Colorado hunters and fishers can now apply for new opportunities as Colorado Parks and Wildlife opens up applications for its 2026 big game draw and for fishing licenses.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife offers hunting licenses for 10 big game species: elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, desert bighorn sheep, mountain goats, moose, pronghorn, black bears and mountain lions.
Hunters have until 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, to apply for Parks and Wildlife’s primary draw application. Corrections to submitted applications can be made until this deadline.
Colorado’s big game draw uses a preference point system to determine who gets limited licenses for hunting. Hunters can apply for up to four hunt choices per species. If a hunter doesn’t nab a license in the primary draw, they can apply in the secondary draw, with applications open starting June 18.
Last year, the Parks and Wildlife Commission rolled out new season structures for big game hunting from 2025 to 2029 and will implement a new draw system in 2028. Additionally, there are a few new big game hunting changes for 2026.
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