Hunting Law in Colorado

Best thing first – during Rifle Season you can use your Cross Bow

Application Deadline for Big Game: April 2, 2013

SELECTING YOUR LICENSE
Limited Licenses
Unlimited Licenses
Private-Land Only Licenses
Left-Over Licenses

LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
You must meet hunter education requirements to purchase or apply for a big game license
You must have a license to hunt. Use your home mailing address in buying or applying for a license; business addresses are illegal
You must carry your license while hunting
You can hunt only the animal and season specified on your license
It is illegal to give false information to obtain a license. It is also illegal to loan, transfer, sell or give your license to someone or to alter your license.
It is illegal to sign or tear off the carcass tag before a kill.
If a license is lost or destroyed, a duplicate is available before opening day from a license agent for 1/2 the license fee, up to $ 25.00
Licenses expire at the end of season printed on them
Youths must be at least 12 years old and meet hunter education requirements to hunt deer, elk, pronghorn, black bear and moose. See “Youth Big Game Licenses”.

HUNTER EDUCATION (SAFETY)
Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1949, must have completed an approved hunter education course or bow hunter education course (for archery license only)

You also must carry your hunter education card when hunting, unless the words “Proof of Hunter Education Verified” were printed by the DOW on your CC or a “V” is printed on your license. Out-of-State hunters are encouraged to bring their hunter education card with them when coming to Colorado to hunt.

RESIDENCY QUALIFICATIONS
Who qualifies as a Colorado resident for a hunting license:

1. Anyone who has lived here continuously at least six months immediately before applying for or buying a license and who intends to make Colorado home (except # 2 below)
2. U.S. armed services personnel; military personnel of U.S. allies; U.S. diplomatic service personnel and diplomatic services of nations recognized by the U.S. military; personnel stationed here on permanent active duty orders or who were residents of Colorado when they entered the military (unless they changed home of record to another state).

BAG LIMITS
1. Application for limited license: you can submit only 1 application in the license drawing per species, per year. No exceptions.
2. Bag limits, license purchases: The bag and possession limit is the total number of animals taken on all licenses that a hunter can legally obtain in 2007 for each species.

NUMBER OF ALLOWABLE LICENSES
You can have more than 1 license per species, but you can submit only 1 application in the drawing or each species. No exceptions.

LEGAL HUNTING METHODS

1. CENTER-FIRE RIFLES
a. Must be .24 caliber (6mm) or larger
b. Must have at least a 16-inch barrel and be at least 26 inches long
c. If semiautomatic, they cannot hold more than 6 rounds on the magazine and chamber combined
d. Must use expanding bullets that weigh at least 70 grains for deer, pronghorn and bear, .85 grains for elk and moose, and have an impact energy (at 100 yards) of 1,000 ft. pounds as rated by the manufacturer.
e. It is illegal to hunt game birds, small game mammals or fur bearers with a center fire rifle larger than .23 caliber during the regular rifle deer and elk rifle seasons west of I-25 unless hunters have an unfilled deer or elk license for the season they are hunting. A small game license is still required.

2. FULLY AUTOMATIC RIFLES prohibited

3. MUZZLE LOADING RIFLES & SMOOTH BORE MUSKETS
a. In-line muzzle loaders are legal
b. Must be single-barrel that fires a single round-ball or conical projectile the length of which does not exceed twice the diameter.
c. To hunt deer, pronghorn or bear, they must be .40 caliber or larger
d. To hunt elk or moose, they must be .50 caliber or larger
e. From .40 caliber to .50 caliber, bullets must weigh at least 170 grains
f. If greater than .50 caliber, bullets must weigh at least 210 grains
g. Shotshell primers are legal
h. Pelletized powder systems prohibited in muzzle loading seasons
i . Cannot be loaded from the breech in muzzle loading seasons
j . Only open or iron sights allowed in muzzle loading seasons. Scopes prohibited. Fiber optic sights and fluorescent paints are legal. Artificial light, batteries and electronic gear are illegal
k. Sabots are prohibited in muzzle loading seasons. Cloth patches are not sabots

4. HAND-HELD BOWS means a long bow, recurved bow or compound bow on which the string is not drawn mechanically under tension. String or mechanical releases that are hand drawn or hand held without other attachments or connections to the bow (other than bowstring) are legal.

a. Hand-held bows, including compound bows, must use arrows equipped with a broadhead with an outside diameter or width of at least 7/8 inch with at least 2 steel cutting edges. Each cutting edge must be in same plane for entire length of cutting surface.
b. Only legal hand-held bows can be used by archery license holders during archery season
c. Min. draw weight of 35 lbs. required. Let-off max. of 80%
d. No part of bow’s riser (handle) or track, trough, channel, arrow rest or other device (excluding cables and bowstring) that attaches to riser can contact support and/or guide the arrow from a point rearward of the bow’s brace height behind the undrawn string.
e. Bows can propel only a single arrow at a time. No mechanism for automatically loading arrows permitted.
f. Scopes, electronics or battery-powered devices cannot be incorporated into or attached to the bow.
g. Hydraulic or pneumatic technology cannot be used to derive or store energy to propel arrows. Explosive arrows are prohibited.

5. SHOTGUNS
a. Must be 20 gauge or larger and fire a single slug
b. Barrel length must be min. 18 inches with min. overall length of 26 inches.

6. CROSS BOWS
a. Draw weight must be min. 125 lbs.
b. Draw length must be min. 14 inches from front of bow to nocking point of drawstring
c. Positive mechanical safety device required
d. Bolt must be at least 16 inches long, have a broadhead at least 7/8-inch wide and at least 2 steel cutting edges. Each cutting edge must be in same plane for entire length of cutting surface
e. Cannot be used in archery season

7. HANDGUNS
a. Barrels must be at least 4 inches long
b. .24 caliber (6mm) or larger diameter expanding bullet required
c. Shoulder stocks or attachments prohibited
d. Must use cartridge or load that produces min. energy of 550 ft lbs. at 50 yds.
e. Allowed in the field only if not concealed.

8. CALLS
a. Mechanical calls are legal, including mouth calls
b. Electronic calls, such as amplified cassette players, are prohibited for big game hunting.

This goes on and on, for additional information please check the web site of the Division of Wildlife at www.wildlife.state.co.us