GMU 43 Elk Report — 2026 season
12 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 | 325 (189 bulls / 127 cows) | 3,044 | 11% | 16,435 |
| 2024 | 477 (246 bulls / 228 cows) | 2,693 | 18% | 14,893 |
| 2023 Archery | 81 | 1,058 | 8% | 7,198 |
| 2023 Muzzleloader | 22 | 181 | 12% | 1,018 |
| 2023 Rifle | 222 | 1,804 | 12% | 8,219 |
| 2024 Archery | 77 | 921 | 8% | 6,752 |
| 2024 Muzzleloader | 33 | 174 | 19% | 995 |
| 2024 Rifle | 368 | 1,597 | 23% | 7,146 |
| Season | Antlered harvest / hunters | Success | Antlerless harvest / hunters | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Muzzleloader | 18 / 151 | 12% | 2 / 30 | 7% |
| 2023 Rifle | 84 / 739 | 11% | 104 / 795 | 13% |
| 2024 Muzzleloader | 27 / 147 | 18% | 6 / 28 | 22% |
| 2024 Rifle | 132 / 660 | 20% | 186 / 710 | 26% |
* 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-043-V1-ALeftover likely | archery | either | Sept. 2–30 | 43, 431, 471 | A | 291 | 135 | – | – | ––– | 13% | 59.9 |
| E-F-043-V1-ALeftover likely | archery | female | Sept. 2–30 | 43, 431, 471 | B | 5 | 1 | – | – | ––– | 0%* | – |
| E-F-043-O1-M | muzzleloader | female | Sept. 12–20 | ■43, ■431, 471 | B | 25 | 23 | 0 (2nd) | 0 (2nd) | 0/-/0/00/-/0/0 | 0% | – |
| E-M-043-O1-M | muzzleloader | male | Sept. 12–20 | ■43, ■431, 471 | A | 175 | 132 | 0 (2nd) | 0 (2nd) | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 11% | 50.7 |
| E-E-043-O1-R | rifle | either | Oct. 14–18 | ■43, ■431, 471 | A | 225 | 255 | 0 | 0 | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 9% | 41.1 |
| E-F-043-O1-R | rifle | female | Oct. 14–18 | ■43, ■431, 471 | B | 40 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 33% | 11.0 |
| E-F-043-O2-R | rifle | female | Oct. 24–Nov. 1 | ■43, ■431 | B | 215 | 108 | 0 (2nd) | 0 (2nd) | -/-/-/0-/-/-/0 | 15% | 34.7 |
| E-F-043-O3-R | rifle | female | Nov. 7–15 | ■43, ■431 | B | 120 | 101 | 0 (2nd) | 0 (2nd) | -/-/-/0-/-/-/0 | 14% | 32.5 |
| E-E-043-O4-R | rifle | either | Nov. 18–22 | ■43, ■431 | A | 75 | 59 | 0 (2nd) | 0 (2nd) | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 21% | 16.9 |
| E-F-043-O4-R | rifle | female | Nov. 18–22 | ■43, ■431 | B | 55 | 23 | 0 (2nd) | – | -/-/-/0– | 18% | 19.3 |
| E-E-043-P1-RPLO | rifle | either | Oct. 14–18 | 43, 431, 471 | A | 10 | 5 | 0 (2nd) | 0 | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 80%* | 4.4 |
| E-F-043-P5-RPLO | rifle | female | Aug. 15– Jan. 15 | 43, 431 | B | 35 | 128 | 1 | 1 | 0/0/0/10/0/0/1 | 36% | 24.6 |
* Low sample: CPW flags these hunt codes "few hunters responded".
Near-sure draws (0–1 point in 2026)
- E-E-043-P1-R rifle either, Oct. 14–18: 10 tags, 5 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 nonres, success 80% (low sample), List A (private land only)
- E-F-043-P5-R rifle female, Aug. 15– Jan. 15: 35 tags, 128 first-choice apps, drew at 1 res /1 nonres, success 36%, List B (private land only)
- E-F-043-O1-R rifle female, Oct. 14–18: 40 tags, 43 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /0 nonres, success 33%, List B
- E-E-043-O4-R rifle either, Nov. 18–22: 75 tags, 59 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 21%, List A
- E-F-043-O4-R rifle female, Nov. 18–22: 55 tags, 23 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /– nonres, success 18%, List B
- E-F-043-O2-R rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1: 215 tags, 108 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 15%, List B
- E-F-043-O3-R rifle female, Nov. 7–15: 120 tags, 101 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 14%, List B
- E-M-043-O1-M muzzleloader male, Sept. 12–20: 175 tags, 132 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 11%, List A
- E-E-043-O1-R rifle either, Oct. 14–18: 225 tags, 255 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /0 nonres, success 9%, List A
- E-F-043-O1-M muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20: 25 tags, 23 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 0%, List B
Stackable tags (List B/C — hold alongside a List A tag)
- E-F-043-V1-A archery female Sept. 2–30 — drew at – res / – nonres, 5 tags
- E-F-043-O1-M muzzleloader female Sept. 12–20 — drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res / 0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, 25 tags
- E-F-043-O1-R rifle female Oct. 14–18 — drew at 0 res / 0 nonres, 40 tags
- E-F-043-O2-R rifle female Oct. 24–Nov. 1 — drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res / 0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, 215 tags
- E-F-043-O3-R rifle female Nov. 7–15 — drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res / 0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, 120 tags
- E-F-043-O4-R rifle female Nov. 18–22 — drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res / – nonres, 55 tags
- E-F-043-P5-R rifle female Aug. 15– Jan. 15 — drew at 1 res / 1 nonres, 35 tags
Leftover likely
These codes had licenses left over after the 2026 primary draw:E-E-043-V1-A, E-F-043-V1-A.
With your points
Likely draws (9)
- E-F-043-O1-M (0)
- E-M-043-O1-M (0)
- E-E-043-O1-R (0)
- E-F-043-O1-R (0)
- E-F-043-O2-R (0)
- E-F-043-O3-R (0)
- E-E-043-O4-R (0)
- E-F-043-O4-R (0)
- E-E-043-P1-R (0)
Coin flips (1)
- E-F-043-P5-R (1)
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 43?
- 12 limited codes in the 2026 brochure: E-E-043-V1-A (archery either, Sept. 2–30); E-F-043-V1-A (archery female, Sept. 2–30); E-F-043-O1-M (muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20); E-M-043-O1-M (muzzleloader male, Sept. 12–20); E-E-043-O1-R (rifle either, Oct. 14–18); E-F-043-O1-R (rifle female, Oct. 14–18); E-F-043-O2-R (rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-F-043-O3-R (rifle female, Nov. 7–15); E-E-043-O4-R (rifle either, Nov. 18–22); E-F-043-O4-R (rifle female, Nov. 18–22); E-E-043-P1-R (rifle either, Oct. 14–18); E-F-043-P5-R (rifle female, Aug. 15– Jan. 15).
- What is the easiest elk tag to draw in GMU 43?
- E-E-043-P1-R (rifle, either, Oct. 14–18) drew out at 0 pts (2nd choice) for residents and 0 for nonresidents in the 2026 draw, with 10 tags.
- How many points does it take to draw E-M-043-O1-M?
- In the 2026 primary draw the last E-M-043-O1-M tag went at 0 pts (2nd choice) resident points and 0 pts (2nd choice) nonresident points. Resident history 2023–2026: 0/0/0/0; nonresident: 0/0/0/0.
- What is elk hunting success in GMU 43?
- In 2024, 2,693 elk hunters in GMU 43 harvested 477 animals (18% success, all seasons and weapons, CPW harvest survey).