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Colorado › Hunting seasons › GMUs › GMU 52

2026-27 seasons by unit

Colorado GMU 52: seasons, codes and harvest

Delta County hold all of its 265 square miles. Seasons, codes, 2024 harvest and the public land inside, unit by unit.

See the codesHunter numbersHunting gear
265Square miles
36Hunt codes
252Elk taken 2024
1Counties

Photo: Jeffrey Beall (CC BY-SA 2.0)

GMU 52 by county

Colorado Parks and Wildlife draws GMU 52 at 169,361 acres, about 265 square miles. Delta County carries the largest piece, 100%, and the unit falls in the CPW Southwest Region.

All 265 square miles fall in a single county, Delta County.

CountySquare milesOf the unitOf the county
Delta County264.2100%23%

CPW manages herds by data analysis unit (DAU). GMU 52 sits in D-51 for deer, E-14 for elk, A-27 for pronghorn, M-5 for moose, B-17 for bear and L-SW for lion.

265Square miles
169,361Acres
D-51Deer DAU
E-14Elk DAU
A-27Pronghorn DAU
M-5Moose DAU
B-17Bear DAU
L-SWLion 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.

What applies in GMU 52

YesElk APR
SelectedElk CWD test
9Lion group
31Lion limit
OTCSpring turkey
OTCFall turkey
NoLynx area
MountainTerrain
2OTC elk rows
  • Antler point restriction: bulls taken in GMU 52 need 4 points on one antler or a brow tine of 5 inches or more, in every season.
  • Mandatory CWD testing: some rifle elk hunt codes valid in GMU 52 require a free head submission in 2026.
  • Lions here count toward group 9, which closes once 31 are taken across its 5 units.
  • Turkey status here: spring turkey is OTC; fall turkey is OTC.
  • OTC elk: 2 over-the-counter elk rows include GMU 52 (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 52 season calendar

39 season rows name GMU 52: 15 elk, 9 deer, 4 moose, 8 black bear, 1 mountain lion and 2 wild turkey. The code count is for the whole row across Colorado.

GameHuntOpenKindCodes in row
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
Elk
Rifle cow
private land only
Dec 1–Jan 31Private only5
Deer
Rifle either sex
private land only
Aug 15–25Private only3
Deer
Rifle doe
private land only
Sep 1–Oct 31Private only5
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
private land only
Oct 24–Nov 1Private only17
Deer
Rifle buck
limited
Nov 7–15Limited71
Deer
Rifle buck
private land only
Nov 7–15Private only17
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.

GMU 52 hunt codes by species

The brochure tables carry 36 codes good in GMU 52 (15 elk, 9 deer, 4 moose and 8 black bear). Some were drawn for a neighbouring unit and simply include this one.

Draw pressure varies: 0 of the 36 codes are marked 6+ points, 10 are private-land-only.

Elk archery, 2

CodeAnimalLicenseDaysList2025 take
E-E-052-O1-AEither sexLimited
Sep 2–30
A
37 of 325
E-E-052-P1-AEither sexPrivate land only
Sep 2–30
A
15 of 64

Elk muzzleloader, 2

CodeAnimalLicenseDaysList2025 take
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

CodeAnimalLicenseDaysList2025 take
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-052-O2-RCowLimited
Oct 24–Nov 1
B
35 of 182
E-M-000-U2-RBullOTC
Oct 24–Nov 1
A
4,558 of 23,668
E-F-052-O3-RCowLimited
Nov 7–15
B
16 of 97
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-052-O4-RCowLimited
Nov 18–22
B
2 of 23
E-M-041-O4-RBullLimited
Nov 18–22
A
31 of 250
E-F-052-P5-RCowPrivate land only
Dec 1–Jan 31
B
23 of 58

Deer archery, 1

CodeAnimalLicenseDaysList2025 take
D-M-052-O1-ABuckLimited
Sep 2–30
A
35 of 165

Deer muzzleloader, 1

CodeAnimalLicenseDaysList2025 take
D-M-052-O1-MBuckLimited
Sep 12–20
A
26 of 124

Deer rifle, 7

CodeAnimalLicenseDaysList2025 take
D-E-052-P6-REither sexPrivate land only
Aug 15–25
A
42 of 86
D-F-052-P5-RDoePrivate land only
Sep 1–Oct 31
B
173 of 227
D-M-052-O2-RBuckLimited
Oct 24–Nov 1
A
258 of 603
D-M-052-P2-RBuckPrivate land only
Oct 24–Nov 1
A
53 of 210
D-M-052-O3-RBuckLimited
Nov 7–15
A
147 of 317
D-M-052-P3-RBuckPrivate land only
Nov 7–15
A
107 of 228
D-M-052-O4-RBuckLimited
Nov 18–22
A
17 of 46

Moose archery, 1

CodeAnimalLicenseDaysList2025 take
M-F-052-O1-ACowLimited
Sep 12–30
A
0 of 1

Moose muzzleloader, 1

CodeAnimalLicenseDaysList2025 take
M-F-052-O1-MCowLimited
Sep 12–20
A
0 taken

Moose rifle, 2

CodeAnimalLicenseDaysList2025 take
M-F-052-O1-RCowLimited
Oct 1–14
A
0 of 3
M-F-052-L1-RCowLimited, late
Oct 14–18
Oct 24–Nov 1
Nov 7–15
Nov 18–22
A
3 of 4

Black bear archery, 2

CodeAnimalLicenseDaysList2025 take
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

CodeAnimalLicenseDaysList2025 take
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

CodeAnimalLicenseDaysList2025 take
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

Code harvest for 2025 is shown as taken of hunters; bear rows show bears taken.

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 52 success rates

Elk: 252 taken by 1,423 hunters in GMU 52 during 2024 (18%).

1,007 deer hunters in the unit took 549 deer, 55% of them filling a tag.

11 black bears were taken in GMU 52.

14,840 elk is the 2025 post-hunt figure for the herd made of GMUs 41, 411, 42, 421, 52, 521.

The 2025 elk hunt codes with 52 in the code took 128 over 4,933 days.

Last lion season the group containing GMU 52 reached 14.

2024 take in GMU 52 by species0175350525700deer: 549549deerelk: 252252elkbear: 1111bear
GameHarvestMake-upHuntersSuccessRec. days
Deer549389/159/21,00755%4,435
Elk252147/96/81,42318%7,826
Black bear116/5——70

Herd unit figures, 2025

SpeciesDAUHarvestHuntersSuccessPost-huntSex ratio
DeerD-519332,21942%9,25034
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 52 SWAs, trust land and forests

Across GMU 52 there are 3 public land listings, from 0 state wildlife areas to 0 state trust parcels.

National forest and BLM pieces follow federal rules; state parcels need a license or SWA pass for anyone 16 or over.

BLM offices, 1

National forests, 1

Ranger districts, 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.

Close to GMU 52

Base camps: Delta and Paonia.

These GMUs share at least one county with GMU 52; the nearest are listed first with their 2024 take.

GMUCommon countiesSq miElk harvestDeer harvestCodes
GMU 411
Delta
23013319635
GMU 53
Delta
39632628030
GMU 521
Delta
50840721333
GMU 63
Delta
36929225733
GMU 64
Delta
26918914943
GMU 62
Delta
1,3781,02459941

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.

When hunting light starts in GMU 52

In GMU 52, the light goose conservation order and furbearer hunting both run to half an hour after sunset.

DayMomentFirst sunLast sunRifle hoursShotgun hours
Sep 2, 2026Elk/deer archery6:40 a.m.7:43 p.m.6:10 a.m. to 8:13 p.m.6:10 a.m. to 7:43 p.m.
Sep 12, 2026Muzzleloader opens6:49 a.m.7:27 p.m.6:19 a.m. to 7:57 p.m.6:19 a.m. to 7:27 p.m.
Oct 3, 2026Duck season opens7:08 a.m.6:53 p.m.6:38 a.m. to 7:23 p.m.6:38 a.m. to 6:53 p.m.
Oct 24, 2026Second rifle opens7:29 a.m.6:22 p.m.6:59 a.m. to 6:52 p.m.6:59 a.m. to 6:22 p.m.
Nov 23, 2026Lion season opens7:02 a.m.4:54 p.m.6:32 a.m. to 5:24 p.m.6:32 a.m. to 4:54 p.m.
Dec 21, 2026Shortest day7:26 a.m.4:53 p.m.6:56 a.m. to 5:23 p.m.6:56 a.m. to 4:53 p.m.

Turkey hours end at 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.

GMU pages near unit 52

The four closest GMU pages, then statewide guides.

GMU 411

230 sq mi

GMU 421

541 sq mi

GMU 53

396 sq mi

GMU 521

508 sq mi

All GMUsAntler point GMUsTurkey units
Snow-covered West Elk Mountains above sagebrush near Crawford, Delta County
Snow-covered West Elk Mountains above sagebrush near Crawford, Delta CountyPhoto: USFWS Mountain-Prairie (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Farm irrigation sprinkler watering a green field below the mountains near Crawford, Delta County
Farm irrigation sprinkler watering a green field below the mountains near Crawford, Delta CountyPhoto: Tony Webster (CC BY 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 52 questions

Which species have hunt codes in GMU 52?

Elk, deer, moose and black bear, across 36 codes.

Is there a 4-point rule in GMU 52?

Yes, in all seasons, on public and private land.

Is GMU 52 a CWD testing unit?

Yes, GMU 52 is one of 64 units on the 2026 list.

Can I hunt lions in GMU 52?

Yes, November 23, 2026 to March 31, 2027, until group 9 reaches 31.

Can I buy an OTC turkey license for GMU 52?

Spring: OTC. Fall: OTC.

How many elk were taken in GMU 52?

252 in 2024, 18% success.

Where can I hunt public land in GMU 52?

The biggest are BLM Uncompahgre Field Office and Grand Valley Ranger District (Grand Mesa National Forest, Uncompahgre National Forest).

What population estimate covers GMU 52?

14,840 (2025 post-hunt, units 41, 411, 42, 421, 52, 521).

Which towns sit in GMU 52?

None, but Delta and Paonia are near.

Which counties does GMU 52 cross?

GMU 52 covers 265 square miles in Delta; Delta County has 100% of it.

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