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Colorado › Hunting seasons › GMUs › GMU 24

Hunt unit in Rio Blanco County

GMU 24 hunt codes, dates and success

Every license that is good in this 439-square-mile unit, where it sits in Rio Blanco County and Garfield County, and how hunters did here in 2024.

Every codeTake and successHunting gear
439Square miles
49Hunt codes
265Elk taken 2024
2Counties

Photo: Jeffrey Beall (CC BY-SA 2.0)

GMU 24 on the map of counties

The CPW Northwest Region looks after GMU 24, 439 square miles of mountain country. The biggest share, 60%, sits inside Rio Blanco County.

2 counties share this unit, led by Rio Blanco County with 263 square miles.

In countyArea (sq mi)% of GMU% of county
Rio Blanco County263.260%8%
Garfield County175.240%6%

For population work CPW lumps GMU 24 into D-7, E-6, M-6, B-10 and L-NW (deer, elk, moose, bear and lion). The pronghorn DAU field is blank for GMU 24.

439Square miles
280,974Acres
D-7Deer DAU
E-6Elk DAU
M-6Moose DAU
B-10Bear 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.

Unit rules for GMU 24

YesElk APR
SelectedElk CWD test
2Lion group
75Lion limit
OTCSpring turkey
OTCFall turkey
NoLynx area
MountainTerrain
2OTC elk rows
  • Elk hunters here follow the 4-point rule: four points on one side, or a brow tine 5 inches long or longer.
  • If your rifle elk code is shaded in the brochure, the head from GMU 24 goes to CPW for free chronic wasting disease testing.
  • Lion hunters in GMU 24 share a cap of 75 with the rest of group 2.
  • The turkey brochure lists GMU 24 this way: spring turkey is OTC, and fall turkey is OTC.
  • GMU 24 is on 2 OTC elk lists, so no draw is needed for those.

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 24 openers and closers

Here are the 43 CPW season groupings that list GMU 24 among their valid units (17 elk, 12 deer, 4 moose, 7 black bear, 1 mountain lion and 2 wild turkey).

AnimalSeasonWhenLicenseCode count
Elk
Archery either sex
limited
Sep 2–30Limited40
Elk
Archery either sex
private land only
Sep 2–30Private only13
Elk
Muzzleloader cow
limited
Sep 12–20Limited69
Elk
Muzzleloader cow
private land only
Sep 12–20Private only2
Elk
Muzzleloader either sex
limited
Sep 12–20Limited19
Elk
Muzzleloader either sex
private land only
Sep 12–20Private only2
Elk
Rifle cow
private land only
Oct 1–Nov 30Private only1
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 cow
private land only
Dec 1–31Private only4
Deer
Archery either sex
limited
Sep 2–30Limited29
Deer
Rifle buck
limited
early season
Sep 5–13Limited4
Deer
Muzzleloader buck
limited
Sep 12–20Limited62
Deer
Muzzleloader doe
limited
Sep 12–20Limited34
Deer
Rifle buck
limited
Oct 24–Nov 1Limited71
Deer
Rifle doe
limited
Oct 24–Nov 1Limited34
Deer
Rifle either sex
private land only
Oct 24–Nov 1Private only11
Deer
Rifle buck
limited
Nov 7–15Limited71
Deer
Rifle doe
limited
Nov 7–15Limited35
Deer
Rifle either sex
private land only
Nov 7–15Private only11
Deer
Rifle buck
limited
Nov 18–22Limited59
Deer
Rifle either sex
private land only
Nov 18–22Private only5
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
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.

GMU 24 license codes and dates

Codes that name GMU 24, grouped by species and weapon: 20 elk, 18 deer, 4 moose and 7 black bear, 49 in all.

Of these, 5 are OTC, 10 private-land-only and 0 RFW; 1 carried the 6+ point marker.

Elk archery, 3

Hunt codeSexLicenseSeasonList2025 result
E-E-011-P1-AEither sexPrivate land only
Sep 2–30
A
206 of 638
E-E-012-O1-AEither sexLimited
Sep 2–30
A
137 of 548
E-E-033-O1-AEither sexLimited
Sep 2–30
A
148 of 800

Elk muzzleloader, 6

Hunt codeSexLicenseSeasonList2025 result
E-E-012-O1-MEither sexLimited
Sep 12–20
A
35 of 93
E-E-012-P1-MEither sexPrivate land only
Sep 12–20
A
20 of 44
E-E-033-O1-MEither sexLimited
Sep 12–20
A
26 of 91
E-F-012-O1-MCowLimited
Sep 12–20
A
8 of 99
E-F-012-P1-MCowPrivate land only
Sep 12–20
B
4 of 35
E-F-033-O1-MCowLimited
Sep 12–20
A
19 of 100

Elk rifle, 11

Hunt codeSexLicenseSeasonList2025 result
E-F-011-P5-RCowPrivate land only
Oct 1–Nov 30
B
189 of 454
E-E-011-P1-REither sexPrivate land only
Oct 14–18
A
351 of 609
E-F-011-O1-RCowLimited
Oct 14–18
A
74 of 736
E-M-011-O1-RBullLimited
Oct 14–18
A
701 of 2,974
E-F-012-O2-RCowLimited
Oct 24–Nov 1
A
99 of 746
E-M-000-U2-RBullOTC
Oct 24–Nov 1
A
4,558 of 23,668
E-F-012-O3-RCowLimited
Nov 7–15
A
40 of 520
E-M-000-U3-RBullOTC
Nov 7–15
A
2,096 of 17,371
E-F-011-O4-RCowLimited
Nov 18–22
A
80 of 735
E-M-012-O4-RBullLimited
Nov 18–22
A
67 of 321
E-F-023-P5-RCowPrivate land only
Dec 1–31
B
20 of 35

Deer archery, 3

Hunt codeSexLicenseSeasonList2025 result
D-E-011-O1-AEither sexLimited
Sep 2–30
A
43 of 204
D-E-012-O1-AEither sexLimited
Sep 2–30
A
11 of 96
D-E-023-O1-AEither sexLimited
Sep 2–30
A
12 of 118

Deer muzzleloader, 6

Hunt codeSexLicenseSeasonList2025 result
D-F-011-O1-MDoeLimited
Sep 12–20
A
8 of 8
D-F-012-O1-MDoeLimited
Sep 12–20
A
4 of 5
D-F-023-O1-MDoeLimited
Sep 12–20
A
3 of 9
D-M-011-O1-MBuckLimited
Sep 12–20
A
57 of 113
D-M-012-O1-MBuckLimited
Sep 12–20
A
6 of 43
D-M-023-O1-MBuckLimited
Sep 12–20
A
14 of 70

Deer rifle, 9

Hunt codeSexLicenseSeasonList2025 result
D-M-012-E1-RBuckLimited, early
Sep 5–13
A
6+ pts
4 of 10
D-E-011-P2-REither sexPrivate land only
Oct 24–Nov 1
A
206 of 317
D-F-012-O2-RDoeLimited
Oct 24–Nov 1
A
5 of 9
D-M-012-O2-RBuckLimited
Oct 24–Nov 1
A
296 of 694
D-E-011-P3-REither sexPrivate land only
Nov 7–15
A
314 of 446
D-F-012-O3-RDoeLimited
Nov 7–15
A
3 of 8
D-M-012-O3-RBuckLimited
Nov 7–15
A
238 of 568
D-E-012-P4-REither sexPrivate land only
Nov 18–22
A
46 of 84
D-M-012-O4-RBuckLimited
Nov 18–22
A
27 of 44

Moose archery, 1

Hunt codeSexLicenseSeasonList2025 result
M-F-012-O1-ACowLimited
Sep 12–30
A
1 of 2

Moose muzzleloader, 1

Hunt codeSexLicenseSeasonList2025 result
M-F-012-O1-MCowLimited
Sep 12–20
A
1 of 2

Moose rifle, 2

Hunt codeSexLicenseSeasonList2025 result
M-F-012-O1-RCowLimited
Oct 1–14
A
6 of 10
M-F-012-L1-RCowLimited, late
Oct 14–18
Oct 24–Nov 1
Nov 7–15
Nov 18–22
A
2 of 5

Black bear archery, 2

Hunt codeSexLicenseSeasonList2025 result
B-E-012-O1-AEither sexLimited
Sep 2–30
B
7 taken
B-E-012-U1-AEither sexOTC
Sep 2–30
B
6 taken

Black bear muzzleloader, 2

Hunt codeSexLicenseSeasonList2025 result
B-E-012-O1-MEither sexLimited
Sep 12–20
B
1 taken
B-E-012-U1-MEither sexOTC
Sep 12–20
B
1 taken

Black bear rifle, 3

Hunt codeSexLicenseSeasonList2025 result
B-E-012-O1-REither sexLimited
Sep 2–30
B
50 taken
B-E-012-P5-REither sexPrivate land only
Oct 1–Nov 22
B
4 taken
B-E-012-U5-REither sexOTC
Oct 14–18
Oct 24–Nov 1
Nov 7–15
Nov 18–22
B
10 taken

Read the 2025 column as a rough guide to success on that license, unit lines aside.

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.

How hunters did in GMU 24

The 2024 elk estimate for GMU 24 is 265 animals from 1,879 hunters, a 14% success rate over 9,019 hunter days.

The deer take was 51: 42 bucks, 10 does and 0 fawns.

CPW counts 11 bears from GMU 24 in 2024.

The elk herd for units 11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 25, 26, 33, 34, 131, 211, 231 was estimated at 42,470 after the 2025 hunts.

Lion hunters took 29 lions (20 males, 9 females) in the 2025-26 group that held GMU 24.

GMU 24: what hunters took in 2024075150225300mule/whitetail: 5151mule/whitetailelk: 265265elkblack bear: 1111black bear
GameTakenBy sex and ageHuntersSuccessDays
Deer5142/10/030917%1,590
Elk265231/34/01,87914%9,019
Black bear117/4——34

Whole-herd numbers, 2025

SpeciesDAUHarvestHuntersSuccessPost-hunt pop.Males per 100
DeerD-072,3634,56452%31,17033
ElkE-064,32121,81920%42,47019

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.

Public ground across GMU 24

7 public land records on this site list GMU 24: 0 state wildlife areas and 0 state trust land parcels among them.

Some land records cover many GMUs at once; their pages give the local access notes.

Ranger districts, 4

National forests, 2

BLM offices, 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.

GMU 24 towns and neighbouring units

GMU 24 has no listed town within 10 miles.

Next-door units, ranked by distance from the middle of GMU 24, with code counts and 2024 harvest.

GMUCountiesSquare milesElk (2024)Deer (2024)Codes
GMU 23
Rio Blanco
Garfield
42442315058
GMU 34
Garfield
19310217337
GMU 33
Garfield
Rio Blanco
41631142938
GMU 25
Garfield
23222741545
GMU 42
Garfield
60665945336
GMU 12
Rio Blanco
Garfield
49375514758
GMU 26
Garfield
24014235347
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.

Legal light in GMU 24

The CPW brochures print Denver sunrise and sunset tables with town offsets; the times for GMU 24 here are worked out with the NOAA solar formula for its own location.

DayMarkerSun upSun downElk and deerTurkey and ducks
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 day one6:41 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.

The light goose conservation order runs to half an hour after sunset.

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.

Other units by GMU 24

Four neighbours by distance and three Colorado-wide pages.

GMU 23

Elk 2024: 423

GMU 34

Elk 2024: 102

GMU 33

Elk 2024: 311

GMU 25

Elk 2024: 227

All GMUsLion groupsRio Blanco County
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)
Snow-covered Rocky Mountain peaks rising above a line of pines in Colorado
Snow-covered Rocky Mountain peaks rising above a line of pines in ColoradoPhoto: Bob Denaro (CC BY 2.0)

Questions on GMU 24

What are the CWD rules for GMU 24?

Mandatory for some rifle elk codes, voluntary for everything else.

Is GMU 24 open to lion hunting?

Yes, in harvest-limit group 2.

What turkey licenses work in GMU 24?

0 limited turkey codes include GMU 24; beyond those, spring turkey is OTC and fall turkey is OTC.

Is GMU 24 good for elk?

In 2024, 1,879 hunters took 265, 14% success.

How many SWAs are in GMU 24?

0 state wildlife areas list GMU 24.

What herd unit includes GMU 24?

D-7, E-6, M-6, B-10 and L-NW. The 2025 post-hunt estimate for units 11, 12, 13, 23, 24, 25, 26, 33, 34, 131, 211, 231 is 42,470.

Where can I stay near GMU 24?

No listed town within 10 miles.

Does GMU 24 reach into Rio Blanco County?

Mostly Rio Blanco County (263 sq mi), plus Garfield.

How many GMU 24 codes are limited?

44 of 49; 10 of those are private-land-only.

Does GMU 24 have antler point restrictions?

Yes. Bulls need 4 points on one side or a 5-inch brow tine.

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