Learning About Colorado’s Hunting Rules and Regulations

Once you’ve earned your Hunter Education Certificate, you will be able to purchase a hunting license. Remember, it is your responsibility to know the laws and regulations of the state you are hunting in. Violating these laws and regulations can result in citations, fees, and even felony charges. Luckily, everything you need to know about Colorado’s laws and regulations is printed in our hunting and fishing brochures. Brochures are available at all Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) offices, state parks, and our license retailers, as well as online.

New brochures are printed every year and will always start with a “What’s New” section. Laws and regulations do change, and all of these changes will be listed in these brochures. Even if you’re a seasoned hunter, it is always wise to pick up a new brochure, so you can see if any new regulations are in place for the year.

CPW prints brochures that cover every species you can harvest in the state. You’ll find one for big game (deer, elk, pronghorn, moose, and bear); sheep and goat (bighorn sheep and mountain goat); small game and waterfowl; turkey; and mountain lion. Fishing regulation brochures are also available if you are an angler as well as a hunter.

CPW brochures give you all the information you need to be a safe and legal hunter in Colorado. They define the terms used, help with wildlife identification, explain laws and regulations, detail license fees and season dates, list bag and possession limits, and break down hunt codes. In this topic, we are going to dive into Colorado-specific laws and regulations and try to cover some of the most common mistakes made by hunters. Remember, you can find all of this information in one of our brochures.