Literally. As elk seasons are beginning to kick off in the Centennial state, it’s important to know that there has been a lot of fire activity in the region. We gathered data from WatchDuty, InciWeb and local news sources to provide some tables below as to the compounding effects of the fire activity as well as the previous large scale winter kill. The Crosho, Lee, Derby, RBX, Dumont, and Mud fires are all ongoing. The Windy Gap fire near Granby seems to be contained. Smaller vegetation fires like the Farnham fire near Kremmling were put out quickly. But this all changes the landscape on which you’re trying to hunt.
Below is a table summarizing the fires, the hunting GMUs that are affected, and the acreage burnt. Utilizing tools like Inciweb, WatchDuty, and OnX wildfire layers as well as Google Maps smoke layers will help you see the direct impact to your upcoming hunts.
| Fire Name | County(s) | Start Date | Acres Burned | Containment | Cause | Hunting GMU(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee Fire | Rio Blanco, Garfield | Aug 2, 2025 | 137,758 acres | 80% (Aug 22) | Lightning | 22 |
| Elk Fire | Rio Blanco | Aug 2, 2025 | 14,518 acres | 100% (Aug 16) | Lightning | 11 |
| Crosho Fire | Rio Blanco, Routt | Aug 11, 2025 | 2,072 acres | 57% (Aug 22) | Unknown | 23, 12 |
| Derby Fire | Garfield, Eagle | Aug 16, 2025 | 4,112 acres | 0% (Aug 22) | Lightning | 25 |
| Twelve Fire | Moffat | Aug 6, 2025 | 4,287 acres | 100% (Aug 11) | Unknown | 10 |
| Windy Gap Fire | Grand | Aug 3, 2025 | 30 acres | 100% (Aug 11) | Lightning | 18 |
| Colowyo Fire | Moffat | Jun 19, 2025 | 585 acres | 100% (Jun 21) | Under inv. | 3 |
| Horse Draw Fire | Moffat | Jun 26, 2025 | 748 acres | 100% (Jun 30) | Unknown | 2 |
| Hilltop Fire | Garfield | Jun 26, 2025 | 326 acres | 100% (Jun 28) | Under inv. | 42 |
| Yellowjacket Fire | Rio Blanco | Aug 15, 2025 | 35 acres | 100% (Aug 17) | Unknown | 11 |
| Jack Springs Fire | Moffat | ~Aug 3, 2025 | 105 acres | 80% (Aug 5) | Lightning | 2 |
Historical Issues – Winter Kill
Below are GMUs that were in the 2022–23 Severe Winter Zone (and/or pronghorn DAUs above) and saw notable wildfires this summer. DAUs for the uninitiated are CPW’s way of studying various herds of animals in a given area, the acronym stands for Data Analysis Units and are made up of several GMUs.
| GMU | Why it’s in the winterkill zone | 2025 fire(s) crossing / adjacent | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 (Piceance Basin / S & SW of Meeker) | D-7 (White River) deer herd; elk & deer license cuts; severe winter zone | Lee Fire | Lee burned in/around the Piceance country (east of the Piceance-East Douglas HMA), i.e., GMU 22 core. |
| 23 (S/SE of Meeker) | D-7; also Axial Basin pronghorn DAU A-34 (GMUs 12,23,211) | Elk Fire; Crosho Fire (straddles 12/23) | Elk Fire was ~11 mi SE of Meeker off CR-8; Crosho near Crosho Lake west of Yampa. |
| 12 (South Routt / Flat Tops N rim) | D-7 deer; Axial Basin pronghorn (A-34) | Crosho Fire; (nearby Yellowjacket Fire) | Crosho footprint extends across the 12/23 line around Crosho Lake/Dunckley Pass. |
| 11 (N & E of Meeker / Danforth–Axial) | D-7 deer; Maybell pronghorn (GMU 11) | Twelve Fire (on 10/11 boundary area near Elk Springs) | Elk Springs area straddles the GMU 10/11 boundary; Twelve burned west of Maybell/Elk Springs. |
| 10 (W of Maybell to UT line) | D-6 deer (Rangely) adjacent to D-1/D-7; severe winter impacts noted regionally | Twelve Fire (edge/adjacent) | Elk Springs ridge marks 10/11 boundary; the Twelve Fire perimeter reached this area. |
| 3 (South of Craig / Hamilton–Colowyo) | D-2 (Bear’s Ears) severe winter zone; heavy license cuts | Colowyo Fire | Burned near CR-17 by the Colowyo Mine south of Craig. |
| 2 (Massadona / Browns Park east) | Sand Wash pronghorn DAU (GMUs 1,2,201); severe pronghorn winterkill | Horse Draw Fire | 7 mi W/E of Massadona area along US-40—classic Unit 2 country. |
CPW Responses to Winter Kill and Tag Reductions
| GMU | 2023 changes (immediate winter-kill response) | 2024–2025 status (do the reductions still stand?) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 (E-02 elk; D-2 deer; PH-09 pronghorn) | OTC bull elk 2nd/3rd rifle shortened to 5 days; E-02 cow elk cut ~–89% (public cow hunts to min 10/license); E-02 archery/muzzle either-sex –25%; D-2 deer male/either-sex –48% (combined with D-6/D-7); does pushed near min 10/code; pronghorn (PH-09) reduced to min 10/code. (Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Colorado Outdoors Online, Colorado Secretary of State, Steamboat Pilot) | Elk (public land 2nd/3rd rifle) now limited (hunt codes EM003O2R/EM003O3R); private-land OTC still available; E-02 rifle either-sex → antlered-only; RFW APR in effect; PH-09 doe pronghorn closed 2024–2025; CPW projects 3–5 yrs to rebuild—conservative deer & elk quotas continue in 2025. (Colorado Outdoors Online) |
| 4 (E-02; D-2; PH-09) | Same as GMU 3 above (shortened OTC seasons; elk cow cuts; deer cuts; pronghorn min 10). (Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Colorado Outdoors Online, Colorado Secretary of State) | Same as GMU 3 (public-land elk 2nd/3rd limited; private OTC remains; antlered-only; RFW APR; PH-09 doe closed; conservative quotas continue). (Colorado Outdoors Online) |
| 5 (E-02; D-2; PH-09) | Same as GMU 3. (Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Colorado Outdoors Online) | Same as GMU 3 (PH-09 doe closed). (Colorado Outdoors Online) |
| 11 (E-06; D-7; pronghorn PH-11 Maybell) | OTC bull elk 2nd/3rd shortened to 5 days; E-06 cow elk cut ~–63%; D-7 deer male/either-sex in combined cut (–48%); pronghorn 2023 cut to min 10 in PH-11. (Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Colorado Outdoors Online, Colorado Secretary of State, Eastmans TagHub) | Elk (public land 2nd/3rd rifle) now limited via EM011O2R/EM011O3R; private-land OTC remains; RFW APR applies; deer quotas remain conservative in 2025. (No 2024–25 doe-closure announced for PH-11 in CPW’s “What’s New”.) (Colorado Outdoors Online) |
| 12 (E-06; D-7; pronghorn PH-34 Axial Basin) | OTC bull elk shortened; E-06 cow cuts ~–63%; D-7 deer reduction; pronghorn reduced to min 10 in PH-34. (Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Colorado Secretary of State, Eastmans TagHub) | Elk (public land 2nd/3rd) limited (EM011O2R/EM011O3R); private OTC remains; RFW APR; no PH-34 doe closure noted in 2024–25 “What’s New”; conservative deer/elk quotas continue. (Colorado Outdoors Online) |
| 13 (E-06; D-7; PH-09) | OTC bull elk shortened; E-06 cow cuts ~–63%; D-7 deer reduction; pronghorn min 10 (PH-09). (Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Colorado Secretary of State, Steamboat Pilot) | Elk public-land 2nd/3rd limited; RFW APR; PH-09 doe pronghorn closed 2024–2025; conservative quotas continue. (Colorado Outdoors Online) |
| 14 (E-02; D-2; PH-09) | Same pattern as GMU 3. (Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Colorado Outdoors Online) | Same as GMU 3 (PH-09 doe closed). (Colorado Outdoors Online) |
| 22 (— elk OTC-shortening did not apply; D-7 deer) | Deer only: in D-7’s combined cut –48% male/either-sex; does near min 10 per code in D-7. (No 2023 OTC elk shortening here.) (Colorado Secretary of State) | 2025: CPW indicates conservative deer quotas persist during 3–5 yr recovery window. (Elk public-land limitation did not apply to GMU 22.) (Colorado Outdoors Online) |
| 23 (E-06; D-7; pronghorn PH-34) | OTC bull elk shortened; E-06 cow cuts ~–63%; D-7 deer cut; PH-34 pronghorn min 10. (Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Colorado Secretary of State, Eastmans TagHub) | Elk public-land 2nd/3rd limited; RFW APR; no CPW 2024–25 doe-closure noted for PH-34; quotas remain conservative. (Colorado Outdoors Online) |
| 24 (E-06; D-7; pronghorn PH-34) | Same as GMU 23. (Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Colorado Secretary of State) | Same as GMU 23. (Colorado Outdoors Online) |
| 131 (E-06; D-7; pronghorn varies) | OTC bull elk shortened; E-06 cow cuts ~–63%; D-7 deer reduction; (pronghorn: not in PH-09; 2023 cuts depended on herd). (Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Colorado Secretary of State) | Elk public-land 2nd/3rd limited; RFW APR; conservative quotas persist. (Colorado Outdoors Online) |
| 211 (E-06; D-7; pronghorn PH-34) | OTC bull elk shortened; E-06 cow cuts ~–63%; D-7 deer reduction; PH-34 pronghorn min 10. (Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Colorado Secretary of State, Eastmans TagHub) | Elk public-land 2nd/3rd limited; RFW APR; no 2024–25 PH-34 doe closure noted; quotas conservative. (Colorado Outdoors Online) |
| 214 (E-02; D-2; PH-09) | Same as GMU 3. (Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation) | Same as GMU 3 (PH-09 doe closed). (Colorado Outdoors Online) |
| 231 (E-06; D-7) | OTC bull elk shortened; E-06 cow cuts ~–63%; D-7 deer reduction. (Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Colorado Secretary of State) | Elk public-land 2nd/3rd limited; RFW APR; deer quotas conservative in 2025. (Colorado Outdoors Online) |
| 301 (E-02; D-2; PH-09) | Same as GMU 3. (Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation) | Same as GMU 3 (PH-09 doe closed). (Colorado Outdoors Online) |
| 441 (E-02; D-2; PH-09) | Same as GMU 3. (Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation) | Same as GMU 3 (PH-09 doe closed). (Colorado Outdoors Online) |
| 10 (— elk OTC-shortening did not apply; D-6 deer) | Deer only: D-6 (Rangely) participated in the –48% male/either-sex combined cut (with D-2/D-7). (Colorado Secretary of State) | 2025: CPW indicates conservative deer quotas persist during 3–5 yr recovery. (Colorado Outdoors Online) |
I hope this analysis as part of your Colorado scouting for your hunting trip helped, at least a little bit for the tough season we’re looking at moving forward. In most units in the northwest portion of the state there is a lot of public land, however it’s hard to turn your back on a favorite haunt shut down by a wildfire.
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Tags: advanced Last modified: September 6, 2025
