Deer - In the Field
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Hunting Deer
In the Field
Colorado offers a variety of deer hunting opportunities for both white-tailed deer and mule deer. Get started on planning your next Colorado hunting adventure.
Special Edition
Colorado Outdoors Hunting Guide
This special to Colorado Outdoors is loaded with great content including articles on hunting during rut, staying safe in the field, guided youth hunts, preparing for Colorado's temperature swings, hunting dusky grouse, and so much more!
Safety First
Hunter Orange and Pink
HUNTERS MUST WEAR FLUORESCENT ORANGE OR PINK DURING CERTAIN HUNTING SEASONS.
The law requires hunters to wear at least 500 square inches of solid daylight fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink material on an outer garment above the waist while hunting deer, elk, pronghorn, moose or bear with any firearm license. A fluorescent orange or pink hat or head covering, visible from all directions, is also required. Camouflage orange or pink does not qualify. Mesh garments are legal but not recommended. This includes all muzzleloader hunters. It also includes archery hunters who hunt during rifle seasons.
Archers hunting during the limited Sept. rifle bear season, archers with an archery bear, deer, elk, pronghorn or moose license, and archers licensed for private land hunting through the Ranching for Wildlife program do not have to wear fluorescent orange or pink, but should consider wearing it to increase safety while in the field.
Auction- and raffle-license holders do not have to wear orange or pink when hunting with archery equipment when no rifle seasons are open. If using a ground blind or pop-up blind, hunters should display orange or pink that is visible from all directions on the outside of the blind.
CPW RECOMMENDS WEARING FLUORESCENT ORANGE OR PINK CLOTHES IN THE FIELD, EVEN IF NOT HUNTING.
Archery deer, elk, moose and bear hunters are encouraged to wear hunter orange or pink during the overlapping archery and muzzleloader seasons to help address safety concerns. Wearing orange or pink is for hunter safety, as big-game animals don’t see these colors like we do: Movement, sound and smell are what give hunters away.
Get Ready for Hunting Season
Sight In Your Hunting Rifle
While hunters can sight-in big game rifles on some public lands, both private and public gun ranges often have sight-in days. Colorado offers convenient and diverse public shooting ranges that are open all year round, and a large number of private ranges invite the public in as guests or offer public 'sight-in' days just before major hunting seasons. Be sure to contact the range nearest you for details.
Register an Off Highway Vehicle
All off-highway vehicles operated in Colorado on public lands or traveling on an OHV-designated route must have a valid Colorado registration or permit. Off highway vehicle use is limited to transporting hunters and downed game. Straying off designated roads and trails into areas that are closed can disturb wildlife and reduce hunter success. Contact each public land management agency for their current motor vehicle-use rules, regulations, agency maps and game retrieval specifications and hours. If you witness or observe a violation of OHV misuse on public lands, please report it to any law enforcement officer in that area.
Grow Your Archery Skills
Get ready for archery season by taking a Bowhunter Education class. The course covers archery equipment, proper use of tree stands and hunting techniques.
Know Your Deer
Mule Deer
TRAITS
- TAIL: rope-like tail with black tip
- ANTLERS: fork and then fork again, usually very evenly, on older males
- EARS: large in proportion to head on both bucks and does
- GAIT: stiff-legged bounce, tail held down
- RANGE: statewide; in mountain shrubs, foothills, communities
Mule Deer Buck
Rope-like tail with black tip
Mule Deer Doe
White-tailed Deer
TRAITS
- TAIL: broad and brown with white fringe; all white when the tail is up
- ANTLERS: consist of one main beam with three to five tines pointing upward
- EARS: smaller in proportion to the head
- GAIT: move with a graceful lope, flag-like tail often held up
- RANGE: common on Eastern Plains; in streamside woodland areas; cropland along rivers
Tail - white when the tail is up
White-tailed Buck
Know Before You Go
Road Closures
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.
Fire Restrictions and Prescribed Burns
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.
Firewood
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.
Altitude Sickness
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.
Information to Leave for Friends and Family
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.
Register Your Off Highway Vehicle
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 moreVideo: Big Game Backpack
Big Game Backpack - After the Harvest
Check out what Colorado Area Wildlife Manager Jason Duetsch carries with him in his big game pack after he harvests a nice Colorado mule deer buck.
virtual scouting tool
The Colorado Hunting Atlas
The Colorado Hunting Atlas allows users to view big game concentrations and game management units on top of street maps, USGS topographic maps or high resolution color aerial photography. The Hunter Resource Report allows hunters to create a list of important emergency and contact information, field office locations, campgrounds, CPW sales agents and more.
Harvesting a Deer
Ear Tags and Radio Collars
If you shoot an animal with a collar or ear tag, report the number, color, harvest location and date to CPW, and return the radio collars.
Carcass Tags
Be sure to sign and detach your carcass tag from your hunting license directly after you harvest your animal, and make sure you attach it properly. The carcass tag should be attached to the carcass (not to detached hides, horns or antlers 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
- It is illegal to have or transport a big-game carcass without evidence of sex naturally attached. It is illegal to have only detached evidence of sex accompany the carcass. If you submit a deer for CWD testing, leave evidence of sex on the carcass.
- EVIDENCE OF SEX IS:
Buck: Head with antlers or horns attached to carcass; or testicle, scrotum or penis attached to carcass.
Doe: Head, udder (mammary) or vulva attached to carcass. - Heads detached from carcass are not adequate evidence of sex.
- If a carcass is cut in pieces or deboned, evidence of sex needs to be attached to a quarter or another major part of the carcass. All portions must be transported together.
- Evidence of sex is not required if a donation certificate accompanies less than 20 pounds of meat or after the carcass is cut into processed meat, wrapped and frozen, or stored at the licensee’s home.
TIP: If you shoot a young buck with antlers less than 5 inches long, it can be considered “antlerless.”
But what do you do about evidence of sex?
- Leave the head and antlers naturally attached to a portion of the carcass to prove it meets the requirement.
- Leave the testicles attached to a portion of the carcass, and then you can detach the head or skull plate and carry it out with the antlers intact.
Tips for Safely Handling Game Meat
Most of the time, properly handled and prepared game meat poses no greater risk than domestic meat of causing or carrying disease that could make humans sick. Hunters are encouraged to contact their local public health department or CPW office for information on wildlife diseases where they plan to hunt.
Public health officials recommend the following precautions when handling and preparing game meat:
- Do not handle animals that are obviously sick or found dead. Report sick or dead animals you find to a CPW office near you.
- Keep game cool, clean and dry.
- Do not eat, drink or smoke while dressing game.
- Use disposable gloves when cleaning game.
- Wash your hands with soap and water or use alcohol wipes after dressing game.
- Clean all tools and surfaces immediately after use. Use hot soapy water, then disinfect with a 10 percent chlorine bleach solution.
- Cook game meat to an internal temperature of at least 165° F to kill disease organisms and parasites. Juices from adequately cooked game meat should be clear.
- Do not eat any raw portions of wild game.
- Do not feed raw wild game to domestic pets.
Transporting Game
You can be cited for illegally transporting game animals even if someone else made an error. When you transport carcasses or processed meat:
- Carcasses must be properly tagged. You must meet evidence of sex and antler-point requirements. Hunters must keep their own license.
- Carcass tags or donation certificates (for 20 pounds of meat or less) must accompany processed game meat.
- Carcass tags must be securely attached to carcass, not antlers or horns, or must accompany processed meat.
- Hunters transporting game through national parks or monuments must follow federal regulations. Contact the National Park Service.
- To ship by commercial carrier, the license, photocopy of license, carcass tag or donation certificate must accompany carcass or processed 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.
Where is it?
CWD has been found in several regions in Colorado, as well as other states and provinces. For deer, infection rates tend to be highest in prime-aged mature bucks.
Mandatory Testing 2024
In 2024, CPW will require mandatory submission of CWD test samples (heads) from all deer harvested during rifle seasons from specific hunt codes to better evaluate the prevalence of CWD in herds. There will be no charge for mandatory testing. Not all hunt codes in a unit were selected for mandatory CWD testing.
Voluntary Testing
If a hunter is not selected for mandatory testing but wants to know whether their harvested deer or elk has CWD, they can submit their animal's head and pay a testing fee of $25. In 2024, testing fees for voluntary submissions will be waived for all moose statewide and all deer from hunt codes that were not selected for mandatory testing but are within the same GMUs that were selected for mandatory testing (see list of GMUs in the Colorado Big Game Brochure). Voluntary submissions are accepted annually statewide.
About the Big Game Harvest Survey
Annually from mid-October through mid-February CPW contracts with an outside firm to collect hunt and harvest information from deer hunters. Only those hunters who have been randomly selected by Colorado Parks and Wildlife are eligible to take the survey.
Each year Colorado has over 300,000 deer, elk and pronghorn hunters making it infeasible to contact each individual hunter by February. Therefore, approximately 175,000 hunters are randomly selected to participate in the annual harvest survey. The information gathered from the participating hunters is then used with information collected by CPW biologists to estimate annual big-game harvest and population numbers. An important part of setting seasons and license numbers for next year comes from harvest survey responses.
New for 2024: CPW will use text messages (in addition to the usual emails and phone calls) to notify hunters that they have a survey to complete.
Complete the Survey
To complete your Big Game Harvest Survey you can click on the links in the email, text message, button below, or by talking to the operator. Live operators are available to assist you daily from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Mountain Time at 1-855-9BGHARV (1-855-924-4278).
Individual hunters are asked a series of questions related to their experience including:
- Did you hunt?
- Where did you hunt?
- How many days did you hunt?
- Did you harvest an animal?
- What species did you harvest?
- Were you satisfied with the herd?
Hunters can also choose to answer an additional 5 questions to inform herd management planning.
Know the Rules
Read the Colorado Big Game Hunting Brochure! The first 19 pages have all of your basic hunting information: new changes, license information, options and sales dates, general information, hunting laws, application information, and deadlines, and how to read the hunt code tables.
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.
The Top 10 Most Common Hunting Violations in Colorado
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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.
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Failing to make a reasonable attempt to track and kill animals you wound or may have wounded.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
- Killing and abandoning big game wildlife. It is illegal to remove only the hide, antlers or other trophy parts and leave the carcass in the field.
- Selling, purchasing, or offering to sell or purchase big game.
- Soliciting someone to illegally take big game for commercial gain or providing outfitting services without required registration.
Report Mistakes
If you make a mistake, your best course of action is to contact an officer as soon as possible. While you will still be subject to penalties, they could be less severe if the officer determines that you are cooperative, that the error was not intentional, or that it was unavoidable given the circumstances.
Find an Office
Call the nearest Colorado Parks and Wildlife office and they will assist you with finding the appropriate officer in your area.
Find out moreColorado State Patrol
For after-hours emergencies, call the Colorado State Patrol at 303-239-4501.
Find out more
You Can Help Stop Poaching
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.