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CPW harvest surveys, mandatory checks and population estimates
Colorado Hunting Records and Harvest Statistics
Colorado Parks and Wildlife runs no big game records program, so this page gives what CPW does publish: the 2025 harvest of 37,337 deer, 34,512 elk and 7,600 pronghorn by herd unit, the 2024 harvest by GMU, bear, moose, sheep, goat and lion totals, spring turkey and the small game survey.
Photo: NPS Photo (Public domain)
Colorado has no state records program
No CPW big game records program was found on the CPW site (the "Awards and Records" page covers fishing only). CPW collects tooth-age data from bear and lion inspections (cementum age reports).
Nothing in the CPW brochures, web pages or regulation chapters read for this site sets entry minimums or keeps a list of state records. What CPW does keep, and publishes every year, is the harvest: survey estimates for deer, elk and pronghorn, mandatory-check counts for bear, moose, sheep, goat and lion, and the spring turkey survey.
| Species | Harvest | Hunters | How CPW counts it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elk | 34,512 | 178,063 | 2025 survey, summed over herd units |
| Deer | 37,337 | 81,385 | 2025 survey, summed over herd units |
| Pronghorn | 7,600 | 15,461 | 2025 survey, summed over herd units |
| Black bear | 1,471 | – | 2025 report by hunt code |
| Moose | 532 | 694 | 2025 mandatory reports |
| Rocky Mountain bighorn | 199 | 300 | 2025 mandatory reports |
| Mountain goat | 183 | 242 | 2025 mandatory reports |
| Mountain lion | 367 | – | 2025-26 by harvest-limit group |
| Wild turkey | 7,331 | 21,385 | Spring 2025 survey |
Sources: CPW elk hunting page; CPW bear statistics page; 2025 CPW elk harvest report; 2025 CPW deer harvest report; 2025 CPW moose harvest report; 2025 CPW statewide lion harvest report. Checked: brochure pages compared November 5, 2026.
2025 harvest leaders by Colorado herd unit
CPW reports 2025 deer, elk and pronghorn by data analysis unit (DAU), the herd unit it manages: 51 deer, 43 elk and 31 pronghorn units. Each herd unit covers several GMUs, linked in the last column.
| Species | Herd unit | Harvest | Hunters | Success | GMUs in the herd unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk | E-06 | 4,321 | 21,819 | 20% | 11 · 12 · 13 · 23 · 24 · 25 · +6 |
| Elk | E-02 | 2,286 | 8,846 | 26% | 3 · 4 · 5 · 14 · 214 · 301 · +1 |
| Elk | E-24 | 2,212 | 9,395 | 24% | 70 · 71 · 72 · 73 · 711 |
| Elk | E-14 | 2,086 | 11,745 | 18% | 41 · 42 · 52 · 411 · 421 · 521 |
| Elk | E-10 | 1,898 | 7,704 | 25% | 21 · 22 · 30 · 31 · 32 |
| Elk | E-31 | 1,868 | 9,649 | 19% | 75 · 77 · 78 · 751 · 771 |
| Deer | D-30 | 2,722 | 5,542 | 49% | 75 · 77 · 78 · 751 · 771 |
| Deer | D-07 | 2,363 | 4,564 | 52% | 11 · 12 · 13 · 22 · 23 · 24 · +3 |
| Deer | D-02 | 2,161 | 3,586 | 60% | 3 · 4 · 5 · 14 · 214 · 301 · +1 |
| Deer | D-24 | 1,579 | 2,927 | 54% | 70 · 71 · 711 |
| Deer | D-08 | 1,566 | 3,976 | 39% | 15 · 35 · 36 · 45 · 361 |
| Deer | D-57 | 1,559 | 2,357 | 66% | 54 · 55 · 66 · 67 · 551 |
| Pronghorn | A-08 | 1,426 | 3,023 | 47% | 110 · 111 · 118 · 119 · 123 · 124 |
| Pronghorn | A-35 | 970 | 1,473 | 66% | 104 · 105 |
| Pronghorn | A-01 | 760 | 1,423 | 53% | 87 · 88 · 89 · 90 · 94 · 95 · +1 |
| Pronghorn | A-07 | 527 | 1,159 | 45% | 128 · 129 · 133 · 134 · 135 · 140 · +3 |
| Pronghorn | A-20 | 444 | 927 | 48% | 69 · 84 · 85 · 86 · 691 · 851 · +1 |
| Pronghorn | A-06 | 433 | 1,196 | 36% | 112 · 113 · 114 · 115 |
Survey estimates with standard errors in the CPW report; success is the share of hunters who took an animal. Sources: 2025 CPW elk harvest report; 2025 CPW deer harvest report; 2025 CPW pronghorn harvest report. Checked: brochure pages compared November 5, 2026.
Which Colorado GMUs gave the most game in 2024
The most recent CPW tables by GMU are for 2024. CPW publishes no harvest by county, so each county page shows its GMU totals, labelled as such, and leaves the county figure out.
| Species | GMU | Harvest | Hunters | Success | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk | 70 | 1,275 | 3,448 | 37% | San Miguel, Montrose, Dolores |
| Elk | 62 | 1,024 | 5,669 | 18% | Montrose, Mesa, Ouray, Delta, San Miguel |
| Elk | 81 | 882 | 3,726 | 24% | Conejos, Archuleta, Alamosa, Rio Grande |
| Elk | 22 | 770 | 2,668 | 29% | Rio Blanco, Garfield |
| Elk | 12 | 755 | 2,634 | 29% | Rio Blanco, Moffat, Routt, Garfield |
| Deer | 70 | 859 | 1,249 | 69% | San Miguel, Montrose, Dolores |
| Deer | 20 | 811 | 1,994 | 41% | Larimer, Boulder, Weld |
| Deer | 75 | 617 | 1,131 | 55% | La Plata, San Juan |
| Deer | 77 | 612 | 1,356 | 45% | Archuleta, Hinsdale, Mineral |
| Deer | 62 | 599 | 1,374 | 44% | Montrose, Mesa, Ouray, Delta, San Miguel |
| Pronghorn | 105 | 670 | 1,008 | 66% | Elbert, Arapahoe |
| Pronghorn | 87 | 426 | 756 | 56% | Weld, Larimer |
| Pronghorn | 111 | 321 | 551 | 58% | Elbert, El Paso, Lincoln |
| Pronghorn | 104 | 292 | 419 | 70% | Adams, Douglas, Arapahoe, Elbert, Denver |
| Pronghorn | 110 | 286 | 695 | 41% | El Paso |
| Bear | 53 | 72 | – | – | Gunnison, Delta |
| Bear | 421 | 72 | – | – | Mesa, Garfield |
| Bear | 65 | 66 | – | – | Ouray, Montrose, Gunnison, Hinsdale |
| Bear | 70 | 58 | – | – | San Miguel, Montrose, Dolores |
| Bear | 521 | 58 | – | – | Gunnison, Delta |
All manners of take; the 2024 bear table gives harvest and days for most GMUs but leaves hunters and success blank. Sources: 2024 CPW elk harvest by GMU; 2024 CPW deer harvest by GMU; 2024 CPW pronghorn harvest by GMU; 2024 CPW bear harvest by GMU. Checked: brochure pages compared November 5, 2026.
Colorado bear, moose and lion numbers
These species pass through a CPW check or a mandatory report, so the counts are tallies rather than survey estimates: 1,471 bears, 532 moose, 199 bighorn sheep, 183 mountain goats and 367 lions.
Sex of the 2025 checked harvest
| Species | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black bear | 900 | 571 | 1,471 |
| Moose | 277 | 255 | 532 |
| Bighorn sheep | 151 | 48 | 199 |
| Mountain goat | 98 | 85 | 183 |
| Mountain lion | 242 | 125 | 367 |
Lion groups with the most harvest, 2025-26
Lion groups changed for 2026-27, so the groups above are the 2025-26 ones. Sources: 2025 CPW bear harvest report; 2025 CPW moose harvest report; 2025 CPW bighorn sheep harvest report; 2025 CPW mountain goat harvest report; 2025 CPW statewide lion harvest report. Checked: brochure pages compared November 5, 2026.
Herd numbers and spring turkey in Colorado
Adding up the 2025 post-hunt estimates CPW gives for each herd unit comes to about 339,370 elk, 407,530 deer and 70,110 pronghorn. Spring turkey hunters took 7,331 birds in 2025, up from 5,903 in 2024, and most came on over-the-counter licenses.
Post-hunt population, 2025
Spring turkey
| Season | Hunters | OTC harvest | Limited harvest | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2025 | 21,385 | 6,746 | 585 | 7,331 |
| Spring 2024 | 19,259 | 5,335 | 568 | 5,903 |
Population totals are the sum of the CPW herd-unit estimates on this page, not a statewide figure CPW prints. No fall turkey harvest report was found. Sources: 2025 CPW elk population estimates; 2025 CPW deer population estimates; 2025 CPW pronghorn population estimates; 2025 CPW spring turkey report; 2024 CPW spring turkey report. Checked: brochure pages compared November 5, 2026.
Small game numbers from the 2023-24 survey
Coyotes topped the 2023-24 survey at about 25,522, ahead of dusky grouse and pheasants, and Walk-In Access properties drew 9,324 hunters over 55,112 days.
| Species or program | Hunters | Days afield | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coyote | 6,651 | 104,356 | 25,522 |
| Dusky Grouse | 7,160 | 32,655 | 19,458 |
| Pheasant | 8,033 | 32,434 | 15,897 |
| Cottontail | 4,525 | 26,291 | 13,419 |
| WIA | 9,324 | 55,112 | – |
The 2023-24 report is the latest small game survey posted; it replaced county estimates with CPW region estimates. Sources: 2023-24 CPW small game harvest report. Checked: brochure pages compared November 5, 2026.
Top ten elk GMUs, charted
Colorado records and harvest questions
How many elk were taken in Colorado in 2025?
About 34,512 by the CPW survey, from 178,063 elk hunters across 43 herd units.
Does Colorado have a state record book for big game?
No CPW big game records program was found on the CPW site (the "Awards and Records" page covers fishing only).
Which GMU gave up the most elk in 2024?
GMU 70, with 1,275 elk by the 2024 CPW table.
What was the 2025 Colorado deer harvest?
About 37,337, from 81,385 hunters, by the CPW survey estimate.
Is there harvest data for my county?
CPW publishes no county harvest tables for big game or turkey; the 2023-24 small game report states county estimates were replaced by region estimates. Use GMU tables with the GMU->county overlay.
Which GMU led for deer in 2024?
GMU 70, with 859 deer in the 2024 table.
How many moose are taken in Colorado each year?
532 in 2025 by mandatory reports from 694 hunters.
How many mountain lions were taken in 2025-26?
367, 242 males and 125 females, across 20 harvest-limit groups.
What does CPW learn from bear and lion checks?
CPW collects tooth-age data from bear and lion inspections (cementum age reports).
How many turkeys do Colorado hunters take in spring?
7,331 in spring 2025 from about 21,385 hunters; 6,746 came on OTC licenses.
The official Colorado wording
A carcass tag is signed, dated and attached as soon as the animal is down, and evidence of sex stays naturally attached until the meat reaches the processor or the freezer.
Other photos on this page: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain); U.S. Department of Agriculture (Public Domain Mark 1.0); ShenandoahNPS (Public domain); Bob Denaro (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain).