Colorado

Hunter opportunity and trophy-quality animals in this area are both doing well. There is a wide variety of big game species to hunt in Colorado. Like everywhere else, the most desired seasons in the famous units will take years to draw, but there are many other units that can be drawn with few preference points, especially for the muzzleloader or archery hunter. The western half of the state is known as the western slope and the eastern half is flat and referred to as the eastern plains. Both have quality deer hunting. Landowner vouchers are a great way to pick up a tag without affecting your preference point totals.

License Costs

Species Costs

* Includes annual fishing license

All license fees include a $0.25 search-and-rescue fee and a $1.50 fee for the Wildlife Education Fund, if applicable.

Important Dates

* License must be paid for by this day. The payment deadline is final. If Colorado is unable to charge the credit card on file in your account and you fail to pay for your license online, by phone or at a CPW location by the deadline, your license is surrendered, and you lose both the license and any preference points you used to draw.

Draw Result Dates

Draw System

Tag lottery (Drawing)

All license applications, for all species, must now be completed online.

Colorado considers all applicants' first choices before they consider any subsequent choice. Typically most of thehunt choices are filled during this first pass and there is usually no need for a second choice on the application. In some cases, hunt choices may go undersubscribed and be eligible to draw as a second, third, or fourth choice. If an applicant draws any choice other than their first, then they earn an additional point in addition to receiving a tag.

For rocky mountain bighorn sheep, mountain goat, and moose, the tags are awarded differently through a weighted point drawing system.

Preference points: Colorado uses preference points for their drawings. With a preference point system, the tags are allocated to the applicants with the most preference points. There is no maximum number of points that an applicant can accumulate for deer, elk, and antelope. The maximum number of preference points an applicant can have for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, mountain goat and moose is three. There are no preference points for desert sheep.

Weighted points: Every subsequent year that an applicant for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, mountain goat, and moose is unsuccessful, they are awarded a weighted point. During the drawing, the application is assigned a random number, which is then divided by the number of weighted points accumulated by the applicant, plus one. This will render a new number. The first tag is issued to the applicant with the lowest new number and so on.

Hybrid draw: The purpose of the Hybrid draw is to give hunters a chance to draw some of Colorado’s best deer, elk and antelope permits even if they have less than max points for those hunts. Hybrid draw hunts are those that require a resident at least 10 points to draw (averaged over 3 years). Those hunts will have up to 20% of the permits allocated randomly through the hybrid draw. In theory, hunters who would not have enough preference points to draw these licenses have a slight chance in the Hybrid draw. Applicants must have at least 5 points to be considered in the Hybrid draw.

Nonresident allocation

Application Choices

Four hunt choices are allowed per species, but only the first choice is considered for nearly all hunt choices. Most hunt choices are filled before any second, third or fourth choice is considered. If you draw your first choice, then your preference points will be used. If you draw your second choice, you will build an additional preference point in addition to being drawn. Please read “Tag lottery” and “Nonresident allocation” for details on the drawing process.

Building points in Colorado

Preference points in Colorado can only be earned through the primary drawing and in one of two ways:

There are no separate "points-only" purchase periods for Colorado preference points.

Party applications

Withdrawing

Withdrawing or correcting an application is allowed. Corrections must be done by submitting a form online at Colorado Parks and Wildlife website.

Waiting period

Secondary Draw

The previous leftover permit purchase process has now been replaced with the Secondary Draw. Any leftover licenses from the primary draw will now be available for application and are open to anyone, whether they initially participated in the first draw or not. Tags for deer, elk, antelope, and black bear will be available in the SecondaryDraw.

Quick Tips:

Leftover license sales

After the Secondary draw, and around the first of August, leftover licenses, remaining limited licenses, and reissued licenses will be made available for purchase. These are sold on a first-come-first-serve basis and it can be quite competitive to get a tag. These licenses can be purchased online, in-person at any CPW office, or over the phone by calling 1-800-244-5613.

Credit cards

These major credit cards are accepted for tag sales(Visa, Mastercard, and Discover).

Hunting license

All applicants, including youth, must purchase a qualifying hunting license to apply for the big game draw.

Getting a Tag

Over-the-counter tags

A, B, C License Types

In Colorado, the state offers hunters the chance to receive multiple deer or elk licenses in a single hunting year. While browsing through the regulations you may notice that deer and elk hunts are designated by one of three license types; A, B, C

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Hunters may only submit one application per species, per draw, per year. Additional licenses for the same species must be obtained as leftovers, over-the-counter, or special licenses issued by CPW.

Landowner tags

Youth tags

Apprentice Hunter Certificate

Colorado offers a free one-year hunter education requirement waiver, which can be obtained twice in one's lifetime, and is valid from March 1 to March 31. The Apprentice Hunter Certificate is not a license to hunt, but it does allow the holder to purchase hunting licenses for species they would like to hunt without having completed an approved hunter's education course.

Returning tags/transferring tags

Hunting Rules

Minimum age to hunt

The minimum age to hunt big game in Colorado is 12 years old

Hunters education

Colorado law requires that anyone born on or after January 1, 1949, complete an approved hunter education course before applying for or buying a Colorado hunting license.

While hunting in Colorado all hunters must have their hunter's education card on their bodies at all times unless they have had their hunter's education verified by a CPW employee.

Bowhunters education

Colorado does not require a specific bowhunter education

Hunters orange and pink

Required for all rifle and muzzleloader hunts, excluding sheep and mountain goat. 500 square inches above the waist. A fluorescent orange or pink hat is also required.

Weapon restrictions

Archery: Hunters may not use crossbows during the archery seasons. Bows must have a minimum draw weight of 35 pounds. There is no limit on maximum let-off. No scopes or electronic devices can be attached to the bow. Only broadheads wider than ⅞” are legal.

Muzzleloader: Muzzleloaders must be a minimum of .40 caliber for deer and antelope and .50 caliber for elk and moose. Only loose-form powder that is not smokeless or pelletized is allowed. Sabots are not legal in Colorado. No scopes are allowed, regardless of the magnification. No electronic devices can be attached to the muzzleloader.

Rifle: Only centerfire rifles are legal.

Hunting opportunities for military members

Residency

Residency status for the state of Colorado is available to members of the military and their dependents who are under permanent orders within the state.

Preference point perks

Along with residency perks, active duty members who are stationed in Colorado, stationed in Colorado and deployed, or who are Colorado residents can purchase leftover licenses prior to the public sale of said licenses. Additionally, active duty members who are stationed in Colorado and currently deployed outside of the U.S. can apply for preference points to use in future draws. The application period for this is generally available in July and must be postmarked by the first Tuesday in January. For members who are deployed after drawing a tag or purchasing a license, they can apply for a full refund or request that preference points be returned.

Disabled veteran requirements

Military veterans who are disabled and residents of Colorado can apply for a lifetime fishing and small game combo license. This is available to veterans who can provide proof of a 60% service-connected disability as rated by the VA. Purple Heart recipients are also eligible for application.

Wounded Warrior/Safe Harbor programs

Colorado also sets aside a number of hunting licenses each year (100 of each: female deer, elk, and antelope and 100 total of male deer, elk, and antelope) to be made available to members of the Wounded Warrior or Safe Harbor programs. A list of requirements include: