Colorado › Hunting seasons › GMUs › GMU 7
Northeast Region · 2026-27
Elk, deer and bear seasons for GMU 7
Unit lines run through Larimer County; this page gathers its 38 codes, its herd units and its 2024 take.
Photo: Andrew Russell (CC BY 2.0)
Size and counties of GMU 7
Larimer County takes in 100% of GMU 7, a high-country unit covering 155,670 acres in the CPW Northeast Region.
No county line crosses GMU 7; every acre is in Larimer County.
| County | Overlap sq mi | Part of GMU | Part of county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larimer County | 243.0 | 100% | 9% |
The DAU codes on the CPW layer put GMU 7 with neighbouring units: D-4 (deer), E-4 (elk), A-36 (pronghorn), M-2 (moose), B-3 (bear) and L-ES (lion).
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 7 rules that differ by unit
- APR applies in GMU 7; spikes and small raghorns without a 5-inch brow tine are off limits.
- Chronic wasting disease sampling is required for chosen rifle elk licenses here, at no charge.
- GMU 7 lion season runs until group 4 reaches 28 lions or March 31, 2027.
- In this unit spring turkey is OTC; fall turkey is OTC.
- Elk hunting in GMU 7 is by limited license.
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 7 dates across 2026-27
Before the code tables, the short version: 41 dated rows (12 elk, 9 deer, 6 pronghorn, 7 moose, 4 black bear, 1 mountain lion and 2 wild turkey) include GMU 7.
| Species | Row | Window | Sale | Codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk | Rifle cow private land only | Sep 1–Jan 31 | Private only | 33 |
| Elk | Archery either sex limited | Sep 2–30 | Limited | 40 |
| Elk | Muzzleloader bull limited | Sep 12–20 | Limited | 50 |
| Elk | Muzzleloader cow limited | Sep 12–20 | Limited | 69 |
| Elk | Rifle bull limited | Oct 14–18 | Limited | 50 |
| Elk | Rifle bull limited | Oct 24–Nov 1 | Limited | 31 |
| Elk | Rifle cow limited | Oct 24–Nov 1 | Limited | 89 |
| Elk | Rifle bull limited | Nov 7–15 | Limited | 31 |
| Elk | Rifle cow limited | Nov 7–15 | Limited | 93 |
| Elk | Rifle bull limited | Nov 18–22 | Limited | 57 |
| Elk | Rifle cow limited | Nov 18–22 | Limited | 90 |
| Elk | Rifle cow limited late season | Nov 28–Dec 9 | Limited | 4 |
| Deer | Archery either sex limited | Sep 2–30 | Limited | 29 |
| Deer | Rifle buck limited early season | Sep 5–13 | Limited | 4 |
| Deer | Muzzleloader buck limited | Sep 12–20 | Limited | 62 |
| Deer | Muzzleloader doe limited | Sep 12–20 | Limited | 34 |
| Deer | Rifle buck limited | Oct 24–Nov 1 | Limited | 71 |
| Deer | Rifle doe limited | Oct 24–Nov 1 | Limited | 34 |
| Deer | Rifle buck limited | Nov 7–15 | Limited | 71 |
| Deer | Rifle doe limited | Nov 7–15 | Limited | 35 |
| Deer | Rifle buck limited | Nov 18–22 | Limited | 59 |
| Pronghorn | Muzzleloader buck limited | Sep 21–29 | Limited | 35 |
| Pronghorn | Muzzleloader doe limited | Sep 21–29 | Limited | 24 |
| Pronghorn | Rifle buck limited | Oct 3–11 | Limited | 66 |
| Pronghorn | Rifle buck private land only | Oct 3–11 | Private only | 14 |
| Pronghorn | Rifle doe limited | Oct 3–11 | Limited | 48 |
| Pronghorn | Rifle doe private land only | Oct 3–11 | Private only | 13 |
| Moose | Archery cow limited | Sep 12–30 | Limited | 36 |
| Moose | Archery cow limited special/split season | Sep 12–30 | Limited | 9 |
| Moose | Muzzleloader cow limited | Sep 12–20 | Limited | 36 |
| Moose | Muzzleloader cow limited special/split season | Sep 12–20 | Limited | 9 |
| Moose | Rifle cow limited | Oct 1–14 | Limited | 36 |
| Moose | Rifle cow limited special/split season | Oct 1–14 | Limited | 8 |
| Moose | Season choice (archery/muzzleloader/rifle) bull limited special/split season | Oct 1–14 | Limited | 3 |
| Black bear | Archery either sex limited | Sep 2–30 | Limited | 35 |
| Black bear | Rifle either sex limited | Sep 2–30 | Limited | 34 |
| Black bear | Muzzleloader either sex limited | Sep 12–20 | Limited | 35 |
| Black bear | Rifle either sex limited | Oct 14–Nov 22 | Limited | 19 |
| Mountain lion | Lion season | Nov 23–Mar 31 | Limited | — |
| Wild turkey | Spring OTC (2026) | Apr 11–May 31 | OTC | — |
| Wild turkey | Fall OTC | Sep 1–Oct 4 | OTC | — |
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.
Which codes cover GMU 7
12 elk, 9 deer, 6 pronghorn, 7 moose and 4 black bear codes include GMU 7, 38 altogether.
Limited codes: 38. Private land only: 3. Ranching for Wildlife: 0. Marked 6+ points: 1.
Elk archery, 1
| Code | Take | Type | Dates | List | Points, take |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
E-E-007-O1-A | Either sex | Limited | Sep 2–30 | A | 110 of 1,102 |
Elk muzzleloader, 2
| Code | Take | Type | Dates | List | Points, take |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
E-F-007-O1-M | Cow | Limited | Sep 12–20 | A | 32 of 370 |
E-M-007-O1-M | Bull | Limited | Sep 12–20 | A | 68 of 358 |
Elk rifle, 9
| Code | Take | Type | Dates | List | Points, take |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
E-F-007-P5-R | Cow | Private land only | Sep 1–Jan 31 | B | 52 of 221 |
E-M-007-O1-R | Bull | Limited | Oct 14–18 | A | 40 of 297 |
E-F-007-O2-R | Cow | Limited | Oct 24–Nov 1 | A | 7 of 177 |
E-M-007-O2-R | Bull | Limited | Oct 24–Nov 1 | A | 20 of 544 |
E-F-007-O3-R | Cow | Limited | Nov 7–15 | A | 27 of 157 |
E-M-007-O3-R | Bull | Limited | Nov 7–15 | A | 28 of 493 |
E-F-007-O4-R | Cow | Limited | Nov 18–22 | A | 15 of 71 |
E-M-007-O4-R | Bull | Limited | Nov 18–22 | A | 21 of 371 |
E-F-007-L1-R | Cow | Limited, late | Nov 28–Dec 9 | A | 14 of 111 |
Deer archery, 1
| Code | Take | Type | Dates | List | Points, take |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
D-E-007-O1-A | Either sex | Limited | Sep 2–30 | A | 202 of 987 |
Deer muzzleloader, 2
| Code | Take | Type | Dates | List | Points, take |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
D-F-007-O1-M | Doe | Limited | Sep 12–20 | A | 76 of 253 |
D-M-007-O1-M | Buck | Limited | Sep 12–20 | A | 62 of 541 |
Deer rifle, 6
| Code | Take | Type | Dates | List | Points, take |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
D-M-006-E1-R | Buck | Limited, early | Sep 5–13 | A | 5 of 18 |
D-F-007-O2-R | Doe | Limited | Oct 24–Nov 1 | A | 37 of 143 |
D-M-007-O2-R | Buck | Limited | Oct 24–Nov 1 | A | 57 of 343 |
D-F-007-O3-R | Doe | Limited | Nov 7–15 | A | 47 of 126 |
D-M-007-O3-R | Buck | Limited | Nov 7–15 | A | 51 of 266 |
D-M-007-O4-R | Buck | Limited | Nov 18–22 | A | 34 of 138 |
Pronghorn muzzleloader, 2
| Code | Take | Type | Dates | List | Points, take |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A-F-007-O1-M | Doe | Limited | Sep 21–29 | A | 2 of 3 |
A-M-007-O1-M | Buck | Limited | Sep 21–29 | A | 5 of 8 |
Pronghorn rifle, 4
| Code | Take | Type | Dates | List | Points, take |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A-F-007-O1-R | Doe | Limited | Oct 3–11 | A | 3 of 5 |
A-F-007-P1-R | Doe | Private land only | Oct 3–11 | B | 12 of 12 |
A-M-007-O1-R | Buck | Limited | Oct 3–11 | A | 6+ pts 7 of 7 |
A-M-007-P1-R | Buck | Private land only | Oct 3–11 | B | 5 of 12 |
Moose archery, 2
| Code | Take | Type | Dates | List | Points, take |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
M-F-007-O1-A | Cow | Limited | Sep 12–30 | A | 4 of 9 |
M-F-007-S1-A | Cow | Limited, split | Sep 12–30 | A | 0 of 1 |
Moose muzzleloader, 2
| Code | Take | Type | Dates | List | Points, take |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
M-F-007-O1-M | Cow | Limited | Sep 12–20 | A | 3 of 4 |
M-F-007-S1-M | Cow | Limited, split | Sep 12–20 | A | 1 of 1 |
Moose rifle, 2
| Code | Take | Type | Dates | List | Points, take |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
M-F-007-O1-R | Cow | Limited | Oct 1–14 | A | 10 of 13 |
M-F-007-S1-R | Cow | Limited, split | Oct 1–14 | A | 0 of 1 |
Moose season choice, 1
| Code | Take | Type | Dates | List | Points, take |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
M-M-007-S1-X | Bull | Limited, split | Oct 1–14 | A | 2 of 2 |
Black bear archery, 1
| Code | Take | Type | Dates | List | Points, take |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
B-E-007-O1-A | Either sex | Limited | Sep 2–30 | A | 2 taken |
Black bear muzzleloader, 1
| Code | Take | Type | Dates | List | Points, take |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
B-E-007-O1-M | Either sex | Limited | Sep 12–20 | A | 0 taken |
Black bear rifle, 2
| Code | Take | Type | Dates | List | Points, take |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
B-E-007-O1-R | Either sex | Limited | Sep 2–30 | A | 17 taken |
B-E-007-O5-R | Either sex | Limited | Oct 14–18 Oct 24–Nov 1 Nov 7–15 Nov 18–22 | A | 4 taken |
The last column gives the 2025 harvest and hunters for the whole code where CPW reported it, which may include other 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.
GMU 7 harvest numbers
1,630 elk hunters spent 8,376 days in GMU 7 in 2024 and brought home 149 elk.
Mule and whitetail deer combined: 117 taken over 4,355 hunter days.
Pronghorn hunters reported 26% success and 38 animals.
Black bear harvest: 2 over 3 days.
After the 2025 seasons, about 5,550 elk lived in the herd unit covering GMUs 7, 8, 9, 19, 191.
Codes drawn for unit 7 itself (12 elk codes) produced 434 elk from 4,272 hunters in 2025.
The 2025-26 lion group with GMU 7 recorded 14 lions.
| Species | Animals | Split | Hunters | Rate | Rec. days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | 117 | 62/47/8 | 1,006 | 12% | 4,355 |
| Elk | 149 | 91/54/4 | 1,630 | 9% | 8,376 |
| Pronghorn | 38 | 22/14/3 | 148 | 26% | 549 |
| Black bear | 2 | 1/1 | — | — | 3 |
The wider herd, 2025
| Game | Herd | Taken | Hunters | Rate | Population | Male ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | D-04 | 1,419 | 4,869 | 29% | 12,350 | 34 |
| Elk | E-04 | 645 | 6,082 | 11% | 5,550 | 23 |
| Pronghorn | A-36 | 75 | 262 | 29% | 710 | 25 |
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 7 public acres and parcels
Public ground tagged with GMU 7: 8 records, including 1 SWAs and 3 STL parcels.
SWAs and STLs need a Colorado hunting or fishing license or a State Wildlife Area Pass for everyone 16 and older, and each parcel has its own dates.
State trust land, 3
- Pfister Draw1,920 acres
- Lagarde Creek640 acres
- Pass Creek640 acres
BLM offices, 1
- BLM Kremmling381,806 acres
National forests, 1
- Roosevelt814,417 acres
Ranger districts, 1
- Canyon Lakes650,597 acres
State parks, 1
- State Forest71,024 acres
State wildlife areas, 1
- Hohnholz Lakes80 acres
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.
Near GMU 7
There is no town page for GMU 7; use the county pages for services.
GMU 7 borders or shares counties with these units. Their numbers sit side by side here.
| Nearby unit | Shared | Sq mi | Elk | Deer | Codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMU 8 | Larimer | 420 | 208 | 241 | 33 |
| GMU 191 | Larimer | 317 | 22 | 594 | 36 |
| GMU 19 | Larimer | 423 | 119 | 333 | 29 |
| GMU 9 | Larimer | 386 | 77 | 171 | 26 |
| GMU 20 | Larimer | 1,206 | 355 | 811 | 34 |
| GMU 94 | Larimer | 735 | 0 | 109 | 11 |
| GMU 87 | Larimer | 1,116 | 22 | 152 | 22 |
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.
Sunrise, sunset and legal hours in GMU 7
Walk-In Access properties open an hour before sunrise and close an hour after sunset, two hours for waterfowl, deer, elk and pronghorn hunters.
| Date | Why it matters | Sunrise | Sunset | Big game hours | Bird hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 15, 2026 | Pronghorn archery opens | 6:12 a.m. | 8:02 p.m. | 5:42 a.m. to 8:32 p.m. | 5:42 a.m. to 8:02 p.m. |
| Sep 2, 2026 | Bow season opens | 6:29 a.m. | 7:35 p.m. | 5:59 a.m. to 8:05 p.m. | 5:59 a.m. to 7:35 p.m. |
| Sep 12, 2026 | Muzzleloader opens | 6:39 a.m. | 7:18 p.m. | 6:09 a.m. to 7:48 p.m. | 6:09 a.m. to 7:18 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Duck season opens | 7:14 a.m. | 6:20 p.m. | 6:44 a.m. to 6:50 p.m. | 6:44 a.m. to 6:20 p.m. |
| Nov 23, 2026 | Lion season opens | 6:57 a.m. | 4:40 p.m. | 6:27 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. | 6:27 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:22 a.m. | 4:38 p.m. | 6:52 a.m. to 5:08 p.m. | 6:52 a.m. to 4:38 p.m. |
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.
Asked about GMU 7
What public hunting ground is in GMU 7?
8 records: 1 SWAs, 3 STLs, 4 other.
How many elk hunters use GMU 7?
1,630 in 2024, over 8,376 hunter days.
What is the largest town in or near GMU 7?
None within 10 miles.
How big is the herd in GMU 7?
5,550 after the 2025 hunts for the herd of units 7, 8, 9, 19, 191.
How many hunt codes are valid in GMU 7?
38: 12 elk, 9 deer, 6 pronghorn, 7 moose and 4 black bear.
Where is GMU 7 in Colorado?
It lies in the CPW Northeast Region, across Larimer.
Must I get a CWD test for GMU 7 elk?
For selected rifle elk codes, yes, and the test is free.
Is GMU 7 an APR unit for elk?
Yes, GMU 7 is on the 2026 APR list.
Is fall turkey open in GMU 7?
Fall turkey is OTC; spring turkey is OTC.
How many lions can be taken around GMU 7?
28 across group 4.
Answers drawn from the CPW sources cited on this page; checked November 5, 2026.