GMU 42 Elk Report — 2026 season
13 limited hunt codes valid in this unit. CPW 2026 brochure, 2026 primary draw recap, 2025 harvest survey. Points: resident / nonresident.
Unit harvest trend (2023–2024)
| Year | Harvest | Hunters | Success | Rec. days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 651 (357 bulls / 271 cows) | 3,179 | 20% | 17,459 |
| 2024 | 659 (312 bulls / 311 cows) | 3,093 | 21% | 16,326 |
| 2023 Archery | 107 | 860 | 12% | 6,288 |
| 2023 Muzzleloader | 14 | 147 | 10% | 799 |
| 2023 Rifle | 530 | 2,172 | 24% | 10,372 |
| 2024 Archery | 102 | 863 | 12% | 5,919 |
| 2024 Muzzleloader | 30 | 182 | 17% | 959 |
| 2024 Rifle | 527 | 2,047 | 26% | 9,448 |
| Season | Antlered harvest / hunters | Success | Antlerless harvest / hunters | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Muzzleloader | 6 / 79 | 8% | 8 / 68 | 11% |
| 2023 Rifle | 244 / 1,177 | 21% | 206 / 879 | 23% |
| 2024 Muzzleloader | 17 / 96 | 17% | 14 / 86 | 16% |
| 2024 Rifle | 205 / 1,076 | 19% | 260 / 900 | 29% |
* CPW's antlered/antlerless tables do not include either-sex hunt codes.
All limited + over-the-counter hunters. CPW published unit-level tables for 2023 and 2024; the 2025 report has hunt-code totals only.
Every hunt code in the unit
| Dates | GMUs | Pts 23→26 res / nonres | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-E-041-O1-ALeftover likely | archery | either | Sept. 2–30 | 41, 42, 421 | A | 1,530 | 730 | – | – | ––– | 13% | 63.7 |
| E-E-041-P1-APLOLeftover likely | archery | either | Sept. 2–30 | 41, 42, 421 | A | 102 | 86 | – | – | ––– | 24% | 23.2 |
| E-F-041-O1-MLeftover likely | muzzleloader | female | Sept. 12–20 | 41, 42, 52, 411, 421 | B | 292 | 135 | – | – | 0/0/0/-0/0/0/- | 10% | 52.0 |
| E-M-041-O1-M | muzzleloader | male | Sept. 12–20 | 41, 42, 52, 411, 421, 521 | A | 500 | 624 | 0 | 0 | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 23% | 23.4 |
| E-F-041-O1-R | rifle | female | Oct. 14–18 | 41, 42, 52, 411, 421 | B | 200 | 250 | 0 | 0 | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 15% | 24.8 |
| E-M-041-O1-R | rifle | male | Oct. 14–18 | 41, 42, 52, 411, 421, 521 | A | 950 | 932 | 0 (2nd) | 0 (2nd) | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 28% | 13.1 |
| E-F-042-O2-RLeftover likely | rifle | female | Oct. 24–Nov. 1 | 42 | B | 196 | 113 | – | – | -/0/-/--/0/-/- | 16% | 32.1 |
| E-F-042-O3-RLeftover likely | rifle | female | Nov. 7–15 | 42 | B | 211 | 152 | – | – | ––– | 15% | 32.6 |
| E-F-042-O4-RLeftover likely | rifle | female | Nov. 18–22 | 42 | B | 63 | 22 | – | – | ––– | 15% | 23.5 |
| E-M-041-O4-RLeftover likely | rifle | male | Nov. 18–22 | 41, 42, 52, 411, 421, 521 | A | 231 | 120 | – | – | ––– | 12% | 28.4 |
| E-E-041-P1-RPLO | rifle | either | Oct. 14–18 | 41, 42, 52, 411, 421, 521 | A | 200 | 169 | 0 (2nd) | 0 (2nd) | 0/-/0/00/-/0/0 | 55% | 7.0 |
| E-E-041-P4-RPLOLeftover likely | rifle | either | Nov. 18–22 | 41, 42, 52, 411, 421, 521 | A | 122 | 82 | – | – | ––– | 41% | 7.4 |
| E-F-042-P5-RPLO | rifle | female | Dec. 1–Jan. 31 | 42 | B | 275 | 168 | 0 (3rd) | 0 (2nd) | -/-/0/0-/-/0/0 | 32% | 33.0 |
Near-sure draws (0–1 point in 2026)
- E-E-041-P1-R rifle either, Oct. 14–18: 200 tags, 169 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 55%, List A (private land only)
- E-F-042-P5-R rifle female, Dec. 1–Jan. 31: 275 tags, 168 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (3rd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 32%, List B (private land only)
- E-M-041-O1-R rifle male, Oct. 14–18: 950 tags, 932 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 28%, List A
- E-M-041-O1-M muzzleloader male, Sept. 12–20: 500 tags, 624 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /0 nonres, success 23%, List A
- E-F-041-O1-R rifle female, Oct. 14–18: 200 tags, 250 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /0 nonres, success 15%, List B
Stackable tags (List B/C — hold alongside a List A tag)
- E-F-041-O1-M muzzleloader female Sept. 12–20 — drew at – res / – nonres, 292 tags
- E-F-041-O1-R rifle female Oct. 14–18 — drew at 0 res / 0 nonres, 200 tags
- E-F-042-O2-R rifle female Oct. 24–Nov. 1 — drew at – res / – nonres, 196 tags
- E-F-042-O3-R rifle female Nov. 7–15 — drew at – res / – nonres, 211 tags
- E-F-042-O4-R rifle female Nov. 18–22 — drew at – res / – nonres, 63 tags
- E-F-042-P5-R rifle female Dec. 1–Jan. 31 — drew at 0 pts (3rd choice) res / 0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, 275 tags
Leftover likely
These codes had licenses left over after the 2026 primary draw:E-E-041-O1-A, E-E-041-P1-A, E-F-041-O1-M, E-F-042-O2-R, E-F-042-O3-R, E-F-042-O4-R, E-M-041-O4-R, E-E-041-P4-R.
With your points
Likely draws (5)
- E-M-041-O1-M (0)
- E-F-041-O1-R (0)
- E-M-041-O1-R (0)
- E-E-041-P1-R (0)
- E-F-042-P5-R (0)
Coin flips (0)
Not this year (0)
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 elk hunt codes are valid in GMU 42?
- 13 limited codes in the 2026 brochure: E-E-041-O1-A (archery either, Sept. 2–30); E-E-041-P1-A (archery either, Sept. 2–30); E-F-041-O1-M (muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20); E-M-041-O1-M (muzzleloader male, Sept. 12–20); E-F-041-O1-R (rifle female, Oct. 14–18); E-M-041-O1-R (rifle male, Oct. 14–18); E-F-042-O2-R (rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-F-042-O3-R (rifle female, Nov. 7–15); E-F-042-O4-R (rifle female, Nov. 18–22); E-M-041-O4-R (rifle male, Nov. 18–22); E-E-041-P1-R (rifle either, Oct. 14–18); E-E-041-P4-R (rifle either, Nov. 18–22); E-F-042-P5-R (rifle female, Dec. 1–Jan. 31).
- What is the easiest elk tag to draw in GMU 42?
- E-E-041-P1-R (rifle, either, Oct. 14–18) drew out at 0 pts (2nd choice) for residents and 0 pts (2nd choice) for nonresidents in the 2026 draw, with 200 tags.
- How many points does it take to draw E-M-041-O1-M?
- In the 2026 primary draw the last E-M-041-O1-M tag went at 0 resident points and 0 nonresident points. Resident history 2023–2026: 0/0/0/0; nonresident: 0/0/0/0.
- What is elk hunting success in GMU 42?
- In 2024, 3,093 elk hunters in GMU 42 harvested 659 animals (21% success, all seasons and weapons, CPW harvest survey).