Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting recap for January 14-15, 2026
Joey Livingston
Date: Jan. 22, 2026DENVER — At its January 14-15, 2026 meeting, the Parks and Wildlife Commission heard proposed changes to regulations as follows. All final regulations approved at the meeting will go into effect on March 2, 2026 unless otherwise noted.
Updated chapters include: W-0 and W-02
FINAL REGULATIONS
Agenda Item 20: Chapter W-0 (“General Provisions” 2 CCR 406-0) (Step 2 of 2)
The Commission finalized regulations final review of the entire chapter, specific considerations include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Modifying the culpable mental state for luring or attracting wildlife.
- Realigning the boundaries of game management units 97 and 99.
The Commission finalized regulations including the following:
Statewide
- Annual changes to season dates, limited license areas, quotas and manner of take provisions for bighorn sheep and mountain goat (statewide).
- Annual changes to season dates, limited license areas, and manner of take provisions for deer, elk, pronghorn antelope, moose and bear (statewide).
- Creating a first rifle season buck hunt code in data analysis unit D-30.
- Creating a private-land-only deer hunt code in game management unit 682.
- Modifying second and third rifle season bull elk licenses from unlimited over-the-counter to limited in game management units 54, 55, and 551.
- Removing antler point restrictions in game management unit 82.
- Modifying hunt codes for the first and fourth rifle seasons in data analysis unit E-2.
- Creating a private-land-only hunt code in data analysis unit E-13.
- Creating private-land-only archery hunt codes in data analysis units E-20 and E-35.
- Creating pronghorn licenses in data analysis unit A-22.
- Creating a second antlerless season in data analysis unit A-3.
- Removing hunt code SMS79O1R.
- Closing hunting in game management unit S-35 due to low population size.
- Combining sheep hunt codes in game management units S1 and S18.
The Commission finalized regulations including the following:
- Annual changes to season dates, and harvest limits for mountain lion (statewide). (Step 1 of 1)
- Updating the harvest limit groups to implement the East Slope Mountain Lion plan.
- Reorganizing the harvest limit groups for LE60O1R and LE062O1R.
ISSUES IDENTIFICATION
Agenda Item 23: Chapter P-7 - “Passes, Permit and Registrations” 2 CCR 405-7) (Step 1 of 2)
The Commission considered regulations for creating an out-of-state daily vehicle parks pass.
Agenda Item 24: Chapter W-5 - “Small Game - Migratory Game Birds” 2 CCR 406-5 (Step 1 of 2)
The Commission considered annual changes to waterfowl and migratory bird hunting seasons and related provisions, including season dates, bag and possession limits, and manner of take provisions.
Agenda Item 25: Chapter W-7 – “Herpetofauna” - 2 CCR 406-7 and those related provisions of Chapter W-0 (“General Provisions” 2 CCR 406-0), Chapter W-1 (“Fishing” 2 CCR 406-1), Chapter W- 3 (“Furbearers and Small Game, except Migratory Birds” 2 CCR 406-3), Chapter W-10 (“Nongame” 2 CCR 406-10), and Chapter W-11 (“Wildlife Parks and Unregulated Wildlife” 2 CCR 406-11) necessary to accommodate changes to or ensure consistency with Chapter W-7 (Step 1 of 2)
The Commission considered the creation of a Herpetofauna regulatory chapter, including but not limited to, regulations pertaining to licensing, capture, collection, sale, purchase, possession, reporting, disposition, relocation and transportation of Herpetofauna.
Agenda Item 26: Chapter W-9 - “Wildlife Properties” 2 CCR 406-9 and those related provisions of Chapter W-0 (“General Provisions” 2 CCR 406-0) and Chapter P-1 (“Parks and Outdoor Recreation Lands” 2 CCR 405-1) necessary to accommodate changes to or ensure consistency with Chapter W-9 (Step 1 of 2)
The Commission considered the annual review of the entire chapter including, but not limited to, generally applicable and property-specific requirements for, or restrictions on use of wildlife properties controlled by the Division of Parks and Wildlife, including State Trust Lands leased by
the Division. This includes regulations related to the requirements to access State Wildlife Areas and State Trust Lands leased by the Division. Specific changes include:
- Modifying property-specific regulations for Ralston Creek State Wildlife Area.
The Commission considered changes to game damage to compensate livestock owners for damages caused by wolverine
CONSENT AGENDA
Final Regulations
Agenda Item 30.3: Chapter W-2 - “Big Game” 2 CCR 406-2 (Step 2 of 2)
The Commission finalized regulations including the following:
Statewide
- Expanding lifetime bag limits to include reward program licenses.
- Removing deer hunt codes DM004P5A and DF004P5A.
- Creating a private-land-only urban deer management hunt code in game management unit 84.
- Creating a limited fourth rifle season antlered hunt code in data analysis unit D-19.
- Creating a private-land-only doe hunt code in data analysis unit D-24.
- Modifying the antler point restrictions for Ranching for Wildlife enrolled ranches.
- Adding a cow late season to data analysis unit E-19.
- Converting antlerless hunt codes in data analysis unit E-16 to be list B.
- Converting bull rifle licenses to be either-sex licenses in data analysis unit E-10.
- Creating archery licenses in data analysis unit E-23 and converting antlerless licenses to be list B licenses.
- Creating new season dates for hunt code EF060P5R.
- Creating muzzleloader private-land-only licenses in data analysis unit A-37.
- Creating a female-only moose hunt code in data analysis unit M-12.
- Creating a moose hunt code for game management unit 551 and splitting game management unit 55 into east and west subunits.
- Creating a bull-moose hunt code in game management unit 79.
- Adding wilderness only hunt codes to data analysis unit M-4.
- Creating a private-land-only bear hunt code in game management unit 211.
- Removing the second season ram hunt in Waterton Canyon.
- Adding a late season archery hunt to game management units S-23 and S-27.
- Adding archery licenses in game management unit S-03.
- Adding game management unit 67 to hunt codes SMS59O1R and removing hunt code SMS67O1R.
- Modifying the season dates for game management unit S-34
Agenda Item 30.4: Chapter W-9 - “Wildlife Properties” 2 CCR 406-9 and those related provisions of Chapter W-0 (“General Provisions” 2 CCR 406-0) and Chapter P-1 (“Parks and Outdoor Recreation Lands” 2 CCR 405-1) necessary to accommodate changes to or ensure consistency with Chapter W-9 (Step 1 of 2)
Open for annual review of the entire chapter including, but not limited to, generally applicable and property-specific requirements for, or restrictions on use of wildlife properties controlled by the Division of Parks and Wildlife, including State Trust Lands leased by the Division. Specific changes include:
- Adopting property-specific regulations for the new Boreas Pass Ranch Hunting Easement.
- Adopting property-specific regulations for the new Collard Ranch State Wildlife Area.
- Adopting property-specific regulations for the Georgetown State Wildlife Area.
- Modifying property-specific regulations for the Knight-Imler State Wildlife Area.
- Adopting property-specific regulations for the new Michigan Creek State Wildlife Area.
- Formalizing Nakagawa’s SWA posted regulations and prohibitions in Chapter W-9.
- Removing Smith Lake SWA from Chapter W-9 regulations.
- Modifying the name of Teter-Michigan Creek SWA
The public is encouraged to submit comments to the PWC at engagecpw.org/pwc-public-comment. Details on providing public comments for hybrid meetings are available on CPW’s website.
The commission meets regularly and travels to communities around the state to facilitate public participation. This opportunity keeps constituents informed about the development of regulations and how the commission works with Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff to manage the parks, wildlife and outdoor recreation programs administered by the agency.
Learn more about the Parks and Wildlife Commission on CPW’s website.
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Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is an enterprise agency, relying primarily on license sales, state parks fees and registration fees to support its operations, including: 43 state parks and more than 350 wildlife areas covering approximately 900,000 acres, management of fishing and hunting, wildlife watching, camping, motorized and non-motorized trails, boating and outdoor education. CPW's work contributes approximately $6 billion in total economic impact annually throughout Colorado.
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