All Species Primary Draw Application Deadline!
Written by Dave Shaffer
Projected Application Deadlines
| Species | Date Type | Resident/Non-resident | Taghub Data Access | Primary Draw | February 14, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer, Elk, Pronghorn, Bear & Moose | Application Period | March 1 - April 1, 8:00 PM MT | |
| Payment Deadline | June 13 | ||
| Draw Results Available | May 27-30 | ||
| Bighorn Sheep & Mountain Goat | Application Period | March 1 - April 1, 8:00 PM MT | |
| Payment Deadline | April 29 | ||
| Draw Results Available | April 15 | ||
| Secondary Draw | |||
| Deer, Elk, Pronghorn & Bear | |||
| Application Period | June 19-27, 8:00 PM MT | ||
| Payment Deadline | July 21 | ||
| Draw Results Available | July 7 | ||
| Leftover Ltd Licenses on Sale | August 5, 9:00 AM MT | ||
| OTC Licenses on Sale | August 5, 9:00 AM MT | ||
| Reissue License on Sale | August 12, 11:00 AM MT | ||
| Dates are subject to change. Please check the regulations. | |||
Important Notes on Statistics 1. RFW hunts are not displayed, as the state does not provide mapping data for them.
2. “Buck: 100 Does” Ratios and “# of Rams” Population Estimates are by Herd, not by Unit | Colorado only reports population statistics by Data Analysis Unit (DAU), which can cover several units; these unit figures reflect that.
3. Concurrent Hunts Understate “Hunters /100 Sq Mi” | This column reports the number of hunters for the specific species being looked at; however, there may also be hunters for other sex and/or species.
4. Buck Success is for Buck Hunters Only | Colorado is great about separating hunter numbers by whether they were pursuing bucks or does, thereby giving more accurate harvest numbers than most other states.
5. Archery Harvest May be Understated | Archery hunts do not currently break out buck from doe hunters. This results in reported harvest rates for bucks running low, since doe hunters are also being counted as hunters but do not harvest bucks.
6. Public & Private Harvest Not Separated | As in most states, hunts on public and private land are not separated for harvest reporting unless it was a private land only (PLO) hunt. (Of note: In eastern Colorado, east of I-25, private land runs close to 100% in many units.)
7. Identical Draw Info for Related Units | Many hunts for deer and elk have more than one valid unit. Each valid unit in that hunt code will have identical draw information.
8. Don’t Add Up the Quotas for Each Unit in a Hunt Code | The tags available are for the hunt code, not each unit under that code.
9. Private land only (PLO) hunts sometimes show the unit-wide harvest success for buck deer and bull elk success because the state consolidates all seasons and sexes together in its harvest report for these hunts. Dividing antlered harvest by the listed hunters would give an inaccurate buck or bull success number, so unit-wide success for that season is the best approximation. A few archery hunts list N/A because the state consolidates antlered, either-sex and antlerless hunts.
10. Most ranching for wildlife (RFW) hunts are N/A for harvest success because the state reports success for RFW hunts using the entire unit rather than by ranch.
2. “Buck: 100 Does” Ratios and “# of Rams” Population Estimates are by Herd, not by Unit | Colorado only reports population statistics by Data Analysis Unit (DAU), which can cover several units; these unit figures reflect that.
3. Concurrent Hunts Understate “Hunters /100 Sq Mi” | This column reports the number of hunters for the specific species being looked at; however, there may also be hunters for other sex and/or species.
4. Buck Success is for Buck Hunters Only | Colorado is great about separating hunter numbers by whether they were pursuing bucks or does, thereby giving more accurate harvest numbers than most other states.
5. Archery Harvest May be Understated | Archery hunts do not currently break out buck from doe hunters. This results in reported harvest rates for bucks running low, since doe hunters are also being counted as hunters but do not harvest bucks.
6. Public & Private Harvest Not Separated | As in most states, hunts on public and private land are not separated for harvest reporting unless it was a private land only (PLO) hunt. (Of note: In eastern Colorado, east of I-25, private land runs close to 100% in many units.)
7. Identical Draw Info for Related Units | Many hunts for deer and elk have more than one valid unit. Each valid unit in that hunt code will have identical draw information.
8. Don’t Add Up the Quotas for Each Unit in a Hunt Code | The tags available are for the hunt code, not each unit under that code.
9. Private land only (PLO) hunts sometimes show the unit-wide harvest success for buck deer and bull elk success because the state consolidates all seasons and sexes together in its harvest report for these hunts. Dividing antlered harvest by the listed hunters would give an inaccurate buck or bull success number, so unit-wide success for that season is the best approximation. A few archery hunts list N/A because the state consolidates antlered, either-sex and antlerless hunts.
10. Most ranching for wildlife (RFW) hunts are N/A for harvest success because the state reports success for RFW hunts using the entire unit rather than by ranch.
Licenses Costs & Fees
| Fees Deducted at Time of Application | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Resident | Nonresident | Annual Habitat Stamps (18-64 yrs old) | $12.47 |
| Application Fee Per Species & Draw | $8.00 | $10.00 | |
| Lifetime Habitat Stamp | $374.47 | ||
| Pre-Qualifying Licenses to Apply for Big Game | |||
| Small Game | $35.76 | $98.92 | |
| Youth Small Game | $1.46 | $1.46 | |
| License Fees if Drawn | |||
| Species | Resident | Nonresident Hunting/Fishing Combo* | |
| Deer | $47.91 | $481.52 | |
| Deer Youth (12-17) | $18.45 | $122.91 | |
| Elk - Cow | $66.12 | $803.39 | |
| Elk - Bull or either sex | $66.12 | $803.39 | |
| Youth Elk (12-17) | $18.45 | $122.91 | |
| Pronghorn | $47.91 | $481.52 | |
| Pronghorn Youth (12-17) | $18.45 | $122.91 | |
| Moose, Bighorn Sheep, Desert Sheep, Mountain Goat | $366.13 | $2,686.04 | |
| Bear | $60.05 | $251.75 | |
| Bear Youth (12-17) | $17.85 | $59.89 | |
| NOTE: All prices include a 25-cent search-and-rescue fee, a $1.50 for the Wildlife Council surcharge. *All nonresident big-game licenses are a big-game and annual fishing combination license. Fishing licenses are good through March 31. | |||
| Preference Point Fees | |||
| No preference point fees for deer, elk, pronghorn or bear | |||
| Rocky Mountain and Desert Bighorn Sheep, Moose & Mountain Goat | $50 | $100 | |
| Prices are subject to change. Please check the regulations. Important Note: Anyone ages 18-64 MUST purchase a Habitat Stamp in order to buy or apply for a preference point or for a hunting or fishing license. For more information, read about the Habitat Stamp. If you are disabled, you may not need a Habitat Stamp. See disability information. | |||
Season Dates
| Archery | Deer/elk (west of I-25 and Unit 140) | September 2 - 30 |
|---|---|
| Plains deer (east of I-25, except Unit 140) | October 1 - 25 |
| November 6 - 30 | |
| December 15 - 31 | |
| Moose | September 7 - 30 |
| Pronghorn | Aug 15 - Sept 20 |
| Muzzleloader | |
| Deer, Elk & Moose | September 14 - 22 |
| Plains Deer (East I-25, except Unit 140) | October 12 - 20 |
| Pronghorn | September 21-29 |
| Any Weapon | |
| Elk-Limited (1st Season) | October 12-16 |
| Deer/Elk Combined (2nd Season) | Oct 29 - Nov 3 |
| Deer/Elk Combined (3rd Season) | November 9 - 15 |
| Deer/Elk Combined Limited (4th Season) | November 23-27 |
| Deer - Plains, Early (East of I-25, except Unit 140) | Oct 26 - Nov 5 |
| Deer - Plains, Late (East of I-25, except Unit 140) | December 1 - 14 |
| Moose | October 1 - 14 |
| Pronghorn | October 5 - 13 |
| Bighorn Sheep & Mountain Goat | Varies by Unit/Weapon |
| Check the regulation brochures for more specifics and variations. | |
Agency Information
| Colorado Parks & Wildlife Offices | |
|---|---|
| Brush | 970.842.6300 |
| Colorado Springs | 719.227.5200 |
| Denver | 303.291.7227 |
| Durango | 970.247.0855 |
| Fort Collins | 970.472.4300 |
| Glenwood Springs | 970.947.2920 |
| Grand Junction | 970.255.6100 |
| Gunnison | 970.641.7060 |
| Hot Sulphur Springs | 970.725.6200 |
| Lamar | 719.336.6600 |
| Littleton | 303.791.1957 |
| Meeker | 970.8786090 |
| Monte Vista | 719.587.6900 |
| Montrose | 970.252.6000 |
| Pueblo | 719.561.5300 |
| Salida | 719.530.5520 |
| Steamboat Springs | 970.870.2197 |
| Draw Results: 307.777.4655 | |
| CO Outfitters Assoc.: 970.824.2468 | ColoradoOutfitters.org | |
| CO BLM Office: 303.2393600 | |
| CO USFS Reg Office: 303.275.5350 | |
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