GMU 861 Elk Report — 2026 season
11 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 | 86 (55 bulls / 21 cows) | 660 | 13% | 3,771 |
| 2024 | 133 (94 bulls / 39 cows) | 608 | 22% | 3,370 |
| 2023 Archery | 20 | 285 | 7% | 1,972 |
| 2023 Muzzleloader | 7 | 55 | 12% | 273 |
| 2023 Rifle | 60 | 320 | 19% | 1,527 |
| 2024 Archery | 17 | 260 | 6% | 1,698 |
| 2024 Muzzleloader | 11 | 40 | 27% | 218 |
| 2024 Rifle | 105 | 309 | 34% | 1,454 |
| Season | Antlered harvest / hunters | Success | Antlerless harvest / hunters | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Rifle | 32 / 179 | 18% | 10 / 70 | 14% |
| 2024 Rifle | 40 / 127 | 31% | 19 / 66 | 29% |
* CPW's antlered/antlerless tables do not include either-sex hunt codes. The split is hidden where one side is empty, because that usually means the unit’s tags for it are either-sex 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-086-V1-ALeftover likely | archery | either | Sept. 2–30 | 86, 691, 861 | A | 170 | 88 | – | – | ––– | 11% | 80.5 |
| E-F-086-V1-ALeftover likely | archery | female | Sept. 2–30 | 86, 691, 861 | B | 2 | 1 | – | – | ––– | 0%* | – |
| E-E-086-O1-M | muzzleloader | either | Sept. 12–20 | 86, 691, 861 | A | 115 | 134 | 0 | 0 | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 15% | 36.5 |
| E-F-086-O1-MLeftover likely | muzzleloader | female | Sept. 12–20 | 86, 691, 861 | B | 34 | 12 | – | – | ––– | 4% | 108.5 |
| E-E-086-O1-R | rifle | either | Oct. 14–18 | 86, 691, 861 | A | 170 | 207 | 0 | 0 | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 19% | 20.5 |
| E-F-086-O2-R | rifle | female | Oct. 24–Nov. 1 | 86, 691, 861 | B | 85 | 67 | 0 (2nd) | 0 (2nd) | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 4% | 167.3 |
| E-F-086-O3-R | rifle | female | Nov. 7–15 | 86, 691, 861 | B | 75 | 39 | 0 (2nd) | 0 (2nd) | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 7% | 47.8 |
| E-E-086-O4-R | rifle | either | Nov. 18–22 | 86, 691, 861 | A | 90 | 56 | 0 (3rd) | 0 (2nd) | 0/0/0/00/0/0/0 | 8% | 43.5 |
| E-F-086-O4-RLeftover likely | rifle | female | Nov. 18–22 | 86, 691, 861 | B | 34 | 5 | – | – | ––– | 17% | 18.3 |
| E-E-086-P1-RPLOLeftover likely | rifle | either | Oct. 14–18 | 86, 691, 861 | A | 39 | 25 | – | – | ––– | 34% | 10.9 |
| E-F-086-P5-RPLOLeftover likely | rifle | female | Sept. 1–Jan. 31 | 86, 691, 861 | B | 185 | 95 | – | – | ––– | 49% | 17.7 |
* Low sample: CPW flags these hunt codes "few hunters responded".
Near-sure draws (0–1 point in 2026)
- E-E-086-O1-R rifle either, Oct. 14–18: 170 tags, 207 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /0 nonres, success 19%, List A
- E-E-086-O1-M muzzleloader either, Sept. 12–20: 115 tags, 134 first-choice apps, drew at 0 res /0 nonres, success 15%, List A
- E-E-086-O4-R rifle either, Nov. 18–22: 90 tags, 56 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (3rd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 8%, List A
- E-F-086-O3-R rifle female, Nov. 7–15: 75 tags, 39 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 7%, List B
- E-F-086-O2-R rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1: 85 tags, 67 first-choice apps, drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res /0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, success 4%, List B
Stackable tags (List B/C — hold alongside a List A tag)
- E-F-086-V1-A archery female Sept. 2–30 — drew at – res / – nonres, 2 tags
- E-F-086-O1-M muzzleloader female Sept. 12–20 — drew at – res / – nonres, 34 tags
- E-F-086-O2-R rifle female Oct. 24–Nov. 1 — drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res / 0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, 85 tags
- E-F-086-O3-R rifle female Nov. 7–15 — drew at 0 pts (2nd choice) res / 0 pts (2nd choice) nonres, 75 tags
- E-F-086-O4-R rifle female Nov. 18–22 — drew at – res / – nonres, 34 tags
- E-F-086-P5-R rifle female Sept. 1–Jan. 31 — drew at – res / – nonres, 185 tags
Leftover likely
These codes had licenses left over after the 2026 primary draw:E-E-086-V1-A, E-F-086-V1-A, E-F-086-O1-M, E-F-086-O4-R, E-E-086-P1-R, E-F-086-P5-R.
With your points
Likely draws (5)
- E-E-086-O1-M (0)
- E-E-086-O1-R (0)
- E-F-086-O2-R (0)
- E-F-086-O3-R (0)
- E-E-086-O4-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 861?
- 11 limited codes in the 2026 brochure: E-E-086-V1-A (archery either, Sept. 2–30); E-F-086-V1-A (archery female, Sept. 2–30); E-E-086-O1-M (muzzleloader either, Sept. 12–20); E-F-086-O1-M (muzzleloader female, Sept. 12–20); E-E-086-O1-R (rifle either, Oct. 14–18); E-F-086-O2-R (rifle female, Oct. 24–Nov. 1); E-F-086-O3-R (rifle female, Nov. 7–15); E-E-086-O4-R (rifle either, Nov. 18–22); E-F-086-O4-R (rifle female, Nov. 18–22); E-E-086-P1-R (rifle either, Oct. 14–18); E-F-086-P5-R (rifle female, Sept. 1–Jan. 31).
- What is the easiest elk tag to draw in GMU 861?
- E-E-086-O1-R (rifle, either, Oct. 14–18) drew out at 0 for residents and 0 for nonresidents in the 2026 draw, with 170 tags.
- How many points does it take to draw E-E-086-O1-M?
- In the 2026 primary draw the last E-E-086-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 861?
- In 2024, 608 elk hunters in GMU 861 harvested 133 animals (22% success, all seasons and weapons, CPW harvest survey).