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Big Game Season Dates and Fees
Big Game Season Dates and Fees
Bull elk with forest
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! ATTENTION HUNTERS !

BEFORE applying for the big game draw, all adult & youth applicants MUST first purchase a qualifying license before they can apply for the draw.

2023 DRAW INFORMATION: 

  • The primary draw application deadline is 4/4/2023 at 8 p.m. MT.
  • The secondary draw application deadline is 6/30/2023 at 8 p.m. MT.
Major 2023 Changes:
  • Limited license allocation & preference point requirements have changed. The 3-year preference point average used to determine the high-demand hunt codes that fall into the 80/20 allocation split has been modified to a rolling 3-year average updated annually, with a 1-year lag.
  • Updated hybrid draw list: The hybrid draw list has been updated based on the 2019-2021 draws.
  • GMU boundary name revision: The boundary mentioned in GMU 54 for rifle elk hunt E-F-054-P5-R has been updated to Red Gulch following the renaming by the U.S. Board on Geologic Names.
  • Mount Evans hunting closure modified: Hunting is prohibited on Mt. Evans Summit Lake cirque, and within one-quarter mile (changed from one-half mile) of either side of the centerline of Mt. Evans Hwy. (Colo. 5).
  • Nonresident cow Elk license fee is no longer discounted.

Read the Big Game Regulations brochure​ (especially the "What's New: 2023" section).​ ​



​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​2023​​​​ Season Da​tes​

Check the regulation brochure​ for specifics and variations.

​Archery​

​Deer/elk (west of I-25 and Unit 140)

​Sept. 2–30*

​​​​​​​Plains deer (east of I-25, except Unit 140) ​ ​​

​Oct. 1–27
​Nov. 8–30 
​Dec. 15–31
​Whitetail-only (limited)
​Oct. 1-27
Nov. 8-30
Dec. 15-31
​Moose​Sept. 9-30
​Pronghorn (limited) 
​Aug. 15-31 or
Aug. 15-31 & ​Sept. 1-20
(split season)
​Pronghorn bucks only (over-the-counter) ​​Aug. 15-31
​Pronghorn either sex (over-the-counter) ​Sept. 1-20
Bear (over-the-counter and/or limited) ​​Sept. 2–30

Muzzleloader ​​(by draw only)

​​​​Deer/elk/moose​Sept. 9–17*
Plains deer (east of I-25, except Unit 140) ​Oct. 14–22
​Whitetail-only (limited)
​Oct. 14-22
​Pronghorn ​Sept. 21–29
​Bear (over-the-counter and/or limited) ​Sept. 9–17

​Rifle ​

​Moose ​Oct. 1–14
​Separate limited elk (1st season) ​Oct. 14-18
​Combined deer/elk (2nd season) Oct. 28-Nov. 5
Combined deer/elk ​(3rd season) Nov. 11–17
​Combined limited deer/elk (4th season) ​Nov. 22–26
​Plains deer (east of I-25, except Unit 140)​​​Oct. 28–Nov. 7
​Late plains deer (east of I-25, except Unit 140) ​Dec. 1–14
​Whitetail-only (limited)
​Oct. 28-Nov. 7
Late ​Whitetail-only (limited)
​Dec. 1-14
​​Pronghorn (limited)
Check hunt code tables in brochure​ for early and late rifle seasons for certain hunts.
​Oct. 7–15*
​Bear Sept. (limited)
​Sept. 2–30*
​Bear (1st season) (over-the-counter and/or limited)
​Oct. 14–18
​​Bear (2nd season) (over-the-counter and/or limited) 
​Oct. 28–Nov. 5
​Bear (3rd season) (over-the-counter and/or limited) ​
​Nov. 11-17
​​Bear (4th season) (over-the-counter and/or limited) 
​Nov. 22-26
​Bear Private-Land-Only (over-the-counter)
​Sept. 2–Nov. 26*

*unless otherwise noted in the brochure tables


2023 Application Processing & Habitat Stamp Fees ​​

Limited License Draw Application Processing Fee​

​$ 8.00 residents
$ 10.00 nonresidents

Habitat Stamp ​​
(Required and non-refundable; valid 3/1 –3/31 - 13 months)
​​​​​​$ 11​.50
Lifetime Habitat Stamp​​​$ 345.36


Habitat Stamp

All annual hunting or fishing licenses purchased for individuals ages 18-64 will have a Habitat Stamp applied at the time of purchase, if required. 

For more information, read about the Habita​t Stamp​.​​ If you are disabled, you may not need a Habitat Stamp. See disability information


2023​ Draw (Limited) License Fees​

​​Payment Deadlines

IMPORTANT: License must be paid for by this date.​​ ​
​​Sheep & Goat​May 2, 11:59 p.m. MT
Primary Draw
Deer, Elk, Pronghorn, Moose & Bear
June 16, 11:59 p.m. MT
​Secondary Draw 
Deer, Elk, Bear, Pronghorn
​July 21, 11:59 p.m. MT
​​


​​​License Type​

​​​FeeThis is the fee you will be charged if you are successful in drawing your license, or get an unsuccessful option.

​​DEER​ ​ ​​​​
​Resident​$ 45.46
​Resident youth​$ 17.57
​Nonresident​ adult/fishing combo​​*​$ 456.14
​Nonresident​ youth/fishing combo​​*​$ 116.50
​​​ELK​ ​ ​
​Resident cow, bull or either sex​$ 62.72
​Resident youth​$ 17.57
​​Nonresident​ cow/fishing combo​​*​$ 760.99
​Nonresident​ bull or either sex/fishing combo​​*​​​$ 760.99
​Nonresident​ youth/fishing combo​​*​$ 116.50
PRONGHORN​ ​ ​
​Resident​$ 45.46
​​Resident youth​​$ 17.57
​​Nonresident​ adult/fishing combo​​*​​$ 456.14
​Nonresident​ youth/fishing combo​​*​$ 116.50
MOOSE
​Resident​​$ 346.86
​​​Nonresident​/fishing combo​​*​​$ 2,544.04
BEAR
​Resident
​​$ 43.78
​Resident Youth
​$ 16.98
​Nonresident​/fishing combo​​*
​​$ 112.34
​Nonresident youth/fishing combo*
​$ 56.80


All prices include a 25-cent search-and-rescue fee, a $1.50 for the Wildlife Council ​surcharge​.

*All nonresident big-game licenses are a big-game and annual fishing combination license:
Fishing licenses are good through March 31.​​​