Big Game

Hunting for big game in Colorado can be a thrilling and challenging experience, with the chance to explore some of the most beautiful wilderness areas in the country. However, it's important to follow all hunting regulations and safety guidelines to ensure a safe and sustainable hunt.

Need a Colorado Big Game Hunting License?

There are still opportunities available to purchase a Colorado big-game hunting license.

1. Over-the-counter (OTC) licenses
2. Remaining (leftover and reissued) limited licenses. Learn more about leftover licenses and the license reissue process.

'What's New' 2024 Colorado Big Game.

What's New for Big Game in 2024

The 2024 Colorado Big Game Brochure is now available. This video provides a summary of some of the changes related to the limited-license draws and the fall hunting seasons. Be sure to read the "What's New" pages in the big game and sheep and goat brochures to see a full list of changes on tap for the upcoming seasons.

Be in the Know

Important Hunting Dates, Deadlines and Reminders

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Moose Rifle Season Opens

Rifle Pronghorn Season Opens

Rifle Elk Limited, 1st Season Opens

Rifle Black Bear OTC and/or Limited, 1st Season Opens

Rifle Deer, 2nd Season Opens

Rifle Elk, 2nd Season Opens

Rifle Black Bear OTC and/or Limited, 2nd Season Opens

Rifle Deer, 3rd Season Opens

Rifle Elk, 3rd Season Opens

Rifle Black Bear OTC and/or Limited, 3rd Season Opens

Rifle Deer Limited, 4th Season Opens

Rifle Elk Limited, 4th Season Opens

Rifle Black Bear OTC and/or Limited, 4th Season Opens

Mountain Lion Season Opens

Note: Always check your physical license and the Colorado Big Game Brochure for specific hunting dates.

Colorado Hunting Brochures

Colorado Big Game Hunting Brochure

The Big Game Brochure includes hunting information for deer, elk, pronghorn, moose, and bear.
The online Big Game brochure is the most up-to-date version.​​

Folleto de Regulacíon de Caza Mayor (En Español)

Colorado Sheep & Goat Hunting Brochure

The Sheep & Goat brochure includes hunting information for Desert Bighorn Sheep, Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, and Mountain Goat.
The online Sheep and Goat brochure is the most up-to-date version.​​​​

Folleto de Regulacíon de Borregos y Cabras (En Español)

Big Game Hunting Opportunities

Choose a Species to Learn More

Bear

Bighorn Sheep

Deer

Elk

Moose

Pronghorn

Mountain Goat

Mountain Lion

License Options

Limited Licenses

What are limited licenses?

Each year, a set (limited) number of licenses is allotted to each game management unit (GMU). Huntable areas are broken down into units called “game management units.” These units help you decide where you'd like to hunt. A GMU map is available on the inside back cover of the Big Game Brochure.

You can apply for the big game draw(s) to get one of these limited licenses, or after the draws are over, you can purchase a remaining (leftover) limited license when they go on sale.

Big Game Draws

• Primary Draw (application period closed on April 2, 2024 )
• Secondary Draw (application period closed on June 28, 2024)

A qualifying license is required prior to applying for limited licenses through the big game draw(s).

Hunters can submit one application per species to participate in the draw. Applications can include up to four hunt choices to maximize your opportunity to draw a license and hunt.​

Types of Limited Licenses

Limited licenses include public-land, private-land-only, Ranching for Wildlife (RFW), Bighorn Sheep Access Program (BSAP), season choice and leftover limited licenses.

Preference Points

Preference points help hunters to be successful in future primary draws because points add up per species until an applicant draws a first-choice license. One preference point is awarded to each applicant who qualifies for and does not draw their first-choice limited license for deer, elk, pronghorn or bear in the primary draw, or who applies using a specific preference-point hunt code that gets them a preference point only as their first choice.

Preference points are available on the primary draw application only.

Tip: If you can’t hunt this year, but intend to in the future, apply for a preference point by entering the “preference point only” hunt code in the “first choice hunt code” on the application. See pages 3 and 9 in the Big Game Brochure for details.

Refunds

For information on license refunds, please visit the Hunting License Refunds, Reversals and Exchanges page.

Leftover (Remaining) Limited Licenses

What are leftover licenses?

Leftover licenses are the remaining limited licenses available after the primary and secondary draws are completed. If you purchase one of these licenses, you will not use any of your preference points.

Leftover Licenses can Include Reissued Big Game Licenses

What are reissued licenses?

Reissued licenses are limited licenses that were returned for a refund or preference points, as well as those that were not paid for - and are listed on the leftover list.​ For more information on reissued licenses, visit the Leftover License and Reissue page.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The Reissue Preview List will be posted online every Tuesday at 11 a.m. MT, and hunt codes will be available for purchase every Wednesday starting at 11 a.m. MT. All hunt codes will be released from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. MT on Wednesday of every week, starting the week after leftover licenses go on sale. No new hunt codes will be added to the list after 1 p.m. MT each Wednesday.

Leftover (remaining) limited licenses are available in person at sales agents, by phone at 1-800-244- 5613 or online.

For information on license refunds, please visit the Hunting License Refunds, Reversals and Exchanges page.

Over-the-Counter (OTC) Licenses

What are over-the-counter licenses?

OTC licenses are not restricted in quantity but are restricted to certain units, seasons and manners of take. Although they are considered "unlimited licenses," they are still subject to purchase limits for each individual.

OTC licenses do not require buying/having a qualifying license, do not use preference points and may be purchased any time before and during a season.

For sale online, by phone (1-800-244-5613) and at sales agents around the state.

OTC License Benefits

• can be purchased without applying through the draw(s)
• do not require buying/having a qualifying license
• provide you the flexibility to discover new units,
• allow you to scout different habitat, and
• potentially combine your hunt with the opportunity to hunt another species.

Some licenses for elk, white-tailed deer, pronghorn, and bear are available without needing to enter the draw(s) and are not restricted in quantity (unlimited). Find more information on over-the-counter licenses in the Big Game brochure.

For information on license refunds, please visit the Hunting License Refunds, Reversals and Exchanges page.

Landowner Preference Program (LPP) Vouchers

The LPP encourages private landowners to provide habitat for the benefit of wildlife populations and to relieve hunting pressure on public lands. Deer, elk and pronghorn vouchers are allocated to landowners who meet certain qualifications. Applications are drawn during the primary draw, and successful landowners receive a voucher for each winning hunt code. The voucher is transferred directly to a hunter, who then purchases a license to hunt. Vouchers are not available for purchase from CPW.

For Hunters

1. Landowner vouchers may be transferred one time only. The transfer of the voucher occurs when the hunter’s name is written on the voucher, or the landowner or designated land manager hands (or mails) the voucher to the hunter.
2. The landowner or designated land manager must transfer the voucher directly to the hunter. A voucher that has been transferred by any person who is not the landowner or designated land manager is VOID. A voucher that is brokered for another person is VOID. A hunting license obtained for use with a VOID voucher is also VOID. No person shall broker a voucher on behalf of any landowner or person, or use or possess any brokered voucher.
3. If a hunter cannot use a voucher, the voucher becomes VOID. The voucher CANNOT be reprinted or transferred to another hunter, even if the voucher has not been redeemed for a license.
4. Annual bag limits still apply. Be sure you can legally have the license before acquiring a landowner voucher. List A, B or C is printed on the voucher. See the Big Game Brochure for details.
5. The transfer of a voucher by a landowner or designated land manager includes permission to access and hunt all of the registered land for which the voucher was awarded, and for the entire season for which the voucher was awarded, without discrimination among hunters entering the land. Restrictions are not allowed, except for manner of access (i.e. foot, horseback, vehicle) reasonably necessary to prevent damage to land.
6. The hunter must take the voucher in person to a sales agent or CPW location to be redeemed for a proper and valid license PRIOR to hunting. The appropriate license fees are paid at that time.
7. A list of landowners is NOT available from Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Definitions

• Broker: for a third party to transfer a voucher for compensation for any other consideration, or otherwise arrange for such transfer, on behalf of the landowner or land manager, or on behalf of any individual.
• Transfer: to buy, sell, assign, trade, exchange, acquire or otherwise arrange to buy, sell, assign, trade, exchange, acquire or dispose of a voucher.
• Immediate Family: the landowner’s spouse, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, and sibling including in-law and step relations.

Apply as a Group for Hunts

By applying in a group for the Colorado limited license primary draws, you agree that you have read, understand and will abide by the group rules outlined below.

Group Sizes

• Group applications for any number of people are accepted for the primary draw for elk, deer, pronghorn, bear and turkey.
• Group applications for up to two individuals are accepted for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and mountain goat. Residents and nonresidents may not apply together as a group for these species.
• Group applications are not accepted for moose, desert bighorn sheep or the secondary draw.

Group Leader

• One person must be the group leader, and all applications in that group are linked together with that group leader’s CID (customer identification number).
  • While the system will validate the hunt code choices, if there are differences in the number or order of hunt codes on the applications, the leader’s choices are used.
  • If you are the group leader, select “I am a group leader.” All other group members will select “I am hunting in a group” and enter the group leader’s CID.

  Applying as a Group

  • Group members must apply for the same species, hunt code, unit, geographic restrictions, season and method of take for each choice, but may apply for a different sex.
    
    • For example: some group members may apply for EM011O1R as their first choice and others for EF011O1R as their first choice, and still be a part of the same group, but EE011P1R would not be a valid first choice for one of these group members as it has a different geographic restriction (private-land-only).
    • Note: Only submit a group application if the hunting party will only go hunting if everyone is awarded a license. If hunters in the hunting party will hunt, even without everyone else drawing a license, please submit individual applications. Group applications do not increase the ability to draw licenses.

    Application Errors

    • Choose your group members wisely! If anyone in the group makes an application error, everyone in the group is disqualified.
    • Common errors include (but are not limited to): invalid hunter education information, invalid residency information and hunting privilege suspensions.

    How Licenses are Awarded

    • Each hunter’s application is submitted separately using one group leader CID. Group applications entering the draw have priority based on the group member with the fewest preference points.
    • Each individual application is assigned a six-digit number. Groups are assigned a number based on the lowest application number in the group. After the number is randomized, if that number is selected in the draw, and there are enough licenses left for the entire group, everyone in the group gets a license.
    • If the group includes resident and nonresident applicants and the nonresident cap has been met, the group will not get licenses.
    • If the group is successful for their first choice, each group member will get a license and their preference points drop to zero. If unsuccessful for their first choice, everyone gets a point.
      • Licenses and notifications are sent to each individual based on the contact information in their profile.

      After the Draw

      Applicants are only considered a group for the draw. After the draw, if a group member fails to pay for their license or chooses to return it, it does not affect any of the other group members.

      Youth

      Youths will not receive youth preference if they apply as part of a group.

      Hybrid Draw

      Group applications are not accepted in the hybrid draw.