Colorado 2026 Big Game: Gunnison Basin Elk Goes Limited, Mandatory Elk CWD Testing

Colorado's 2026 big-game season brings a handful of changes that matter a lot depending on what you hunt and where. Two of them — the Gunnison Basin elk licenses going fully limited and mandatory CWD testing for elk — will change plans that hunters have run on autopilot for years.

Gunnison Basin rifle elk is no longer over-the-counter

This is the big one. Rifle elk licenses for GMUs 54, 55 and 551 in the Gunnison Basin are now fully limited, instead of being sold over-the-counter as in years past.

If your annual plan was to buy an OTC rifle elk tag and head to the Gunnison Basin, that option is gone. You now have to draw. See pages 48 and 52 in the Big Game Brochure for details.

Mandatory CWD testing for elk

CWD testing is now mandatory for elk harvested during the rifle seasons from specific GMUs. Testing is free, and it helps biologists track the spread of chronic wasting disease and its impact on Colorado's elk herds.

Note the flip side: there is no mandatory CWD testing for harvested deer in the 2026 seasons. Details are on pages 13 and 41 of the brochure.

GMU boundary changes

The boundaries for Game Management Units 97 and 99 have changed. Check the CPW Hunting Atlas and make sure your GPS and mapping apps are running current data — an outdated boundary file is how people end up hunting the wrong unit. See page 71 of the brochure.

New hunts added

CPW added new licenses for moose, buck deer, archery elk and bear across a variety of GMUs. Species-specific details are in the brochure: deer on page 20, elk on page 35, pronghorn on page 53, moose on page 58, and bear on page 62.

Qualifying license still required

Continuing this year, hunters must purchase a current-year 2026 qualifying license to participate in the big-game draws. Most are available beginning March 1 and must be purchased before applying for any big-game license or preference point. Draw applications are not even accessible until you have one.

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Qualifying license options include annual resident and nonresident small game, annual resident combo small game/fishing, annual resident senior combo small game/fishing, resident and nonresident spring turkey, resident and nonresident fall turkey (valid for the secondary draw only), resident veteran and first responder lifetime combo small game/fishing, and the annual small-game license for resident senior lifetime fishing license holders.

A 2026 Habitat Stamp is added automatically when you buy a qualifying license, if applicable.

Hunters who only want a leftover limited or over-the-counter license do not need a qualifying license.

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2026 key dates

Primary draw

• March 1: Applications accepted; most qualifying licenses on sale
• April 7: Application and correction deadline, 8 p.m. MT
• May 26–29: Draw results posted online
• June 1: Surrender period deadline, 11:59 p.m. MT
• June 12: License payment deadline
• June 26: Licenses in the mail

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Secondary draw

• June 18: Applications accepted
• June 30: Application and correction deadline, 8 p.m. MT
• July 7: Results posted online
• July 9: Surrender period deadline
• July 21: Payment deadline
• July 27: Licenses in the mail

Leftover and over-the-counter

• Aug. 4: Leftover limited licenses and OTC licenses go on sale at 9 a.m. MT, online, in person, and by phone

The Secondary Draw is worth using

The Secondary Draw is open to anyone, even hunters who missed the primary deadline. Most elk, deer, pronghorn and bear licenses not issued in the primary draw show up here.

Two things to know: it does not use or award preference points, and youth hunters receive 100 percent preference, giving them first crack at licenses. Application fees, a qualifying license, and a Habitat Stamp are still required.

Surrendering a license

Hunters who draw a license and decide not to use it can surrender it — June 1 for the primary draw, July 9 for the secondary draw, both at 11:59 p.m. MT. When you surrender, CPW reinstates your preference points to the pre-draw level, refunds the license fee, and removes the license from your account.

There is no reason to sit on a tag you know you will not use.

Also new in Colorado law

A new law targeting wildlife trafficking took effect July 1, 2026. CPW also finalized regulations for a Resident Herpetofauna Collection and Possession License effective May 1, 2026, and is drafting a management plan for the Book Cliffs bison herd under SB25-053, which establishes a dual classification for bison as both wildlife and domestic animals. CPW is not proposing regular bison hunting seasons at this time.

Before you hunt

1. If you hunted Gunnison Basin OTC, rebuild your plan around the draw.
2. Check whether your elk GMU requires mandatory CWD testing during rifle season.
3. Update your mapping apps for the GMU 97 and 99 boundary changes.
4. Read the "what's new" pages in the big-game and sheep and goat brochures — CPW's summary is not exhaustive.

Free tools for your Colorado season

• Interactive hunting maps for marking camps, access routes, and unit boundaries.
• The Deer Movement Forecast for daily movement scoring.
• Colorado state resources for license and regulation links in one place.
• Community groups to connect with hunters working the same units.

Regulations change. Always verify current rules with Colorado Parks and Wildlife before you hunt.