Hunting in Colorado
Hunting licenses, hunter education, and the draw
How to start with hunter education, choose the right Colorado hunting license, and tell whether a hunt uses the draw or another license path.
Start in order
Build the hunt before you shop
Check hunter education
Colorado law generally requires anyone born on or after January 1, 1949, to complete an approved hunter education course before applying for or buying a hunting license. CPW also explains waivers, test-out options, and accepted records.
Pick one species and season
A license choice only makes sense after you know the animal, method, game unit, and season you want.
Find the license path
The current brochure shows whether the hunt is limited, over the counter, leftover, or handled through another program.
Read the checkout details
Confirm the customer record, qualifying product, fees, payment method, and deadline on CPW's current pages.
Draw terms to know
- A limited license has a set number available for a hunt code.
- The primary draw is the main application process for many limited licenses.
- An over-the-counter license can be sold without that draw, but only for the units, seasons, and hunters CPW lists.
- A preference point is part of the draw system. It is not a promise that a future hunt will be available.
Residents and visitors should check separately
Prices, license availability, and proof of residency can differ. Do not assume a resident example applies to a visitor, or that last year's option still exists. CPW's current license page is the place to settle it.
Take this with you
Before you apply or buy
- ✓ Species, unit, season, method, and hunt code all match your plan.
- ✓ Hunter education and customer-record details are settled.
- ✓ You checked the current deadline and license path on CPW.
- ✓ You know what happens if you draw, do not draw, or miss the deadline.
Official sources and review
Check the current rule before you act
These links go to the agencies that control this part of the trip. Use the exact page, license, listing, map, order, or confirmation for your situation.
Use this carefully: License products, hunt codes, deadlines, prices, and draw rules can change each year. Confirm the current CPW brochure and checkout details before applying or buying.
Keep going
More about hunting in Colorado
Deer hunting
Mule deer, white-tailed deer, license paths, hunt codes, and the field rules that are easy to miss.
Elk hunting
Draw and over-the-counter elk licenses, 2026 seasons, bull and cow rules, legal equipment, tagging, and CWD checks.
Pronghorn hunting
Draw and OTC archery licenses, 2026 dates, private-land-only tags, buck and doe rules, legal equipment, tagging, and access.
Moose hunting
The primary draw, the one-bull lifetime limit, and the reporting and inspection steps after the hunt.
Turkey hunting
Spring, fall, and late turkey seasons, draw and OTC licenses, legal birds, equipment, access, calls, tagging, and the rules that change by unit.
Black bear hunting
Learn which bear license fits your hunt, when the 2026 seasons run, which bears are protected, what equipment is legal, and what to do after a harvest.
Small game and upland birds
See what a Colorado small-game license covers, the 2026 seasons and limits for common animals and birds, the extra permits some birds need, and the field rules that are easy to miss.
Ducks and geese
Check the license and stamps, find the right 2026-27 season zone, understand the duck and goose limits, and avoid the field rules that cause trouble.
Coyotes and furbearers
Find the license, HIP, season, daily limit, night-hunting, trapping, and sealing rules for coyotes, bobcats, beavers, foxes, raccoons, and other furbearers.
Seasons and species
How Colorado hunting seasons fit together, why the exact species and game unit matter, and where to confirm the current dates and hunt code.
Where to hunt
How to use the CPW Hunting Atlas, tell who manages the land, and check access before entering public, private, or enrolled land.
Field rules and safety
The field checks to make before a Colorado hunt, including legal equipment, tagging, access, weather, meat care, and species-specific rules.