The hybrid draw, explained
The hybrid draw gives hunters who will never catch the point leaders a lottery ticket at Colorado's best elk tags.
How it works
- Applies to high-demand hunt codes flagged by CPW (marked “Hybrid” on this site).
- Up to 20% of the licenses are drawn at random among 1st-choice applicants with 5 or more points who didn't draw in the regular preference round.
- Every eligible applicant has the same chance, whether they have 5 points or 19.
- Win and you lose all your elk points, like any 1st-choice draw.
- Group applications aren't eligible.
2026 hybrid results
122 elk licenses in 27 hunts went through the hybrid draw. The table shows the regular resident cutoff, the lowest point level that still won a hybrid tag, and roughly how many eligible residents (5 points up to the cutoff) were in the hat.
| Hunt | Licenses | Hybrid | Res. cutoff | Lowest winner | ≈ Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-E-201-E1-R | 28 | 4 | 29 pts | 6 pts | 1% |
| E-E-002-E1-R | 32 | 5 | 28 pts | 5 pts | 1% |
| E-E-201-O1-A | 10 | 1 | 27 pts | 26 pts | 1% |
| E-M-002-O1-M | 10 | 1 | 27 pts | 8 pts | 1% |
| E-M-201-O1-M | 10 | 1 | 27 pts | 21 pts | 1% |
| E-E-010-E1-R | 32 | 5 | 26 pts | 5 pts | 1% |
| E-E-002-O1-A | 10 | 1 | 25 pts | 11 pts | 1% |
| E-M-010-O1-M | 5 | 1 | 25 pts | 5 pts | 1% |
| E-E-010-O1-A | 15 | 2 | 24 pts | 8 pts | 1% |
| E-E-061-E1-R | 40 | 6 | 23 pts | 7 pts | 1% |
| E-M-076-E1-R | 30 | 4 | 22 pts | 8 pts | 1% |
| E-E-001-E1-R | 11 | 1 | 20 pts | 17 pts | 2% |
| E-E-211-W1-R | 8 | 1 | 20 pts | 13 pts | 2% |
| E-M-851-O3-R | 5 | 1 | 19 pts | 16 pts | 5% |
| E-E-001-O1-A | 5 | 1 | 18 pts | — | — |
| E-M-061-O1-M | 45 | 7 | 18 pts | 6 pts | 4% |
| E-E-005-W1-R | 13 | 2 | 17 pts | 6 pts | 3% |
| E-E-061-O1-A | 90 | 14 | 17 pts | 6 pts | 3% |
| E-M-001-O1-M | 5 | 1 | 17 pts | 15 pts | 6% |
| E-M-851-O1-R | 5 | 1 | 17 pts | 13 pts | 6% |
| E-M-061-O1-R | 130 | 20 | 15 pts | 5 pts | 4% |
| E-E-040-O1-R | 30 | 4 | 14 pts | 6 pts | 2% |
| E-M-851-O2-R | 5 | 1 | 14 pts | 5 pts | 8% |
| E-E-040-O2-R | 25 | 4 | 12 pts | 5 pts | 3% |
| E-M-076-O1-M | 70 | 12 | 12 pts | 5 pts | 7% |
| E-M-061-O2-R | 120 | 19 | 11 pts | 5 pts | 7% |
| E-E-441-W1-R | 12 | 2 | 7 pts | 5 pts | 22% |
≈ Odds = resident hybrid winners ÷ resident 1st-choice applicants with 5 points up to the cutoff. Showing the 27 hardest of 27 hunts.
Is it worth it?
If you're years from drawing a hunt you really want, listing it 1st costs nothing extra — you still earn a point if you lose. The trade-off is that you can't use that 1st choice on something you'd actually draw, and if you win you start over at zero. Use the Draw Finder's hybrid filter to compare them.
Questions
Who is eligible for the Colorado hybrid draw?
Applicants with at least 5 preference points who list a hybrid hunt code as their 1st choice and apply as an individual (not in a group). In practice nearly all hybrid licenses go to residents, because the nonresident cap fills in the regular draw.
Do I lose my points if I win the hybrid draw?
Yes. A hybrid license is a 1st-choice draw, so your elk preference points reset to zero.
Is the hybrid draw going away?
Starting with the 2028 draw, CPW replaces the hybrid draw with a split draw: half of each hunt’s licenses by preference points and half through a bonus-point random draw.
Updated 2026-11-07. Rules summarized from the CPW Big Game Brochure and Parks and Wildlife Commission documents — the brochure is the final word.