Colorado Parks and Wildlife

'Livin' the Wildlife' Colorado Wild Turkeys Video

The wild turkey is beloved among hunters and wildlife enthusiasts alike. The wild turkey's springtime mating displays are one of the most exciting and stunning events in nature. Yet, these iconic birds only exist today because of dedicated conservation programs. This video provides an overview of the wild turkey's mating behavior and Colorado Parks and Wildlife's long-standing efforts to conserve this amazing species. The video features both Rio Grande turkeys, which were introduced to Colorado in the 1980s, and the native Merriam's turkeys.

Fall Turkey Licenses

Limited license draw applications open May 1 and close May 31 at 8:00pm MT. A fall turkey license can be used as a qualifying licenses for the secondary big game draw.

Primary draw results will be available June 6, with a payment deadline of June 20.

Over-the-counter licenses go on sale June 21. Leftover licenses go on sale August 2 and the reissued licenses list comes out Aug 9.

Spring Leftover and Over-the-Counter Turkey Licenses

View Leftover & Reissued License List button

View the spring turkey over-the-counter licenses map. Purchase options include: online, by phone at 1-800-244-5613 or at CPW locations and authorized sales agents.

If available, returned limited spring turkey licenses will appear on the Reissue Preview List beginning March 15 at 11am MT (and each Tuesday afterwards). Each Wednesday they are available for sale at 11am and may appear on the Leftover List.

For more information, see the License Refund, Reissue and Exchange page.

Spring limited license season opens April 9 and runs through approximately May 31.

Major 2022 Changes:

Novice adult outreach licenses for turkey are now available. Interested novice adults and sponsoring organizations can go to cpw.state.co.us/hunteroutreach to learn more.
You can now use a CPW gift certificate as your payment kept on file for your license. To use your gift certificate as payment for a license if you draw, you must enter the gift certificate information as the payment on file for your license, not just as the payment for your application, when submitting your application(s).

Read the Turkey Regulations brochure "What's New: 2022" section, and see the season dates and other important turkey hunting information.

Turkey Hunting in Colorado

Turkey hunting is growing in popularity throughout North America, and Colorado offers exceptional hunting opportunities for two sub-species of these remarkable birds. In this video, hunters will learn safety tips, techniques and strategies for hunting both the native Merriam’s wild turkeys of the mountains and the Rio Grande wild turkeys of the Plains.

Turkey Hunting 101 Clinics

If you are a novice turkey hunter and are interested in learning more, a free Turkey Hunting 101 clinic can give you a place to start. Hunting tips, how to obtain a license, calling techniques and gear used by the Colorado turkey hunter are covered. Learn about Rios and Merriam's; how to roost a bird and learn to strut your stuff.

To find dates, locations and registration information, see outreach clinics.