Hunting in Colorado
Moose hunting in Colorado
The primary draw, the one-bull lifetime limit, and the reporting and inspection steps after the hunt.
The draw
Moose uses a different point system
Primary draw only
CPW directs regular moose applicants to the primary draw. A qualifying license is required before the application.
Preference, then weighted points
An unsuccessful first choice can earn a preference point. After a hunter has three regular points, later unsuccessful years can add weighted points used in the draw.
No group application
Colorado does not allow group applications for moose. Each hunter applies on an individual application.
One bull in a lifetime
The lifetime bag limit for bull moose is one. CPW lists narrow exceptions for auction, raffle, reward-program, and special-management licenses.
The hunt code
A moose license is specific
The hunt code and license name the sex, game unit or unit group, season, and method. Colorado offers archery, muzzleloader, rifle, and some season-choice moose licenses, but only where the current tables list them.
- Check whether the license is for a bull, cow, or either sex.
- Match the unit boundary to the ground before hunting.
- Read the current dates from the hunt-code table, not from an old season calendar.
In the field
Know a moose from an elk before the shot
Moose and elk can share the same habitat. CPW tells hunters to study the whole animal, not just antlers. Moose are dark brown or black with pale lower legs, a large throat bell, and a long bulb-shaped nose. Bull moose have palm-shaped antlers.
- A firearm or muzzleloader moose license carries the same solid fluorescent orange-or-pink clothing rule used for other big game.
- Sign, date, and detach the carcass tag immediately after harvest, then attach it as the brochure directs.
- Keep evidence of sex naturally attached during transport.
After the season
Every moose license holder has a reporting duty
Report within 30 days
Every moose license holder must return CPW's report within 30 days after the season ends, including hunters who did not hunt or did not harvest. Missing it can make the hunter ineligible for a future moose license or point.
Inspection after a harvest
A harvested moose must be presented to CPW in person within five working days. An antlered moose needs the head and lower jaw with antlers attached. For an antlerless moose, CPW accepts the head and lower jaw or an incisor.
The head must be ready
Tooth extraction is mandatory, and the head must be unfrozen for inspection.
2026 CWD option
CPW says voluntary CWD testing fees are waived for all Colorado moose in 2026. Recheck that detail in the current year's brochure.
Take this with you
Before and after a Colorado moose hunt
- ✓ The sex, unit, season, method, and hunt code match the license.
- ✓ You can distinguish a moose from an elk before the shot.
- ✓ The carcass tag, evidence-of-sex, and clothing rules are clear.
- ✓ The 30-day report and five-working-day harvest inspection are on the calendar.
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: Moose hunt codes, dates, quota, point fees, and special opportunities can change. Use the current CPW moose page, Big Game brochure, license, and inspection instructions for the final check.
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.
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.
Licenses 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.
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.