you can hunt in Colorado
Green = no draw needed (the fast way in).OIL = once-in-a-lifetime.
Most units by draw, but Colorado sells OTC archery and 2nd/3rd-season rifle elk — a no-points way in this year.
Limited draw statewide (no OTC deer). Points help for the best units.
Limited draw — buck, doe and either-sex codes.
Draw and OTC seasons; OTC bear is often available with no points.
Once-in-a-lifetime draw; weighted points kick in after 3.
Once-in-a-lifetime; weighted points.
Once-in-a-lifetime; very few tags.
Once-in-a-lifetime; weighted points.
OTC tag (on sale in March) — no draw. One lion per license year; the hunt closes by unit as the harvest-limit quota fills, so check the daily report.
cpw.state.co.us ↗Spring & fall — limited draw plus OTC tags.
No draw, no closed season — hunt year-round with a small-game or furbearer license. The easiest 'tag' in the state (register with HIP first).
cpw.state.co.us ↗The 2026 draw timeline
- Primary drawSpring application; results posted in early June
The main draw — this is where your preference points are spent.
- Secondary drawJune 18–30, 2026 (closes 8 p.m. MT)
Re-draws the licenses left after the primary. Results July 7; payment due July 21, 2026.
- Leftover listAfter the secondary draw (early July on)
Everything still unsold lands on the Leftover List — first-come, online and over the counter, until tags run out.
Units left undrawn show as 0-point 'leftover'/opportunity tags — per unit, and the fastest way to hunt Colorado this year with no points. They move fast once the list opens, so availability is checked per unit.
cpw.state.co.us · verified 2026 ↗The Elk Answer
Zero points, this year — go get these.
For a nonresident with no points after a bull, ranked on real signals — drawable now, public-land access, hunter success, herd bull:cow. Every tag's shown and labeled (public or private, bull or cow) with the real odds — bulls lead for a bull hunt, but it's your call.
- ✓Drawable this year at 0 points — it's a leftover/secondary tag, no points race
- ✓68.4% public land (unit 11)
- ✓41.9% hunter success
- ✓439 tags available right now
- ⚠19 bulls per 100 cows (statewide avg ~24)
- ⚠Private land only — you'll need landowner permission
- ✓Drawable this year at 0 points — it's a leftover/secondary tag, no points race
- ✓68.4% public land (unit 11)
- ✓41.9% hunter success
- ✓346 tags available right now
- ✓Set aside for nonresidents
- ⚠19 bulls per 100 cows (statewide avg ~24)
- ✓Drawable this year at 0 points — it's a leftover/secondary tag, no points race
- ✓88% public land (unit 21)
- ✓34 bulls per 100 cows — a rich, mature herd
- ✓305 tags available right now
- ✓Set aside for nonresidents
- ⚠19.8% hunter success — earn it
- ✓Drawable this year at 0 points — it's a leftover/secondary tag, no points race
- ✓88% public land (unit 21)
- ✓34 bulls per 100 cows — a rich, mature herd
- ✓283 tags available right now
- ⚠19.8% hunter success — earn it
- ⚠Private land only — you'll need landowner permission
- ✓Drawable this year at 0 points — it's a leftover/secondary tag, no points race
- ✓32.6% hunter success
- ✓41 bulls per 100 cows — a rich, mature herd
- ✓2 tags available right now
- ⚠57.4% public land — access is tighter (unit 20)
- ⚠Special restrictions — check the brochure
Ranked by the Analyst from real CPW + USGS data — drawability, public land, harvest success, herd bull:cow. See the full list and how to apply below.
Your move
Here's how to set up this hunt, start to finish
We took the top pick — Either-sex Elk in Unit 11 (68.4% public, 41.9% success) — and laid out exactly what to do. Follow the steps; we track the deadlines.
- 1Secure the tag
Apply for EE011P1A (either-sex elk, units 11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 25, 26, 33, 34, 131, 211, 231) in the secondary draw before it closes June 30, 8 p.m. MT — or grab it on Leftover Day, Aug 4, 9 a.m. MT. Step-by-step how-to is just below.
- 2E-scout Unit 11
See the real draw odds, public-land %, hunter success and herd data for your unit before you commit.
Open → - 3Build your kit
Your exact archery-elk kit for this hunt — including the brands most people can't find.
Open → - 4Get your daily game plan
Morning-by-morning calls tied to weather, legal light and movement once season opens.
Open →
Tags you can still get this year
Colorado leftover & secondary tags
The secondary draw closes TOMORROW (June 30) at 8 p.m. MT — then it's Leftover Day, Aug 4, 9 a.m. MT.
These are the licenses left after the primary draw — no preference points needed. We decode CPW's hunt codes so you can see what's actually available, in which units, and by when.
51,795 tags still available · 1,603 hunt codes
+1,563 more hunt codes — narrow with the filters above
How to actually grab one — step by step
- 1Make sure you hold a qualifying license first — a fall turkey license counts. You can't apply without one.
- 2Sign in at cpwshop.com (use your existing account — don't make a new one). Apply by phone at 800-244-5613 if you'd rather.
- 3Go to "Go Hunting & Fishing" → "Buy Big Game Licenses," pick your species, and hit Apply Now.
- 4Enter up to four hunt-code choices (the codes above), then Submit. A small application fee is charged now ($11.49 nonresident / $8.93 resident).
- 5If you draw, the card on file is charged after the draw — your payment deadline is July 21, 2026. Don't buy another license for that species until your results post.
Stuck? CPW customer service: 303-297-1192 (Mon–Fri, 8–5) — or apply by phone at 800-244-5613.
Licenses left after the primary draw. Available in the secondary draw (closed June 30, 2026, 8 p.m. MT) and then on the leftover list starting Leftover Day, Aug 4, 2026, 9 a.m. MT. Counts are a point-in-time snapshot and shrink as tags are claimed. Not all hunt details are shown — always confirm specifics in the CPW Big Game brochure before applying. CPW big-game brochure ↗
Draw at 0 points · nonresident
Tags you can hold this year
| Unit | Hunt code | Season | NR points to draw | Public land | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | EE003V1A | opportunity | 0 pts · leftover | 55.5% | 5.4% |
| 6 | EE006V1A | opportunity | 0 pts · leftover | 67.5% | 10.9% |
| 7 | EE007O1A | limited | 0 pts · leftover | 87.3% | 10% |
| 11 | EE011V1A | opportunity | 0 pts · leftover | 68.4% | 41.9% |
| 14 | EE014V1A | opportunity | 0 pts · leftover | 85.9% | 25% |
| 15 | EE015V1A | opportunity | 0 pts · leftover | 66.4% | 13.3% |
| 18 | EE018V1A | opportunity | 0 pts · leftover | 87.7% | 2.3% |
| 21 | EE021V1A | opportunity | 0 pts · leftover | 88% | 19.8% |
| 25 | EE025V1A | opportunity | 0 pts · leftover | 83.5% | 7.5% |
| 28 | EE028V1A | opportunity | 0 pts · leftover | 69.7% | 10.5% |
| 29 | EE029O1A | limited | 0 pts · leftover | 51.3% | 10.3% |
| 35 | EE035V1A | opportunity | 0 pts · leftover | 71.1% | 14.2% |
| 38 | EE038V1A | opportunity | 0 pts · leftover | 44.3% | 7.1% |
| 41 | EE041O1A | limited | 0 pts · leftover | 62.1% | 12.5% |
| 43 | EE043V1A | opportunity | 0 pts · leftover | 74.4% | 13.1% |
| 44 | EE044O1A | limited | 0 pts · leftover | 79.4% | 16% |
| 50 | EE050O1A | limited | 0 pts · leftover | 48% | 8.6% |
| 53 | EE053V1A | opportunity | 0 pts · leftover | 76.9% | 23.5% |
| 56 | EE056O1A | limited | 0 pts · leftover | 68.7% | 19.8% |
| 57 | EE057O1A | limited | 0 pts · leftover | 76.9% | 22.5% |
| 59 | EE059V1A | opportunity | 0 pts · leftover | 38.3% | 11.3% |
| 60 | EE060V1A | opportunity | 0 pts · leftover | 82.3% | 0% |
| 61 | EE061O1A | limited | 0 pts · leftover | 84.9% | 49.4% |
| 62 | EE062V1A | opportunity | 0 pts · leftover | 69.6% | 21.3% |
| 63 | EE063V1A | opportunity | 0 pts · leftover | 57.1% | 25.9% |
| 64 | EE064V1A | opportunity | 0 pts · leftover | 44.6% | 17.1% |
| 67 | EE067O1A | limited | 0 pts · leftover | 81.9% | 29.2% |
| 68 | EE068V1A | opportunity | 0 pts · leftover | 87.6% | 6.6% |
| 79 | EE079V1A | opportunity | 0 pts · leftover | 62.9% | 4.5% |
| 80 | EE080O1A | limited | 0 pts · leftover | 59.3% | 17.3% |
| 82 | EE082V1A | opportunity | 0 pts · leftover | 70.2% | 8.9% |
| 83 | EE083V1A | opportunity | 0 pts · leftover | 4.4% | 42% |
| 86 | EE086V1A | opportunity | 0 pts · leftover | 56% | 10.6% |
| 104 | EE104O1A | limited | 0 pts · leftover | 12.4% | 14.3% |
| 201 | EE201O1A | limited | 0 pts · leftover | 94.4% | 40% |
| 391 | EE391O1A | limited | 0 pts · leftover | 18% | 30.8% |
| 461 | EE461O1A | limited | 0 pts · leftover | 24% | 18.4% |
Build points first · nonresident
Worth the wait
| Unit | Hunt code | Season | NR points to draw | Public land | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | EE046O1A | limited | 1 pt | 76.6% | 15.4% |
| 51 | EE051O1A | limited | 1 pt | 52.6% | 27.3% |
| 33 | EE033O1A | limited | 2 pts | 75.5% | 18.5% |
| 39 | EE039O1A | limited | 2 pts | 68.5% | 32.2% |
| 55 | EE055O1A | limited | 2 pts | 89.6% | 12.9% |
| 69 | EE069O1A | limited | 2 pts | 35.6% | 36.5% |
| 2 | EE002O1A | limited | 3 pts | 93% | 55.6% |
| 40 | EE040O1A | limited | 3 pts | 62.2% | 60.3% |
| 48 | EE048O1A | limited | 3 pts | 88.9% | 18.1% |
| 551 | EE551O1A | limited | 3 pts | 86.8% | 18.1% |
| 4 | EE004O1A | limited | 4 pts | 47.5% | 26.8% |
| 12 | EE012O1A | limited | 4 pts | 52.7% | 25% |
| 54 | EE054O1A | limited | 4 pts | 78.4% | 24.1% |
| 500 | EE500O1A | limited | 5 pts | 68.4% | 14.6% |
| 10 | EE010O1A | limited | 6 pts | 78.1% | 66.7% |
| 20 | EE020O1A | limited | 6 pts | 57.4% | 32.6% |
| 501 | EE501O1A | limited | 8 pts | 91.3% | 31.3% |
| 49 | EE049O1A | limited | 12 pts | 72.3% | 24.8% |
| 66 | EE066O1A | limited | 15 pts | 80.3% | 41.3% |
| 851 | EE851O1A | limited | 17 pts | 13.1% | 0% |
| 76 | EE076O1A | limited | 19 pts | 94.3% | 27.7% |
Draw odds (CPW 2025) AND public-land % are both real: public land is computed by intersecting each CPW unit boundary with USGS PAD-US federal public land in an equal-area projection. Elk hunter success is real too (CPW Big Game Harvest Survey, by hunt code; deer/pronghorn success next). Unit maps remain illustrative.