GMU 501 Deer Report — 2026 season
8 limited hunt codes valid in this unit. CPW 2026 brochure, 2026 primary draw recap, 2025 harvest survey. Points: resident / nonresident.
Every hunt code in the unit
| Dates | GMUs | Pts 23→26 res / nonres | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D-E-050-O1-A | archery | either | Sept. 2–30 | 50, ■500, ■501 | A | 140 | 324 | 1 | 1 | -/-/-/1-/-/-/1 | 19% | 26.6 |
| D-F-501-O1-M | muzzleloader | female | Sept. 12–20 | ■501 | A | 15 | 34 | 1 | – | -/-/-/1– | 43% | 10.3 |
| D-M-050-O1-M | muzzleloader | male | Sept. 12–20 | 50, ■500, ■501 | A | 45 | 184 | 2 | 3 | -/-/-/2-/-/-/3 | 27% | 16.2 |
| D-F-501-O2-R | rifle | female | Oct. 24–Nov. 1 | ■501 | A | 15 | 111 | 3 | – | -/-/-/3– | 15%* | 23.5 |
| D-M-050-O2-R | rifle | male | Oct. 24–Nov. 1 | 50, ■500, ■501 | A | 100 | 796 | 3 | 4 | -/-/-/3-/-/-/4 | 48% | 9.7 |
| D-F-501-O3-R | rifle | female | Nov. 7–15 | ■501 | A | 15 | 65 | 2 | – | -/-/-/2– | 57% | 5.5 |
| D-M-050-O3-R | rifle | male | Nov. 7–15 | 50, ■500, ■501 | A | 100 | 693 | 3 | 6 | -/-/-/3-/-/-/6 | 73% | 5.6 |
| D-M-501-O4-R | rifle | male | Nov. 18–22 | ■501 | A | 30 | 164 | 7 | 10 | -/-/-/7-/-/-/10 | 89% | 3.4 |
* Low sample: CPW flags these hunt codes "few hunters responded".
Near-sure draws (0–1 point in 2026)
- D-F-501-O1-M muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20: 15 tags, 34 first-choice apps, drew at 1 res /– nonres, success 43%, List A
- D-E-050-O1-A archery either, Sept. 2–30: 140 tags, 324 first-choice apps, drew at 1 res /1 nonres, success 19%, List A
With your points
Likely draws (0)
Coin flips (2)
- D-E-050-O1-A (1)
- D-F-501-O1-M (1)
Not this year (6)
- D-M-050-O1-M (2)
- D-F-501-O2-R (3)
- D-M-050-O2-R (3)
- D-F-501-O3-R (2)
- D-M-050-O3-R (3)
- D-M-501-O4-R (7)
Based on the last draw's drawn-out-at points. Codes with no draw at that residency are left out. Point creep can push a code up a bucket.
Drawn-out-at = preference points held by the last successful applicant at that residency. "0 (2nd)" = the code filled with 2nd-choice applicants, so any 1st-choice applicant drew with 0 points. Success % and days/harvest are from CPW's 2025harvest survey, by hunt code.
FAQ
- Which deer hunt codes are valid in GMU 501?
- 8 limited codes in the 2026 brochure: D-E-050-O1-A (archery either, Sept. 2–30); D-F-501-O1-M (muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20); D-M-050-O1-M (muzzleloader male, Sept. 12–20); D-F-501-O2-R (rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); D-M-050-O2-R (rifle male, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); D-F-501-O3-R (rifle female, Nov. 7–15); D-M-050-O3-R (rifle male, Nov. 7–15); D-M-501-O4-R (rifle male, Nov. 18–22).
- What is the easiest deer tag to draw in GMU 501?
- D-F-501-O1-M (muzzleloader, female, Sept. 12–20) drew out at 1 for residents and – for nonresidents in the 2026 draw, with 15 tags.
- How many points does it take to draw D-M-501-O4-R?
- In the 2026 primary draw the last D-M-501-O4-R tag went at 7 resident points and 10 nonresident points. Resident history 2023–2026: -/-/-/7; nonresident: -/-/-/10.