Colorado River Emergency Closure
Effective immediately, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has issued an emergency closure for all public access and downstream recreation on the Colorado River starting at James M. Robb-Colorado River State Park in Fruita and extending to the Utah state line. This closure is necessary for firefighter and public safety due to the Snyder Fire currently burning in McInnis Canyon. Learn more.
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A moose standing in a forested area with green vegetation
Hunting Moose
There are telltale ways to tell different animals apart. Don’t just look at an animal’s antlers, study the entire head and body of an animal before you shoot.
■ Body: black or dark brown with paler gray legs and belly
■ Neck: large bell (beard) on throat
■ Snout: overhanging, bulbous nose
■ Rump: same color as rest of body
■ Bulls: palmated antlers with tines
ATTENTION! Moose can be found in the same habitat as elk in Colorado. Moose hunters must know the difference between the two species to avoid accidentally killing a elk.
The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are in charge of road closures. Roads are closed seasonally for many reasons. Some roads are closed to protect wildlife at critical times of the year; others are closed because they are not passable due to snow, snow drifts and ice or to protect the road bed. Please be aware that road closure information is subject to change daily.
Colorado is a high wildfire area, and there are often fire restriction and/or bans around the state. Some planned, or prescribed, burns occur during hunting seasons, which can lead to road closures. Closures of areas can change quickly (even daily or hourly) and your hunting destination or access route may be affected. Prior to license purchase, scouting or hunting, learn about closures and plan alternative routes and areas to hunt.
If you’ll be camping during your hunting trip, please help protect our forests by buying your firewood in Colorado. Firewood can spread harmful insect pests and diseases such as emerald ash borer, sirex wood wasp, gypsy moth, Asian longhorned beetle and oak wilt disease. If you have firewood from another state, please burn it immediately. For more information, visit our Invasive Species pages or contact the Colorado Department of Agriculture at (303) 239-4140.
Learn about altitude sickness: what it is, the symptoms, how to lessen your chances of being affected, and treatments. The lowest point in Colorado is 3,317 feet above sea level, so altitude sickness can affect you even if you aren't venturing into Colorado's high country.
Each member of the hunting party should provide contact information, a schedule with planned locations, and other information that can be used to locate the person to their family or friends. Instruct family members and/or friends on the procedure to follow should it be necessary to contact you in an emergency.
All off-highway vehicles operated in Colorado on public lands or traveling on an OHV-designated route must have a valid Colorado OHV registration or permit. Vehicle use is limited to transporting hunters and downed game.
Find out moreFor more important information, see the 'Hunting Laws' and 'Moose' pages within the Big Game Hunting regulations brochure.
15 percent of Colorado's moose mortality each year comes from illegal kills. The fine for illegally killing a moose is $1,370. If you observe someone, or know of someone, illegally shooting a moose, report it to wildlife authorities immediately. Provide as much information as possible about the circumstances, including the incident location and description or identity of the shooter.
It is illegal in Colorado for anyone to prevent or interfere with an individual’s ability to participate in hunting and trapping.
This includes, but is not limited to, alarming, distracting, or frightening prey; causing prey to flee by using light or noise; chasing prey on foot or by vehicle; throwing objects; making movements; harassing hunters by using threats or actions; erecting barriers to deny access to hunting areas; and intentionally injecting yourself into the line of fire. Violators face criminal prosecution and may have to pay damages to the victim, as well as court costs.
If, while hunting, you feel you are being harassed, remain calm and composed, avoiding confrontation or arguing. You should seek assistance from law enforcement personnel. Contact the nearest Colorado Parks and Wildlife office, the Colorado State Patrol, or the local police or sheriff’s department. Report incidents immediately or as soon after their occurrence as is reasonable.
Penalties upon conviction for this misdemeanor include a fine between $500 and $1000, twenty license-suspension points, damages, and court costs.
Trespassing
Going onto private lands without getting permission first while hunting, fishing or performing any related activity is illegal. Private lands do not need to be posted or fenced, so it can be difficult to see boundaries. Violators may be suspended for up to 5 years for trespassing. This includes State Land Board properties not leased and signed to CPW, unless permission is given by the lessee. You must have permission from the landowner to enter private land to retrieve a harvested animal. First, you should try to contact the landowner on your own. If that effort fails, call the local CPW office.
Failing to make a reasonable attempt to track and kill animals you shoot at, wound or may have wounded. Including immediately going to the location where wildlife was located when it was fired upon.
Remember that it’s against the law to pursue wounded wildlife that goes on private property without first obtaining permission from the landowner or person in charge. You must still attempt to gain permission to enter and locate the animal.
Failing to reasonably dress, care for, prepare and provide edible wildlife meat for human consumption.
At a minimum, the four quarters, tenderloins and backstraps are edible meat. Internal organs are not considered edible meat.
Hunting without a proper license.
Anyone who hunts wildlife must have in their possession the appropriate and valid Colorado resident or nonresident license that includes their Customer Identification (CID) number, and must only harvest wildlife of the species and type indicated on the license.
Mistakenly killing wildlife.
You must report big-game animals unintentionally killed, not due to carelessness or negligence to a CPW office (or a local Sheriff’s office after CPW regular hours) before continuing the hunt and as soon as practical. Before contacting CPW, field dress the animal. CPW evaluates the circumstances, including shots fired, species and number of animals present, firearms, ammunition, etc. Big game accidentally killed does not count toward annual bag limits.
Not showing evidence of sex.
Be sure to leave evidence of sex naturally attached to the carcass. Evidence includes the head, the vulva or the scrotum.
Carrying loaded firearms while in or on any motor vehicle.
Firearms must be unloaded in the chamber. Muzzleloading rifles are considered unloaded if the percussion cap or shotshell primer is removed, or if the powder is removed from the flashpan. It is illegal for anyone to have a loaded electronic ignition muzzleloader in or on a motor vehicle; the chamber must be unloaded or the battery must be disconnected and removed from its compartment. Most accidents involving firearms occur in or near vehicles.
Carrying loaded firearms (except handguns) must be unloaded in the chamber and magazine.
Firearms (except handguns) and bows must be fully enclosed in a hard or soft case. Scabbards or cases with open ends or sides are prohibited. This does not apply to landowners or their agents who carry a firearm on an OHV to take depredating wildlife on property they own or lease.
Improperly voiding and/or attaching a carcass tag.
You must sign and detach the carcass tag from your hunting license immediately following taking your animal. It is illegal to sign or tear the carcass tag before harvest. The tag must also be attached to the animal properly.
Shooting from or across a public road with a firearm, bow or crossbow.
People firing a bow, rifle, handgun or shotgun with a single slug must be at least 50 feet from the centerline of the road.
If convicted of these violations, you may face a life-time hunting license suspension in Colorado.
By switching to lead-free ammunition, hunters can help protect our country’s most beloved birds and wildlife, promote healthy ecosystems and conserve our natural heritage.
Hunters Did Not Hunt or Harvest a Moose
If hunters did not hunt and did not harvest, they are still required to submit a completed mandatory report within 30 days after the close of the season.
Hunters Did Harvest a Moose
Hunters are required to bring their harvest in for inspection on or before the 5th business day after harvest. The hunter must be present at the inspection. The hunter needs to bring the head with antlers naturally attached, the lower jaw and the Mandatory Report Form. Cow moose hunters do not have to bring the head as long as they bring the animal's incisor. During the inspection the hunter will provide days hunted, harvest location, (GMU and drainage), harvest date and manner of take. CPW will collect antler measurements, a tooth for aging, hunt and harvest information, and complete the Mandatory Report Form. There is no proof of inspection for moose.
Mandatory Checks Phone Number: 303-291-7278
Mark Your Harvest Site with Your GPS
Hunters are encouraged to mark the location of their harvest in the field. Harvest location data is collected during the mandatory check inspections - recording the harvest location ahead of time will simplify and expedite the inspection process.
Ear Tags and Radio Collars
If you harvest an animal with a collar or ear tag, report the number and color on the collar or ear tag along with the harvest location and date to CPW and return the collar. Find a CPW office.
Tooth Extraction During Inspection
During mandatory checks a small tooth will be extracted and sent to a lab for age determination. For more accurate results, hunters should make sure that the head is not frozen during and that the jaw is propped open before rigor sets in.
Age data is then provided online so hunters can look up the age of their harvested animal by seal number. For privacy reasons, hunter’s names are not posted. The results also include some animals that died as road-kills and other forms of mortality.
Carcass Tags
Be sure to sign and detach your carcass tag from your hunting license immediately after harvesting your animal. Carefully cut notches around the sides of the carcass tag to indicate the date of harvest and the sex of the animal. The carcass tag should be attached to the carcass (not to detached head or hide carried separately) immediately prior to and during transportation in any vehicle, or while in camp or at a residence or other place of storage. Tags must stay on until meat is processed and remain with meat until consumed. It is illegal to sign the tag before harvesting an animal.
Do not remove any parts of a license except the carcass tag only after harvest. Doing so voids the license and you must buy a duplicate. The upper part of the license must be kept by whoever harvested the animal.
If you lose, accidentally destroy or detach the tag, you must buy a duplicate from a Colorado Parks and Wildlife office before hunting and prove the loss, detachment or destruction was accidental. If you have a nonresident big game/fishing combo license, the fishing license is valid after the carcass tag is detached, as long as the rest of the license is intact.
Evidence of Sex
Transporting Game
Carcasses must have the carcass tag and evidence of sex attached. The carcass tag must be securely attached to the carcass, not the head or hide, or must accompany processed meat. Hunters must keep the top half of their own license. Donation certificates (for 20 pounds of meat or less) must accompany processed game meat.
What is chronic wasting disease (CWD)?
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurological disease that attacks the brains of deer, elk and moose. It causes animals to become emaciated, display abnormal behavior and eventually die. Infected animals often show no signs of illness.
Voluntary Testing
During the mandatory moose inspection, hunters may choose to have their moose tested for chronic wasting disease. The $25 CWD testing fee is waived for voluntary moose testing.
If you see a poaching incident, report it. Look at it this way: if you saw someone breaking into your neighbor's house, would you just stand by and watch? Of course not; you would report it. Poaching is a crime against you, your neighbor, and everyone else in the state of Colorado. Call 1-877-COLO-OGT toll-free or Verizon cell phone users can simply dial #OGT.
