Let’s take a look at what’s new in 2026 for Colorado Big Game Hunting! Don’t forget, for all your Archery needs to visit our Denver, Colorado local pro shop, voted best in Colorado! We have a wide range of only the best big game hunting gear, and certified bow techs (that also hunt, so pick their brain). Best of luck this fall!

1. You’ll Need a Qualifying License First

Before you can even toss your name into the limited-license hat, you must buy a 2025 qualifying license. Sales open March 1, 2026, and the purchase has to be made before you apply for preference points or big-game tags. The money from these licenses underwrites wildlife research and conservation far beyond the game species we hunt.

2. The Primary Draw

Application window: March 1 – April 7th, 2026
Hard cutoff: April 7 at 8 p.m. MT (don’t risk last-minute glitches).
Pro move: As soon as you submit, check the confirmation email. If something’s off, tweak your application any time before the deadline.

3. The Secondary Draw (Your Second Chance)

Missed the primary? You can still chase leftover deer, elk, pronghorn, and bear tags:

Detail	Key Info
Apps accepted	June 18 – June 30, 2026
Deadline	June 30 at 8 p.m. MT
Who can apply?	Anyone—no preference point history required
Youth advantage	Kids get first crack; they draw before adults
Points?	None used, none earned
Still required	Qualifying license, Habitat Stamp, application fees

4. Archery Elk Licenses for Nonresidents: Major Shift

If you’re a non-Coloradan hoping to fling arrows west of I-25 (plus GMU 140), over-the-counter tags are gone. You must now:

Buy a qualifying license and Habitat Stamp.
Enter the draw —or hope for a leftover tag in August.

A few OTC archery units remain east of I-25, but most sit on private ground where you’ll need landowner permission.

5. After the Brutal Winter of 2022-23

Historic snow hammered northwest Colorado, wiping out large numbers of deer, elk, and pronghorn. Biologists expect a 3–5-year recovery. Until herds rebound, license numbers in that region (including Ranching for Wildlife properties) stay trimmed. Thanks for sticking with the program while nature heals.

6. New Tag Opportunities

First Rifle Deer: Fresh licenses added in select GMUs (see brochure pp. 27–32).
Late-Season Cow Moose: Extra antlerless tags in several GMUs to meet management goals (see pp. 59–61).

7. License Surrender Deadlines

Changed your mind? Turn in your tag online and reclaim your points:

Draw	Surrender by (11:59 p.m. MT)
Primary	June 1, 2026
Secondary	July 9, 2026

License fees come back to you, and the tag is wiped from your account.

Draw results posted:

Primary: May 26–29, 2026
Secondary: July 7, 2025

8. Leftover & OTC Sales Day

Mark your calendar: 9 a.m. MT on August 4, 2026. That’s when:

Unpaid or surrendered limited tags hit the shelf.
Standard OTC tags launch too.

First come, first served—both online and at CPW vendors.

9. Need Help?

CPW’s Customer Service crew fields calls Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. at (303) 297-1192. You’ll also find how-to videos, hunt planners, and unit maps on the CPW website.

10. Don’t Skip the Brochure Fine Print

This rundown covers the biggest shifts, but the full story lives in the 2026 big-game and sheep/goat brochures—especially the “What’s New” pages. Give them a careful read before you apply.

What’s New in the 2026 Colorado Big Game Brochure by CPW:

Certain moose hunt codes will have limited quota in the draw in 2026:
Some of the quota for certain hunt codes for moose have been reserved for
2025 moose license holders who were affected by the 2025 fires. See chart
on page 58. Hunt codes shaded in orange in the moose hunt code tables
on pages 59–61 have limited quota available for the 2026 draw as a result.
Unless you were contacted directly by CPW about this opportunity, any other
2025 moose licenses held are not eligible for a guaranteed 2026 license.

■ Mandatory chronic wasting disease (CWD) testing for harvested elk in select
GMUs: In 2026, CPW will require mandatory submission of CWD test
samples (heads) from all elk harvested during any of the rifle seasons
from specific GMUs. There will be no charge for mandatory testing.
Get more information about where and how to submit a CWD sample
at cpw.state.co.us/cwd. See page 41 of the “Elk” section for a list of the
mandatory GMUs. There will be no mandatory CWD testing for harvested
deer in the 2026 seasons.

■ Expanded lifetime bag limits for moose: Lifetime bag limits for bull moose
will exclude those harvested with a Turn in Poachers (TIPs) license and
allow hunters to redeem a reward for their efforts to report wildlife crimes
without losing their regular opportunity to apply through the draw for
male or either-sex licenses for those species. CPW wishes to incentivize
hunters to report poaching and other illegal activities; CPW does not
want TIPS licenses to be a barrier to future hunting opportunities.

■ Boundary modifications for some GMUs: Updated descriptions for GMUs 97
and 99. See boundary descriptons on page 71 for more information.

■ Forest Service Closure (Unit 74): There will be a Forest Service closure on
Hermosa Park Rd. (FS 578) from Sept. 8–Oct. 13, 2026, which will affect
access to a major portion of GMU 74. Call the Columbine Ranger District
at 970-501-5830 for more information.

■ Elk antler-point restrictions altered for Ranching for Wildlife properties:
Antler-point restrictions for elk on Ranching for Wildlife (RFW) properties
will follow the antler point restrictions for the GMU in which the ranch is
located. See page 36.

■ New deer, elk, pronghorn, moose & bear changes: For detailed species-
specific new hunts and changes, see the individual species pages:
Deer: page 20 Pronghorn: page 53 Bear: page 62
Elk: page 35 Moose: page 58

■ First-season rifle deer buck hunts added for GMU groupings 75 & 751, and
77, 78 & 771: See pages 30–32.

■ Elk over-the-counter and nonresident archery hunts added in GMUs 59, 511,
581 & 591: GMUs added to valid over-the-counter antlerless archery units.
See page 38. License E-F-059-V1-A (GMUs 59, 511, 581 and 591) added to
limited nonresident archery licenses. See page 43.

■ Second and third-season rifle bull elk licenses in GMUs 54, 55 & 551 moved
from unlimited over-the-counter to limited: See pages 48 & 52.

■ Second-season rifle pronghorn doe hunt in GMU grouping 6, 16, 17, 161 and
171. See pages 56–57.

■ New resident moose bull and cow hunts for GMUs 55 & 551: See pages 59–61.

■ New private-land-only rifle bear hunt for units 3, 11, 211 & 301: See page 64.

■ Backcountry Search and Rescue surcharge increase: The Backcountry
Search and Rescue (BSAR) surcharge, a funding source for life-saving
search and rescue operations, has remained at $0.25 since its inception
in 1987. The increase to $1.25 addresses significant changes in both the
demand for, and the cost of, these essential services. Learn more about
Backcountry Search and Rescue at cpw.state.co.us/BSAR.

■ Reminder: Nonresident archery elk licenses: N onresidents can no longer
buy over-the-counter archery elk licenses for GMUs west of I-25 and GMU
140. For limited hunt codes for nonresident archery elk west of I-25, see
the hunt code table on page 43. These new limited nonresident archery elk
licenses can be applied for in the draw. Nonresidents can still hunt over
the counter in certain GMUs east of I-25 with hunt codes E-F-133-U1-A and
E-E-087-U1-A. See maps on pages 38 – 39 for more details.

■ Reminder: Draw changes coming in 2028: The Parks and Wildlife Commis-
sion approved policy recommendations from the appointed Draw Process
Working Group to reduce complexities within Colorado’s draw system
and address preference point issues. The updated draw policy will go in to
effect in 2028. See the updated policy at: cpw.state.co.us/2028-draw.

New Wild Bison is a Big-Game Species

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Commission approved regulations
giving bison a dual classification as both livestock and wildlife, following the
direction of the 2025 Protect Wild Bison Act (SB25-053). CPW regulations
are designed to implement SB25-053. CPW is not proposing regular bison
hunting seasons at this time. Under the new regulations, privately owned bison
herds will continue to be managed as livestock. However, free-ranging bison that
naturally enter the state from neighboring jurisdictions will now be managed as
wildlife, specifically as a big-game species under CPW authority.

About the free-ranging herd

SB25-053 was intended to protect wild bison coming into Colorado from the
Utah Book Cliffs bison herd northwest of Grand Junction and southwest of
Rangely. Prior to SB25-053, when Book Cliffs bison entered Colorado, they
were unprotected due to CPW’s domestic-animal classification in regulations.
In Utah, the Book Cliffs bison herd is managed by the Utah Division of Wild-
life Resources as big-game wildlife with regulated hunting.
The current population estimate of the Book Cliffs bison herd is 580 bison,
and there are approximately 130 bison in the sub-herd closest to Colorado.
Colorado district wildlife managers have confirmed approximately 12 bison
harvests in Colorado in the last 10 years with an estimated 25 bison harvested
in Colorado in the last 20 years. Note: Routine testing has resulted in no diseases
of concern detected in the Book Cliffs bison herd.

What’s next for hunters?

CPW is not proposing regular bison-hunting seasons at this time.
However, special management licenses may be issued if necessary to man-
age bison that enter the state and move into undesirable areas, or for disease
surveillance. Hunters interested in a chance at randomly drawing one of these
Director-approved special management licenses may submit an application
via cpw.state.co.us/bison-roster. (The 2026 application window closed Jan.
31, 2026.) Bison Roster applications are accepted Jan. 1–31, with one applica-
tion allowed per individual. If a Director-approved drawing occurs, successful
applicants will be notified using the information provided during the roster
application. These Director-approved licenses may occur on an as-needed
or case-by-case basis. Season dates or whether a season will take place are
unknown at this time.

For roster applicants, if your contact information changes or you would like
to remove your name from the bison roster, and for all other general Bison
Roster questions, please call 303-297-1192.

Note: Colorado currently has no confirmed wild bison herds.
CPW is currently engaging stakeholders to develop a Book Cliffs Bison Herd
Management Plan, which will establish the bison-management area and
population objectives. For additional bison information and resources, go to
cpw.state.co.us/bison