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 20, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer, Elk, Pronghorn, Bear & Moose | Application Period | March 1 - April 7, 8:00 PM MT | |
| Payment Deadline | June 12 | ||
| Draw Results Available | May 26-29 | ||
| Bighorn Sheep & Mountain Goat | Application Period | March 1 - April 7, 8:00 PM MT | |
| Payment Deadline | April 27 | ||
| Draw Results Available | April 16 | ||
| Secondary Draw | |||
| Deer, Elk, Pronghorn & Bear | |||
| Application Period | June 18-30, 8:00 PM MT | ||
| Payment Deadline | July 20 | ||
| Draw Results Available | July 6 | ||
| Leftover Ltd Licenses on Sale | August 4, 9:00 AM MT | ||
| OTC Licenses on Sale | August 4, 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
Important Notes on Statistics
1. RFW hunts are not displayed on the maps, 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 deer harvest may be understated | Archery deer hunts do not currently break out buck from doe hunters. This results in reported archery harvest rates for bucks running low, since doe hunters are also being counted as hunters who do not harvest bucks.
6. Public & private harvest not separated | As in most states, hunts on public and/or 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 included under a 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 all units under a hunt code combined, not for each individual unit.
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.
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 deer harvest may be understated | Archery deer hunts do not currently break out buck from doe hunters. This results in reported archery harvest rates for bucks running low, since doe hunters are also being counted as hunters who do not harvest bucks.
6. Public & private harvest not separated | As in most states, hunts on public and/or 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 included under a 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 all units under a hunt code combined, not for each individual unit.
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.
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.
About the Author
Dave is the MRS author for Colorado. I began working for Eastmans a few years ago as the database guy building the MRS Spreadsheets for all species in every state we cover. Now I perform Quality Control for those spreadsheets along with writing articles and blogs about what’s happening in Colorado.
I grew up hunting whitetails and small game in Pennsylvania with my father and grandfather. When I left, I went on to spend 28 years in the Army. My first assignment was Colorado, and once I began hunting here, I knew I wanted to return someday. During my time in the Service I was able to hunt in many places, including four years in Alaska. When I returned to Colorado about 25 years ago and eventually retired, I got right back into hunting here. Since my hunting career began, I’ve been hunting for well over 50 years, and I love hunting the wide variety of big game living here in Colorado.
Licenses Costs & Fees
| Fees Deducted at Time of Application | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Resident | Nonresident | Annual Habitat Stamps (18-64 yrs old) | $12.76 |
| Application Fee Per Species & Draw | $8.93 | $11.49 | |
| Lifetime Habitat Stamp | $382.91 | ||
| Pre-Qualifying Licenses to Apply for Big Game | |||
| Small Game | $35.74 | $102.11 | |
| Youth Small Game | $1.28 | $1.28 | |
| License Fees if Drawn | |||
| Species | Resident | Nonresident Hunting/Fishing Combo* | |
| Deer | $48.50 | $504.17 | |
| Deer Youth (12-17) | $17.55 | $127.32 | |
| Elk - Cow | $67.65 | $842.41 | |
| Elk - Bull or either sex | $67.65 | $842.41 | |
| Youth Elk (12-17) | $17.55 | $127.32 | |
| Pronghorn | $48.50 | $504.17 | |
| Pronghorn Youth (12-17) | $17.55 | $127.32 | |
| Moose, Bighorn Sheep, Desert Sheep, Mountain Goat | $382.91 | $2,820.78 | |
| Bear | $61.26 | $299.81 | |
| Bear Youth (12-17) | $17.18 | $61.35 | |
| NOTE: All license fees include a $1.25 Backcountry Search-and-Rescue fee and a $1.50 for the Wildlife Education Fund. All nonresident big-game licenses are a big-game and annual fishing combination license. Resident and nonresident youth: ages 12–17. 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 - 23 |
| November 4 - 30 | |
| December 15 - 31 | |
| Moose | September 5 - 30 |
| Pronghorn | Aug 15 - Sept 20 |
| Muzzleloader | |
| Deer, Elk & Moose | September 12-20 |
| Plains Deer (East I-25, except Unit 140) | October 10-18 |
| Pronghorn | September 21-29 |
| Any Weapon | |
| Elk-Limited (1st Season) | October 14-18 |
| Deer/Elk Combined (2nd Season) | Oct 24 - Nov 1 |
| Deer/Elk Combined (3rd Season) | November 7 - 15 |
| Deer/Elk Combined Limited (4th Season) | November 18-22 |
| Deer - Plains, Early (East of I-25, except Unit 140) | Oct 24 - Nov 3 |
| Deer - Plains, Late (East of I-25, except Unit 140) | December 1 - 14 |
| Moose | October 1 - 14 |
| Pronghorn (1st Season) | October 3-311 |
| Pronghorn (Optional 2nd Season) | October 3-11 |
| 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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