Hunting in Colorado
Hunting seasons, species, and game units
How Colorado hunting seasons fit together, why the exact species and game unit matter, and where to confirm the current dates and hunt code.
Treat the license like an address
The species, sex, unit, method, and season printed on a license narrow where and when it works. A nearby unit or a different season can have a different rule. Check every part, not just the animal name.
A GMU is one numbered area
A game management unit, or GMU, is a numbered area CPW uses to organize hunting rules and licenses. The unit on the license must match the ground where you hunt.
Different animals use different rulebooks
Big game
Deer, elk, pronghorn, bear, moose, sheep, and goat use species pages, hunt codes, and unit rules. License supply varies by hunt.
Small game and birds
Small game, turkey, upland birds, and waterfowl use their own seasons, licenses, stamps, and federal rules where they apply.
Furbearers and special cases
These can have separate methods, reporting, examination, or sealing rules. Start with the exact animal on CPW's site.
Dates are a final check, not a memory test
Season dates and hunt codes can shift. Save the current brochure, carry the license, and check for closures or emergency orders again near the trip.
Take this with you
Before you set the calendar
- ✓ The current brochure names your species, unit, method, and season.
- ✓ The date on the license matches the date you plan to be in the field.
- ✓ The land is open and reachable during that season.
- ✓ You checked any species-specific testing or reporting step.
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: Season dates, hunt codes, quotas, and species rules can change. The current CPW brochure and the license in your hand control the hunt.
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.
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.
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.