Colorado game management unit · herd E-18
Unit 501 elk
Part of the Kenosha Pass herd. 12 limited elk hunts in the 2026 draw, 4 of them drawable by residents with zero points. The toughest, E-M-501-O1-R, took 7 pts for residents.
Draw hunts
12
6 List A · 6 List B/C
Harvest success 2025
33%
370 hunters · 122 elk (draw hunts only)
Herd estimate 2025
3,300
+38% since 2019
Bulls per 100 cows
29
herd E-18, 2025
Over the counter in Unit 501
No over-the-counter elk licenses are valid in Unit 501 in 2026 — every license here comes through the draw or leftovers.
Draw hunts in Unit 501
| Hunt code | Hunt | List | Licenses | Residents need | Nonres. need | Trend | Success |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-E-501-O1-A | Either sex · Archery | A | 70 | 5 pts | 10 pts | → steady | 31% |
| E-F-501-O1-M | Cow · Muzzleloader | B | 40 | 0 pts | 0 pts | → steady | 36% |
| E-M-501-O1-M | Bull · Muzzleloader | A | 30 | 6 pts | 9 pts | → steady | 36% |
| E-F-501-L1-R | Cow · Late rifle | B | 10 | 3 pts | None drawn | ↑ harder | 67% |
| E-F-501-O2-R | Cow · 2nd rifle | B | 50 | 1 pt | 1 pt | → steady | 33% |
| E-F-501-O3-R | Cow · 3rd rifle | B | 50 | 0 pts | 1 pt | → steady | 39% |
| E-F-501-O4-R | Cow · 4th rifle | B | 20 | 0 pts | 0 pts | → steady | 6% |
| E-F-501-P5-R | Cow · Private land only (5) rifle | B | 30 | 0 pts | 0 pts | → steady | 35% |
| E-M-501-O1-R | Bull · 1st rifle | A | 25 | 7 pts | 16 pts | ↑ harder | 41% |
| E-M-501-O2-R | Bull · 2nd rifle | A | 40 | 3 pts | 8 pts | → steady | 22% |
| E-M-501-O3-R | Bull · 3rd rifle | A | 30 | 3 pts | 6 pts | → steady | 48% |
| E-M-501-O4-R | Bull · 4th rifle | A | 20 | 2 pts | 8 pts | → steady | 17% |
Harvest by year
All seasons and weapons combined, from CPW harvest surveys. 2025 figures add up the hunt-code estimates CPW published, so they leave out over-the-counter hunters.