Colorado hunting and fishing laws
The Colorado rules that catch people out, in plain English: hunter education, minimum age, blaze orange, Sunday hunting, shooting hours, baiting, night hunting, tagging and private land. Each one links to the state's own text.
Season dates for 2026-27. Page updated October 12, 2026.
These pages sum up the rules to help you find them. They are not legal advice. The state's own regulations govern, so check them before you go.
Hunter education in Colorado
Anyone born on or after January 1, 1949 must complete an approved hunter education course before applying for or buying a Colorado hunting license.
Minimum hunting age in Colorado
Under the apprentice certificate, apprentices must be at least 10 years old, or age 12 for big game hunting, must have a mentor with them in the field, and must be able to see and hear the mentor. An apprentice certificate may be obtained only twice.
Blaze orange in Colorado
Applies to: Big game
Hunters must wear at least 500 square inches of solid daylight fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink material on an outer garment above the waist while hunting deer, elk, pronghorn, moose or bear with any firearm license. An orange or pink hat visible from all directions is also required. Camouflage orange or pink does not qualify. Archery hunters in archery-only seasons are exempt.
Applies to: Big game
The dog handler is required to wear daylight fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink while tracking, unless the handler is tracking an animal shot on an archery license.
Sunday hunting in Colorado
Not verified. No Sunday closure appears in the CPW regulations reviewed, and CPW publishes no statewide day-of-week restriction, but no agency statement that Sunday hunting is allowed was found. Some State Wildlife Areas and reservation properties set their own open days. Confirm with the official regulations before you hunt.
Shooting hours in Colorado
Applies to: Big game
2 CCR 406-2 number 202: big game may be taken from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset.
Baiting in Colorado
Applies to: Big game
2 CCR 406-2 number 209.E: it shall be unlawful to hunt big game over bait, regardless if the person hunting over such bait personally placed the bait or not. CPW also states for mountain lion that bait is illegal.
Applies to: Bear
C.R.S. 33-4-101.3: it is unlawful for any person to take a black bear with the use of bait, or with the use of one or more dogs, at any time during any calendar year. Bears are treated separately and more strictly than other big game.
Night hunting in Colorado
C.R.S. 33-6-127 makes it unlawful to utilize any artificial light as an aid in hunting or taking any wildlife, with exceptions for landowners, family and agents per commission rule; those exceptions were not enumerated and no predator carve-out was confirmed. Night vision, light-gathering optics and thermal imaging are prohibited for hunting outside legal hours.
Tagging and reporting a harvest in Colorado
Applies to: Big game
It is illegal to have or transport a big-game carcass without evidence of sex naturally attached. For a bull elk that means the head with antlers or horns attached to the carcass, or a testicle, scrotum or penis attached; for a cow elk, the head, udder or vulva attached; moose is equivalent. The carcass tag must be securely attached to the carcass, not the head or hide.
Hunting on private land in Colorado
Permission is required: going onto private lands without getting permission first while hunting is illegal, and you must have permission from the landowner to enter private land to retrieve a harvested animal. Posting is not required.
Can you show your Colorado license on your phone?
Fishing/small game on phone. Big game license on paper.
CPW says resident “fishing, small game, and small game and fishing combination licenses are now accessible through the myColorado® app.” Big game licenses and carcass tags are not among the digital products, and CPW tells big game hunters to “check your physical license” for dates and hours. No CPW statement on e-tagging for 2026 was found.
Paper big game license and carcass tag
Colorado hunting season dates, 2026-27
The main seasons, from the state's published dates. Zones and units can differ; each season links to the state's own page for it.
| Season | Dates | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer and elk — archery | Sep 2 – Sep 30, 2026 | West of I-25 and GMU 140 | |
| Deer and elk — muzzleloader | Sep 12 – Sep 20, 2026 | Statewide (limited licenses) | |
| Elk — first rifle | Oct 14 – Oct 18, 2026 | Statewide | elk only |
| Deer and elk — second rifle | Oct 24 – Nov 1, 2026 | Statewide | |
| Deer and elk — third rifle | Nov 7 – Nov 15, 2026 | Statewide | |
| Deer and elk — fourth rifle | Nov 18 – Nov 22, 2026 | Statewide | |
| Black bear — September rifle/archery | Sep 2 – Sep 30, 2026 | Statewide | bear rifle also concurrent with the four rifle seasons |
| Turkey — fall | Sep 1 – Oct 4, 2026 | West of I-25 and GMU 140 | east of I-25 closes Oct 23 |
| Turkey — spring | Not published yet | Statewide | 2027 dates not yet published |
| Pheasant and quail — opener | Opens Nov 14, 2026 | Statewide | opens 12:01 a.m.; closing date not confirmed |
| Dove — mourning & white-winged | Sep 1 – Nov 29, 2026 | Statewide | Set as Sept 1 – Nov 29 annually in Chapter W-5 |
| Ducks — Northeast Zone (1st split) | Oct 17 – Nov 29, 2026 | Central Flyway Northeast Zone (east of I-25, north of I-70) | 2nd split Dec 11, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027 |
| Ducks — Northeast Zone (2nd split) | Dec 11, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027 | Central Flyway Northeast Zone (east of I-25, north of I-70) | |
| Ducks — Southeast Zone | Oct 28, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027 | Central Flyway Southeast Zone (east of I-25, south of I-70) | |
| Ducks — Mountain/Foothills Zone (1st split) | Oct 3 – Nov 29, 2026 | Central Flyway Mountain/Foothills Zone (west of I-25, east of the Divide) | 2nd split Dec 25, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027 |
| Ducks — Mountain/Foothills Zone (2nd split) | Dec 25, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027 | Central Flyway Mountain/Foothills Zone (west of I-25, east of the Divide) | |
| Ducks — Pacific Flyway Western Zone (1st split) | Oct 3 – Oct 20, 2026 | Pacific Flyway Western Zone | 2nd split Nov 6, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027 |
| Ducks — Pacific Flyway Western Zone (2nd split) | Nov 6, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027 | Pacific Flyway Western Zone | |
| Ducks — Pacific Flyway Eastern Zone | Oct 3, 2026 – Jan 15, 2027 | Pacific Flyway Eastern Zone | |
| Dark geese — Central Flyway (balance) | Nov 2, 2026 – Feb 14, 2027 | East of the Divide except North Park, South Park, San Luis Valley | Other goose units have different dates |
| Light geese — regular season | Oct 31, 2026 – Feb 14, 2027 | Central Flyway (balance; also North Park, South Park, SLV) | Conservation order Feb 15 – Apr 30, 2027 |
| Sandhill crane | Oct 3 – Nov 29, 2026 | East of the Continental Divide except North Park and San Luis Valley | |
| Teal — September season | Sep 12 – Sep 20, 2026 | Lake & Chaffee counties and all areas east of I-25 | |
| Pronghorn — archery | Aug 15 – Sep 20, 2026 | Statewide (by GMU) | Bucks only Aug 15–31; either-sex Sept 1–20 |
| Pronghorn — muzzleloader | Sep 21 – Sep 29, 2026 | Statewide (by GMU) | |
| Pronghorn — rifle (1st season) | Oct 3 – Oct 11, 2026 | Statewide (limited licenses by GMU) | Optional 2nd/late seasons in some units |
| Moose — archery | Sep 12 – Sep 30, 2026 | Limited licenses by GMU | |
| Moose — muzzleloader | Sep 12 – Sep 20, 2026 | Limited licenses by GMU | |
| Moose — rifle | Oct 1 – Oct 14, 2026 | Limited licenses by GMU | Fixed Oct 1–14 annually |
| Deer — plains rifle | Oct 24 – Nov 3, 2026 | Plains GMUs (limited licenses) | |
| Deer — late plains rifle | Dec 1 – Dec 14, 2026 | Plains GMUs (limited licenses) | Dec 1–14 annually |
What you can hunt in Colorado
Big game
- Mule deer Draw or limited entry All deer licenses are limited
- White-tailed deer General season Some unlimited hunt codes
- Elk General season Over-the-counter bull tags in many units
- Pronghorn Draw or limited entry Mostly draw
- Moose Draw or limited entry Lifetime limit of one antlered moose
- Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep Draw or limited entry
- Desert bighorn sheep Draw or limited entry
- Mountain goat Draw or limited entry
- Black bear General season
- Mountain lion General season Unit harvest-limit closures
- Wild pig No season No feral swine season
Upland and small game
- Wild turkey General season Merriam's and Rio Grande
- Dusky grouse General season
- White-tailed ptarmigan General season Permit required
- Sharp-tailed grouse General season Permit required
- Sage-grouse General season Permit required, northwest Colorado
- Pheasant and chukar General season
- Quail General season
- Rabbit and hare General season
- Squirrel General season
Waterfowl and migratory
- Ducks and geese General season
- Dove General season
- Sandhill crane General season Free annual permit
Furbearer and predator
- Coyote General season
- Bobcat General season Mandatory inspection and sealing
- Wolf No season Reintroduced, no season
What you can fish for in Colorado
Fishing license plus a mandatory Habitat Stamp
Fishing licenses sold: 1-day, 5-day, Annual
Trout and char
- Rainbow trout General season
- Brown trout General season
- Brook trout General season
- Cutthroat and cutbow General season
- Lake trout General season
- Splake and tiger trout General season
- Arctic char General season
- Arctic grayling General season Water-specific limits
- Greenback cutthroat No season Return to the water immediately
Warmwater
- Largemouth and smallmouth bass General season
- Striped bass and wiper General season
- Walleye and saugeye General season
- Northern pike General season No limit
- Tiger muskie General season One fish, 36 inch minimum
- Channel, blue and flathead catfish General season
- Crappie General season
- Bluegill and sunfish General season
- Yellow perch General season
Other
- Kokanee General season
- Mountain whitefish General season
- Carp General season Bowfishing
- Colorado pikeminnow and humpback chub No season Protected
Official Colorado links
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Carry your Colorado license on your phone
Sportsmen Ledger holds your hunting and fishing licenses and tags, these rules and your harvest log, and it works with no signal. Free to start.
Compare with other states
- Hunter education requirements by state
- Minimum hunting age by state
- Blaze orange requirements by state
- Sunday hunting laws by state
- Legal shooting hours by state
- Baiting laws by state
- Night hunting laws by state
- Tagging and harvest reporting by state
- Hunting on private land, state by state
- Can you show your hunting or fishing license on your phone? Every state