Hunting Mountain Lion
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A mountain lion in a tree.
Hunting
Mountain Lion Licenses
Mountain lion licenses are over-the-counter licenses only and go on sale in March each year. Mountain lion season starts in the fall and continues into spring of the new year. See the brochure for specific dates.
Requirements for Hunting Mountain Lion in Colorado
Required: Mountain Lion Education Certificate
Hunters are required to complete the exam to purchase a mountain lion hunting license and hunt mountain lions in Colorado.
Who else should get this certificate?
Guides, outfitters, and houndsmen wanting to provide guided lion hunts are encouraged to take the course and exam.
Mountain Lion Exam
Take the mountain lion exam online or find an in-person testing location near you.
Take the ExamNote: Check the Colorado Mountain Lion Hunting Brochure for dates and regulations.
License & Habitat Stamp Fees
Licenses
Hunters may harvest one mountain lion, either sex, per license year (April 1–March 31). Hunters may harvest one mountain lion from Nov. 24, 2025–March 31, 2026, depending on the valid season dates for the unit you are hunting.
Habitat Stamps
License Type |
Details |
Fee |
|---|---|---|
|
Habitat Stamp (required & nonrefundable) |
Only one is required per person, ages 18–64, per year buying or applying for a license. |
$12.47 |
|
Lifetime Habitat Stamp |
$374.47 |
License
License Type |
Details |
Fee |
|---|---|---|
|
Resident Mountain Lion License |
$61.62 |
All license prices include a 25-cent search-and-rescue fee and a $1.50 fee for the Wildlife Education Fund.
Habitat Stamps
License Type |
Details |
Fee |
|---|---|---|
|
Habitat Stamp (required & nonrefundable) |
Only one is required per person, ages 18–64, per year buying or applying for a license. |
$12.47 |
|
Lifetime Habitat Stamp |
$374.47 |
License
License Type |
Details |
Fee |
|---|---|---|
|
Nonresident Mountain Lion License |
$825.03 |
All license prices include a 25-cent search-and-rescue fee and a $1.50 fee for the Wildlife Education Fund.
Available Lion Harvest Limit Report
During active lion seasons, hunters are required to check the Available Lion Harvest Limit Report for unit closures after 5 pm the day prior to hunting. Open the report below or learn more about the report.
Opportunities for Everyone
Youth Hunters
Youth hunters have youth-only hunting opportunities including small game, extended seasons for deer, elk, and pronghorn, and hunter outreach opportunities for big game (including moose), small game, waterfowl, and turkey hunting experiences.
Nonresident Hunters
Nonresident hunters have a percentage of deer, elk, bighorn sheep, and mountain goat licenses set aside for them. They can also participate in group hunts and are eligible for a combo hunting and fishing license.
Resident Hunters
Residents have the option to participate in both big game draws, and apply for or purchase hybrid draw licenses, leftover licenses, reissued licenses, over-the-counter licenses, fishing and hunting combo licenses, raffle licenses, group hunts, and ranching for wildlife hunts.
Hunters Experiencing Disabilities
Resident hunters experiencing disabilities can request accommodations for visual and physical disabilities to assist with their hunts.
New Hunters
New hunters can apply to go on mentored big game, small game, waterfowl, pheasant, and turkey hunts with the hunter outreach program, participate in a year long hunting experience with the rookie sportsperson program, and continue to broaden their skills past their initial hunter education course with regularly offered hunting classes to practice and hone techniques. Specific classes are also offered for women to learn in a comfortable environment.
Hunters in the Military
Colorado residents who are deployed active duty military can apply to purchase leftover hunting licenses or receive a preference point in advance, or apply for a refund if deployed after their purchase. Veterans experiencing disabilities can apply for a lifetime combo fishing hunting license, and apply for accommodation while hunting. Veterans may also apply for big game licenses through the Wounded Warrior program.
Season Dates
Mountain Lion Season Dates
Hunt dates for mountain lion are the same for all designated hunt locations. Download the Mountain Lion Brochure for location and harvest limit details.
Mountain Lion Hunting Brochure
Be sure to read the “What’s New” pages to see a full list of changes on tap for the upcoming hunting seasons.
Download the BrochureNeed to Know
What you need to buy a license
- Proper identification and proof of residency (for Colorado residents).
- Proof of hunter education.
- A Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number is required for hunters age 12 and older, per federal law.
- Habitat Stamp: An annual ($12.47) habitat stamp is automatically added to a license purchase for anyone ages 18 to 64. Residents with a Colorado lifetime license are exempt.
Have you completed your hunter education course?
Colorado law requires that individuals born on or after January 1, 1949, must complete an approved hunter education course before applying for or purchasing a Colorado hunting license.
Already taken a hunter education course? Learn more about how to provide proof of completion.
Take a Hunter Education Class
Hunter education classes are available in-person in a classroom setting or online with an in-person completion exam.
Find a Hunter Education ClassGrow Your Archery Skills
Hunters that chose archery as their method of take can grow their skills prior to hunting season by taking a bowhunter education class.
Find a Bowhunter Education ClassBrochures
Colorado Mountain Lion Hunting Brochure
Be sure to read the “What’s New” pages to see a full list of changes on tap for the upcoming hunting seasons.
Download the Brochure