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Colorado › Hunting seasons › GMUs › GMU 21

CPW Northwest Region GMU

Hunting seasons and hunt codes in GMU 21

A unit in the mountains of 890 square miles in Rio Blanco County and Garfield County; 27 brochure hunt codes list it as valid.

License listSuccess ratesHunting gear
890Square miles
27Hunt codes
324Elk taken 2024
2Counties

Photo: Jeffrey Beall (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Where GMU 21 lies

GMU 21 is a unit in the mountains of 890 square miles (569,334 acres) in the CPW Northwest Region. Most of it lies in Rio Blanco County, which holds 90% of the unit.

Unit boundaries follow roads, ridges and rivers rather than county lines, so GMU 21 takes pieces of 2 counties.

CountySq mi in GMUShare of GMUShare of county
Rio Blanco County796.090%25%
Garfield County91.010%3%

GMU 21 belongs to these herd units: D-11 (Deer), E-10 (Elk), A-21 (Pronghorn), B-1 (Bear) and L-NW (Lion). No moose DAU is assigned to GMU 21.

890Square miles
569,334Acres
D-11Deer DAU
E-10Elk DAU
A-21Pronghorn DAU
B-1Bear 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 21 restrictions and status

YesElk APR
SelectedElk CWD test
1Lion group
85Lion limit
Limited onlySpring turkey
ClosedFall turkey
NoLynx area
MountainTerrain
4OTC elk rows
  • The antler point rule covers GMU 21, including Ranching for Wildlife ranches inside it.
  • GMU 21 is on the 2026 mandatory elk CWD list (selected rifle codes only, free).
  • Mountain lion: GMU 21 is in harvest-limit group 1 (GMU 1, GMU 2, GMU 3, GMU 10, GMU 11, GMU 21, GMU 22 and GMU 30 and more), limit 85 lions.
  • For GMU 21 turkey hunters, spring turkey is by limited license only, while fall turkey is closed.
  • Unlimited elk licenses cover GMU 21 for archery cow, archery either sex, 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.

GMU 21 windows by species

CPW groups its hunt codes into season rows; 28 rows include GMU 21 (16 elk, 4 deer, 6 black bear, 1 mountain lion and 1 wild turkey).

SpeciesSeasonDatesLicenseCodes statewide
Elk
Archery cow
limited
nonresident only
Sep 2–30Limited10
Elk
Archery cow
OTC residents
Sep 2–30OTC—
Elk
Archery either sex
limited
nonresident only
Sep 2–30Limited24
Elk
Archery either sex
private land only
Sep 2–30Private only13
Elk
Archery either sex
OTC residents
Sep 2–30OTC—
Elk
Muzzleloader cow
limited
Sep 12–20Limited69
Elk
Muzzleloader either sex
limited
Sep 12–20Limited19
Elk
Rifle cow
limited
Oct 14–18Limited48
Elk
Rifle either sex
limited
Oct 14–18Limited16
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 cow
limited
Nov 18–22Limited90
Elk
Rifle either sex
limited
Nov 18–22Limited26
Deer
Archery buck
limited
Sep 2–30Limited33
Deer
Muzzleloader buck
limited
Sep 12–20Limited62
Deer
Rifle buck
limited
Oct 24–Nov 1Limited71
Deer
Rifle buck
limited
Nov 7–15Limited71
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
Muzzleloader either sex
limited
Sep 12–20Limited35
Black bear
Muzzleloader either sex
OTC
Sep 12–20OTC15
Black bear
Rifle either sex
OTC
Oct 14–Nov 22OTC12
Mountain lion
Lion season
Nov 23–Mar 31Limited—
Wild turkey
Spring (2026)
limited
Apr 11–May 31Limited—

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.

Hunt codes valid in GMU 21

27 hunt codes list GMU 21 as a valid unit (16 elk, 4 deer, 6 black bear and 1 wild turkey); each reads species, sex, unit, season and method.

1 codes here took six or more points to draw; 2 require landowner access and 0 are RFW.

Elk archery, 5

Hunt codeSexTypeDatesList2025 / note
E-E-000-U1-AEither sexOTC
Sep 2–30
A
1,076 of 9,541
E-E-021-P1-AEither sexPrivate land only
Sep 2–30
A
16 of 53
E-E-021-V1-AEither sexNonresident only
Sep 2–30
A
158 of 800
E-F-000-U1-ACowOTC
Sep 2–30
B
50 of 872
E-F-021-V1-ACowNonresident only
Sep 2–30
B
0 of 2

Elk muzzleloader, 2

Hunt codeSexTypeDatesList2025 / note
E-E-021-O1-MEither sexLimited
Sep 12–20
A
47 of 150
E-F-021-O1-MCowLimited
Sep 12–20
B
3 of 121

Elk rifle, 9

Hunt codeSexTypeDatesList2025 / note
E-E-021-O1-REither sexLimited
Oct 14–18
A—
E-E-021-P1-REither sexPrivate land only
Oct 14–18
A
68 of 112
E-F-021-O1-RCowLimited
Oct 14–18
B
22 of 69
E-F-021-O2-RCowLimited
Oct 24–Nov 1
B
45 of 182
E-M-000-U2-RBullOTC
Oct 24–Nov 1
A
4,558 of 23,668
E-F-021-O3-RCowLimited
Nov 7–15
B
16 of 81
E-M-000-U3-RBullOTC
Nov 7–15
A
2,096 of 17,371
E-E-021-O4-REither sexLimited
Nov 18–22
A—
E-F-021-O4-RCowLimited
Nov 18–22
B
27 of 94

Deer archery, 1

Hunt codeSexTypeDatesList2025 / note
D-M-021-O1-ABuckLimited
Sep 2–30
A
23 of 56

Deer muzzleloader, 1

Hunt codeSexTypeDatesList2025 / note
D-M-021-O1-MBuckLimited
Sep 12–20
A
11 of 22

Deer rifle, 2

Hunt codeSexTypeDatesList2025 / note
D-M-021-O2-RBuckLimited
Oct 24–Nov 1
A
244 of 288
D-M-021-O3-RBuckLimited
Nov 7–15
A
6+ pts
86 of 96

Black bear archery, 2

Hunt codeSexTypeDatesList2025 / note
B-E-021-O1-AEither sexLimited
Sep 2–30
B
3 taken
B-E-021-U1-AEither sexOTC
Sep 2–30
B
4 taken

Black bear muzzleloader, 2

Hunt codeSexTypeDatesList2025 / note
B-E-021-O1-MEither sexLimited
Sep 12–20
B
0 taken
B-E-021-U1-MEither sexOTC
Sep 12–20
B
0 taken

Black bear rifle, 2

Hunt codeSexTypeDatesList2025 / note
B-E-021-O1-REither sexLimited
Sep 2–30
B
34 taken
B-E-021-U5-REither sexOTC
Oct 14–18
Oct 24–Nov 1
Nov 7–15
Nov 18–22
B
5 taken

Wild turkey rifle, 1

Hunt codeSexTypeDatesList2025 / note
T-M-021-O1-RBeardedLimited
Apr 11–May 31
—
25 lic.

Where a 2025 estimate exists it shows harvest of hunters for the code across all its units.

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.

Harvest results for GMU 21

GMU 21 gave up 324 elk in 2024, with success at 16%.

For deer the 2024 figure is 333 from 420 hunters (79%).

Bears: 5 (2 boars, 3 sows).

The DAU holding GMU 21 counted 17,890 elk after hunting season 2025.

In 2025 the 12 elk codes carrying unit number 21 accounted for 613 elk.

Lion harvest in the 2025-26 group for GMU 21: 15 males and 14 females.

GMU 21 harvest, 2024, all methods0100200300400Deer: 333333DeerElk: 324324ElkBear: 55Bear
SpeciesTakeMale/female/youngHuntersSuccessDays
Deer333333/0/042079%2,078
Elk324249/64/101,99216%10,287
Black bear52/3——12

Herd totals, 2025

AnimalHerd unitTakeHuntersSuccessEstimateBucks/bulls per 100
DeerD-1152971874%7,97042
ElkE-101,8987,70425%17,89034
PronghornA-211010100%12082

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.

Open ground to hunt inside GMU 21

Our land records place 3 public areas in or across GMU 21 (1 SWAs, 0 trust parcels).

Trust land is usually open September 1 to the end of February, but the parcel page wins if it says otherwise.

BLM offices, 2

State wildlife areas, 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.

Around GMU 21: towns and GMUs

1 towns with hunting pages are in or near GMU 21.

Units that share a county with GMU 21, closest first. Compare their 2024 elk and deer harvest before you apply.

UnitCounties sharedSizeElk takenDeer takenHunt codes
GMU 22
Rio Blanco
Garfield
98977029334
GMU 10
Rio Blanco
8321585823
GMU 11
Rio Blanco
61062328855
GMU 211
Rio Blanco
43146018351
GMU 23
Rio Blanco
Garfield
42442315058
GMU 24
Rio Blanco
Garfield
4392655149
GMU 12
Rio Blanco
Garfield
49375514758
GMU 32
Garfield
30116511132

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 21 legal shooting light

Big game light near GMU 21 starts 30 minutes before sunrise and ends 30 minutes after sunset; turkeys, small game and ducks end at sunset.

DateOpenerSunriseSunsetElk windowDuck window
Aug 15, 2026Pronghorn archery opens6:24 a.m.8:12 p.m.5:54 a.m. to 8:42 p.m.5:54 a.m. to 8:12 p.m.
Sep 2, 2026Archery opener6:41 a.m.7:45 p.m.6:11 a.m. to 8:15 p.m.6:11 a.m. to 7:45 p.m.
Sep 12, 2026Muzzleloader opens6:50 a.m.7:29 p.m.6:20 a.m. to 7:59 p.m.6:20 a.m. to 7:29 p.m.
Oct 3, 2026Duck season opens7:10 a.m.6:54 p.m.6:40 a.m. to 7:24 p.m.6:40 a.m. to 6:54 p.m.
Oct 24, 2026Second rifle opens7:32 a.m.6:22 p.m.7:02 a.m. to 6:52 p.m.7:02 a.m. to 6:22 p.m.
Nov 23, 2026Lion season opens7:07 a.m.4:53 p.m.6:37 a.m. to 5:23 p.m.6:37 a.m. to 4:53 p.m.
Dec 21, 2026Shortest day7:31 a.m.4:51 p.m.7:01 a.m. to 5:21 p.m.7:01 a.m. to 4:51 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.

Keep looking around GMU 21

Nearby GMUs and some broader guides.

GMU 22

APR, lion 1

GMU 10

No APR, lion 1

GMU 11

APR, lion 1

GMU 211

APR, lion 1

All GMUsOTC licensesLion groups
Stone gateway of Milk Creek Battlefield Park below dry hills northeast of Meeker, Rio Blanco County
Stone gateway of Milk Creek Battlefield Park below dry hills northeast of Meeker, Rio Blanco CountyPhoto: Jeffrey Beall (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)
Snowy peaks of the Rocky Mountains beyond pines and a valley in central Colorado
Snowy peaks of the Rocky Mountains beyond pines and a valley in central ColoradoPhoto: U.S. Department of Agriculture (Public Domain Mark 1.0)

GMU 21 in brief

What hunt codes include GMU 21?

16 elk, 4 deer, 6 black bear and 1 wild turkey, 27 in total, listed in the table above.

Which county holds most of GMU 21?

Rio Blanco County, with 90% of the 890 square miles.

Does GMU 21 require CWD samples?

Selected rifle elk codes in GMU 21 must submit a head.

What is the elk antler rule in GMU 21?

APR: 4+ points on one antler or a brow tine of 5 inches.

What is the turkey status of GMU 21?

Spring: limited licenses only; fall: closed. Spring 2027 dates are not out yet.

Which lion group is GMU 21 in?

Group 1, shared by 13 GMUs, limit 85.

What public hunting ground is in GMU 21?

3 records: 1 SWAs, 0 STLs, 2 other.

How crowded is GMU 21 for elk?

1,992 hunters logged 10,287 days in 2024.

Where do I buy supplies near GMU 21?

Rangely.

Which elk herd covers GMU 21?

E-10, estimated at 17,890 elk after 2025.

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