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Colorado › Hunting seasons › GMUs › GMU 41

39 hunt codes · 2026-27

What you can hunt in GMU 41, Colorado

39 hunt codes, 42 CPW season rows and 209,989 acres spread over Mesa County.

Codes and datesHow hunters didHunting gear
328Square miles
39Hunt codes
348Elk taken 2024
1Counties

Photo: James St. John (CC BY 2.0)

Counties inside GMU 41

At 328 square miles, GMU 41 is counted by CPW as a mountain unit. 100% of its ground is in Mesa County; the CPW Northwest Region manages it.

One county, Mesa County, contains the entire unit.

County pieceSq miUnit shareCounty share
Mesa County327.4100%10%

Herd units for GMU 41: deer D-12, elk E-14, pronghorn A-27, moose M-5, bear B-17 and lion L-NW. Each DAU groups GMUs that share one population.

328Square miles
209,989Acres
D-12Deer DAU
E-14Elk DAU
A-27Pronghorn DAU
M-5Moose DAU
B-17Bear DAU
L-NWLion DAU

Area, county overlap and DAU codes from the CPW GMU and DAU GIS layers (overlay with Census county lines); boundary text in the 2026 Big Game brochure GMU descriptions; checked November 5, 2026.

GMU 41 elk, lion and turkey rules

YesElk APR
SelectedElk CWD test
6Lion group
31Lion limit
OTCSpring turkey
OTCFall turkey
NoLynx area
MountainTerrain
2OTC elk rows
  • GMU 41 is on the antler point list, so a legal bull carries at least 4 points on a side or a 5-inch brow tine.
  • GMU 41 is one of the 64 units where selected rifle elk codes must bring the head in for a free CWD test.
  • Harvest-limit group 6 covers GMU 41; the group limit is 31.
  • GMU 41 turkey: spring turkey is OTC in 2026 and fall turkey is OTC.
  • Elk licenses sold over the counter are good here: Second rifle bull and Third rifle bull.

From the elk antler point list, the 2026 mandatory elk CWD GMUs, the 2026-2027 Mountain Lion brochure, the 2026 Turkey brochure and the Small Game brochure lynx rules (CPW); checked November 5, 2026. Guides: antler point GMUs, CWD testing, lion groups, turkey units.

Season windows for GMU 41

Season rows show the windows in one line each. GMU 41 appears in 42 of them, split 15 elk, 12 deer, 4 moose, 8 black bear, 1 mountain lion and 2 wild turkey.

SpeciesMethod and sexDatesTypeCodes
Elk
Rifle cow
private land only
Sep 1–Jan 31Private only33
Elk
Archery either sex
limited
Sep 2–30Limited40
Elk
Archery either sex
private land only
Sep 2–30Private only13
Elk
Muzzleloader bull
limited
Sep 12–20Limited50
Elk
Muzzleloader cow
limited
Sep 12–20Limited69
Elk
Rifle bull
limited
Oct 14–18Limited50
Elk
Rifle cow
limited
Oct 14–18Limited48
Elk
Rifle either sex
private land only
Oct 14–18Private only19
Elk
Rifle cow
limited
Oct 24–Nov 1Limited89
Elk
Second rifle bull
OTC
Oct 24–Nov 1OTC—
Elk
Rifle cow
limited
Nov 7–15Limited93
Elk
Third rifle bull
OTC
Nov 7–15OTC—
Elk
Rifle bull
limited
Nov 18–22Limited57
Elk
Rifle cow
limited
Nov 18–22Limited90
Elk
Rifle either sex
private land only
Nov 18–22Private only13
Deer
Archery doe
private land only
Sep 2–Dec 31Private only1
Deer
Archery either sex
limited
Sep 2–30Limited29
Deer
Archery either sex
private land only
Sep 2–Dec 31Private only1
Deer
Muzzleloader buck
limited
Sep 12–20Limited62
Deer
Muzzleloader doe
limited
Sep 12–20Limited34
Deer
Rifle buck
limited
Oct 24–Nov 1Limited71
Deer
Rifle buck
private land only
Oct 24–Nov 1Private only17
Deer
Rifle doe
limited
Oct 24–Nov 1Limited34
Deer
Rifle buck
limited
Nov 7–15Limited71
Deer
Rifle buck
private land only
Nov 7–15Private only17
Deer
Rifle doe
limited
Nov 7–15Limited35
Deer
Rifle buck
limited
Nov 18–22Limited59
Moose
Archery cow
limited
Sep 12–30Limited36
Moose
Muzzleloader cow
limited
Sep 12–20Limited36
Moose
Rifle cow
limited
Oct 1–14Limited36
Moose
Rifle cow
limited
late season
Oct 14–Nov 22Limited10
Black bear
Archery either sex
limited
Sep 2–30Limited35
Black bear
Archery either sex
OTC
Sep 2–30OTC15
Black bear
Rifle either sex
limited
Sep 2–30Limited34
Black bear
Rifle either sex
private land only
Sep 2–30Private only20
Black bear
Muzzleloader either sex
limited
Sep 12–20Limited35
Black bear
Muzzleloader either sex
OTC
Sep 12–20OTC15
Black bear
Rifle either sex
private land only
Oct 1–Nov 22Private only15
Black bear
Rifle either sex
OTC
Oct 14–Nov 22OTC12
Mountain lion
Lion season
Nov 23–Mar 31Limited—
Wild turkey
Spring
OTC (2026)
Apr 11–May 31OTC—
Wild turkey
Fall
OTC
Sep 1–Oct 4OTC—

Season rows from the 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure (deer p. 30, elk p. 45, pronghorn p. 63, moose p. 68, bear p. 72), the Turkey brochure and the Mountain Lion brochure; checked November 5, 2026.

Every GMU 41 hunt code

Apply with the code, not the unit number. GMU 41 turns up in 39 codes: 15 elk, 12 deer, 4 moose and 8 black bear.

34 are limited (draw or leftover), 10 are private-land-only and 0 are Ranching for Wildlife codes; 0 need six or more preference points in the last draw.

Elk archery, 2

CodeSexSold asOpenListNote
E-E-041-O1-AEither sexLimited
Sep 2–30
A
249 of 1,999
E-E-041-P1-AEither sexPrivate land only
Sep 2–30
A
32 of 135

Elk muzzleloader, 2

CodeSexSold asOpenListNote
E-F-041-O1-MCowLimited
Sep 12–20
B
31 of 297
E-M-041-O1-MBullLimited
Sep 12–20
A
117 of 499

Elk rifle, 11

CodeSexSold asOpenListNote
E-F-041-P5-RCowPrivate land only
Sep 1–Jan 31
B
35 of 131
E-E-041-P1-REither sexPrivate land only
Oct 14–18
A
87 of 158
E-F-041-O1-RCowLimited
Oct 14–18
B
27 of 185
E-M-041-O1-RBullLimited
Oct 14–18
A
258 of 923
E-F-041-O2-RCowLimited
Oct 24–Nov 1
B
14 of 147
E-M-000-U2-RBullOTC
Oct 24–Nov 1
A
4,558 of 23,668
E-F-041-O3-RCowLimited
Nov 7–15
B
8 of 74
E-M-000-U3-RBullOTC
Nov 7–15
A
2,096 of 17,371
E-E-041-P4-REither sexPrivate land only
Nov 18–22
A
48 of 117
E-F-041-O4-RCowLimited
Nov 18–22
B
7 of 34
E-M-041-O4-RBullLimited
Nov 18–22
A
31 of 250

Deer archery, 3

CodeSexSold asOpenListNote
D-E-041-O1-AEither sexLimited
Sep 2–30
A
118 of 303
D-E-041-P5-AEither sexPrivate land only
Sep 2–Dec 31
A
25 of 45
D-F-041-P5-ADoePrivate land only
Sep 2–Dec 31
B
13 of 24

Deer muzzleloader, 2

CodeSexSold asOpenListNote
D-F-041-O1-MDoeLimited
Sep 12–20
B
4 of 9
D-M-041-O1-MBuckLimited
Sep 12–20
A
101 of 232

Deer rifle, 7

CodeSexSold asOpenListNote
D-F-041-O2-RDoeLimited
Oct 24–Nov 1
B
4 of 8
D-M-041-O2-RBuckLimited
Oct 24–Nov 1
A
372 of 581
D-M-041-P2-RBuckPrivate land only
Oct 24–Nov 1
A
146 of 180
D-F-041-O3-RDoeLimited
Nov 7–15
B
5 of 8
D-M-041-O3-RBuckLimited
Nov 7–15
A
507 of 731
D-M-041-P3-RBuckPrivate land only
Nov 7–15
A
104 of 143
D-M-041-O4-RBuckLimited
Nov 18–22
A
88 of 149

Moose archery, 1

CodeSexSold asOpenListNote
M-F-041-O1-ACowLimited
Sep 12–30
A
1 of 6

Moose muzzleloader, 1

CodeSexSold asOpenListNote
M-F-041-O1-MCowLimited
Sep 12–20
A
0 of 1

Moose rifle, 2

CodeSexSold asOpenListNote
M-F-041-O1-RCowLimited
Oct 1–14
A
0 of 8
M-F-041-L1-RCowLimited, late
Oct 14–18
Oct 24–Nov 1
Nov 7–15
Nov 18–22
A
3 of 5

Black bear archery, 2

CodeSexSold asOpenListNote
B-E-041-O1-AEither sexLimited
Sep 2–30
B
13 taken
B-E-041-U1-AEither sexOTC
Sep 2–30
B
14 taken

Black bear muzzleloader, 2

CodeSexSold asOpenListNote
B-E-041-O1-MEither sexLimited
Sep 12–20
B
1 taken
B-E-041-U1-MEither sexOTC
Sep 12–20
B
3 taken

Black bear rifle, 4

CodeSexSold asOpenListNote
B-E-041-O1-REither sexLimited
Sep 2–30
B
109 taken
B-E-041-P1-REither sexPrivate land only
Sep 2–30
C
8 taken
B-E-041-P5-REither sexPrivate land only
Oct 1–Nov 22
C
4 taken
B-E-041-U5-REither sexOTC
Oct 14–18
Oct 24–Nov 1
Nov 7–15
Nov 18–22
B
10 taken

Harvest numbers in the right-hand column are 2025 survey estimates for the code as a whole.

Hunt codes from the 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure tables (PDF pp. 29-77) and the 2026 Turkey brochure; List A/B/C rules on p. 26; 2025 code estimates from CPW harvest reports (elk, deer, pronghorn, bear, moose); checked November 5, 2026. How the draw works.

GMU 41 harvest and success

Elk hunters in GMU 41 took 348 elk in 2024 (154 bulls, 175 cows), 20% success for 1,702 hunters.

Deer success in GMU 41 ran 50% in 2024, with 288 taken.

The bear take in 2024 was 9.

CPW puts the 2025 post-hunt elk herd that includes GMU 41 (units 41, 411, 42, 421, 52, 521) at 14,840, with 20 males per 100 females.

4,949 hunters held elk codes numbered 41 in 2025 and took 944.

For lions, the 2025-26 group total was 17.

Animals taken in GMU 41 during 20240100200300400Deer taken: 288288Deer takenElk taken: 348348Elk takenBears taken: 99Bears taken
SpeciesHarvestMale / female / youngHuntersSuccessHunter days
Deer288250/38/057950%2,989
Elk348154/175/181,70220%10,707
Black bear96/3——44

DAU estimates, 2025

GameDAUTakeHuntersSuccessPopulationMales/100 F
DeerD-121,5042,47361%19,03029
ElkE-142,08611,74518%14,84020
PronghornA-27020%——

2024 “All Manners of Take” tables by GMU: deer, elk, pronghorn, bear; 2025 DAU estimates and 2025 post-hunt populations (elk, deer, pronghorn); 2025 lion harvest (CPW). Survey estimates; checked November 5, 2026.

GMU 41 land open to hunting

4 SWAs, 0 STL parcels and 4 other units make up the 8 public lands that list GMU 41.

Large federal records span many units, so read each land page for the part that falls in this GMU.

State wildlife areas, 4

BLM offices, 1

National forests, 1

Ranger districts, 1

State parks, 1

Land records from CPW, State Land Board, USFS, BLM and other agency sources (each land page cites its own); GMU tags from those records; checked November 5, 2026. All Colorado public land.

Towns and units around GMU 41

Inside GMU 41: 0 towns; near it: 1.

If the draw goes against you, the neighbouring units below share counties with GMU 41.

NeighbourSame countySq miElkDeerCodes
GMU 40
Mesa
74430826831
GMU 30
Mesa
86925012937
GMU 421
Mesa
54165740636
GMU 31
Mesa
70245325333
GMU 411
Mesa
23013319635
GMU 60
Mesa
23814012835
GMU 62
Mesa
1,3781,02459941
GMU 42
Mesa
60665945336

Towns from Census places with their GMU and GMUs within 10 miles; neighbours from the CPW GMU layer county overlay; checked November 5, 2026. All town pages · all GMUs.

GMU 41 hours on key season dates

Deer, elk, pronghorn, moose, bear and lion may be hunted from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset; turkey, small game and waterfowl stop at sunset.

DateSeason pointSunriseSunsetBig gameBirds and small game
Aug 15, 2026Pronghorn archery opens6:26 a.m.8:11 p.m.5:56 a.m. to 8:41 p.m.5:56 a.m. to 8:11 p.m.
Sep 2, 2026Bowhunting starts6:43 a.m.7:45 p.m.6:13 a.m. to 8:15 p.m.6:13 a.m. to 7:45 p.m.
Sep 12, 2026Muzzleloader opens6:51 a.m.7:29 p.m.6:21 a.m. to 7:59 p.m.6:21 a.m. to 7:29 p.m.
Oct 3, 2026Duck season opens7:10 a.m.6:55 p.m.6:40 a.m. to 7:25 p.m.6:40 a.m. to 6:55 p.m.
Oct 24, 2026Second rifle opens7:31 a.m.6:24 p.m.7:01 a.m. to 6:54 p.m.7:01 a.m. to 6:24 p.m.
Nov 23, 2026Lion season opens7:05 a.m.4:56 p.m.6:35 a.m. to 5:26 p.m.6:35 a.m. to 4:56 p.m.
Dec 21, 2026Shortest day7:29 a.m.4:54 p.m.6:59 a.m. to 5:24 p.m.6:59 a.m. to 4:54 p.m.

Clock time: Mountain Daylight Time until Nov. 1, 2026 and from March 14, 2027.

Hours rules from the 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure and the Small Game and Waterfowl brochure; sunrise and sunset worked out for this location with the NOAA solar formula (Mountain Time); checked November 5, 2026. Legal hours for every county.

Beside GMU 41

Nearest units first; three hub pages follow.

GMU 40

31 hunt codes

GMU 30

37 hunt codes

GMU 421

36 hunt codes

GMU 31

33 hunt codes

All GMUsOTC licensesLion groups
Desert bighorn sheep standing among red rocks and junipers in Mesa County
Desert bighorn sheep standing among red rocks and junipers in Mesa CountyPhoto: james michael thomas (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Mount Garfield and the gray Book Cliffs above the Colorado River valley near Grand Junction, Mesa County
Mount Garfield and the gray Book Cliffs above the Colorado River valley near Grand Junction, Mesa CountyPhoto: Ken Lund (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Green meadow below a snowy mountain range under sweeping clouds in Colorado
Green meadow below a snowy mountain range under sweeping clouds in ColoradoPhoto: Max and Dee Bernt (CC BY 2.0)

GMU 41 FAQ

Can I hunt GMU 41 without a draw?

Yes for 5 OTC codes and 5 OTC season rows; the other 34 codes are limited.

What counties are in GMU 41?

Mesa (100%), for 328 square miles in all.

Must elk heads from GMU 41 go to CPW?

Only for the marked rifle elk codes; the test costs nothing.

Are GMU 41 bulls under APR?

Yes, including RFW ranches in the unit.

Is GMU 41 open for spring turkey?

Spring turkey is OTC; spring 2026 rows here ran April 11 to May 31, 2026, and spring 2027 dates are not published yet.

When does lion season close in GMU 41?

March 31, 2027, or sooner if group 6 hits 31 lions.

How many SWAs are in GMU 41?

4 state wildlife areas list GMU 41.

What is the elk success rate in GMU 41?

20% in 2024 (348 from 1,702 hunters).

What towns are near GMU 41?

Grand Junction.

Which herd DAUs take in GMU 41?

D-12 (deer), E-14 (elk), A-27 (pronghorn), M-5 (moose), B-17 (bear) and L-NW (lion).

Answers drawn from the CPW sources cited on this page; checked November 5, 2026.