GMU 561 Deer Report — 2026 season
6 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-M-048-O1-A | archery | male | Sept. 2–30 | 48, 56, 481, 561 | A | 200 | 268 | 0 | 0 | -/-/-/0-/-/-/0 | 22% | 37.0 |
| D-F-048-O1-M | muzzleloader | female | Sept. 12–20 | 48, 56, 481, 561 | A | 10 | 28 | 1 | – | -/-/-/1– | 67%* | 7.5 |
| D-M-048-O1-M | muzzleloader | male | Sept. 12–20 | 48, 56, 481, 561 | A | 100 | 178 | 0 | 1 | -/-/-/0-/-/-/1 | 34% | 13.9 |
| D-M-048-E1-R | rifle | male + | Sept. 12–20 Early | 48, 56, 481, 561 above timbe | A | 20 | 135 | 8 | 12 | -/-/-/8-/-/-/12 | 58% | 11.1 |
| D-M-048-O2-R | rifle | male | Oct. 24–Nov. 1 | 48, 56, 481, 561 | A | 320 | 568 | 1 | 1 | -/-/-/1-/-/-/1 | 54% | 9.0 |
| D-M-048-O3-R | rifle | male | Nov. 7–15 | 48, 56, 481, 561 | A | 220 | 448 | 1 | 1 | -/-/-/1-/-/-/1 | 62% | 7.2 |
* Low sample: CPW flags these hunt codes "few hunters responded".
Near-sure draws (0–1 point in 2026)
- D-F-048-O1-M muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20: 10 tags, 28 first-choice apps, drew at 1 res /– nonres, success 67% (low sample), List A
- D-M-048-O3-R rifle male, Nov. 7–15: 220 tags, 448 first-choice apps, drew at 1 res /1 nonres, success 62%, List A
- D-M-048-O2-R rifle male, Oct. 24–Nov. 1: 320 tags, 568 first-choice apps, drew at 1 res /1 nonres, success 54%, List A
- D-M-048-O1-M muzzleloader male, Sept. 12–20: 100 tags, 178 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /1 nonres, success 34%, List A
- D-M-048-O1-A archery male, Sept. 2–30: 200 tags, 268 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /0 nonres, success 22%, List A
With your points
Likely draws (2)
- D-M-048-O1-A (0)
- D-M-048-O1-M (0)
Coin flips (3)
- D-F-048-O1-M (1)
- D-M-048-O2-R (1)
- D-M-048-O3-R (1)
Not this year (1)
- D-M-048-E1-R (8)
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 561?
- 6 limited codes in the 2026 brochure: D-M-048-O1-A (archery male, Sept. 2–30); D-F-048-O1-M (muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20); D-M-048-O1-M (muzzleloader male, Sept. 12–20); D-M-048-E1-R (rifle male, Sept. 12–20 Early); D-M-048-O2-R (rifle male, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); D-M-048-O3-R (rifle male, Nov. 7–15).
- What is the easiest deer tag to draw in GMU 561?
- D-F-048-O1-M (muzzleloader, female, Sept. 12–20) drew out at 1 for residents and – for nonresidents in the 2026 draw, with 10 tags.
- How many points does it take to draw D-M-048-E1-R?
- In the 2026 primary draw the last D-M-048-E1-R tag went at 8 resident points and 12 nonresident points. Resident history 2023–2026: -/-/-/8; nonresident: -/-/-/12.