Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Colorado Big Game brochure,2020

Now online at CPW website
Received mine in the mail today too

Biggest change I see is there is no"Left Over" draw but a " Secondary" draw that everyone may enter. No preference points will be used or given and if you drew an "A"or "B" tag,you can apply for another tag in the Secondary draw so you can end up with an"A" and a "B"or two "B' tags.Then anything left will go on sale as Leftovers in August. There is also now a Senior combo Small Game and Fishing License for $29+ change

Thanks for the heads-up!

The unit we hunt went from unlimited OTC archery elk tags to limited. So, we will have to apply for them this year instead of just buying them when we get there.

Also used to be able to buy leftover archery or ML bear tags OTC in early August no problem, now have to apply for them in March.

I am also now required to purchase an $82 small game license before I'm allowed to apply for draw tags.

If you are talking about Units 70-78, you can buy a bear tag OTC after you get your archery or ML tag for that area. Look for the Bear Paw along the Archery and ML , elk units in the brochure and then look and read about the bear tags on page 66.

Problem being, most likely, drawing tag for those areas is going to be hard unless you have previous preference points. Would be wise to have a plan "B" for other OTC units,but realizing other OTC units will be pressured harder because of this ML is another story.

Yep, but we have several folks in our group who are only bear hunting, so for them it changed. It's great if you get drawn for something else that you can just add on that tag.

In addition to the application fee & habitat stamp fee. Nickel & dime BS is frustrating if you're only applying for preference points. Not as bad if you apply for a license but living out of state I'll never use the small game or fishing license.

Bill and Gents, it is a genuine pita but don’t most state F&Gs require that both res and non res hunters buy the basic small game license before you can apply for or get a big game license??

I don't know. I've only hunted Colorado and Idaho. I bought my Idaho license through the outfitter. There was a fishing license required in addition to the elk license. I know they're doing it to make money. I'm surprised they don't increase the number of nonresident tags considering they make 10x or more on nonresidents.

Prior to this year in CO, no.

This is a scheme a number of states have hit upon because it increases their PR money from the Feds--plus the license itself is extra revenue. In Colorado, in lieu of charging for deer/elk/pronghorn.etc points, they just make everybody buy a small game or fishing license. Kind've of a way to "double dip". It's the sheep/goat/moose PP fee that antagonizes me. I'm applying for myself and my son, so there is $300+ dollars I donate every year now, plus application fees.
And although it would be easier to include in the license the current separate fees like search & rescue, and hunter ed, that money goes into different pot as required by the state legislature and is not meant for CPW operations. I still haven't figured out why the friggin' Habitat Stamp is separate though.

The Habitat Stamp is not required for Seniors 65+ and there is a Lifetime Stamp option for those that can hunt more than 30 seasons to break even. So rolling it into every license might take an act of the legislature to change it?

The state of CO has their head firmly inserted in ther rear end as far as the licensing system. They decide not to collect & refund then are shocked at the drop in revenue & increased applications. Then they throw in the “free” fishing license. Worthless to me hunting elk in 3rd season snow & cold. Now the BS small game to charge Non-resident hunters for nothing. 3 high school seniors could devise a better more logical system with a reasonable application fee $25 ea cap of $50 total and get rid of the extra deceptive fees that are just a money grab.

We are like the last western state to force folks to buy hunting licenses in order to apply here. And the extra funds are going to a good cause.

So far we have seen no change. Less elk,less deer, new trucks, higher salaries,more administrative personnel and more nonwildlife background commissioners appointed by Polis.So what are the good causes?

When I put in for the moose lottery in New Hampshire and Maine I only pay an application fee. $25 in NH and $15 for one chance in Maine (you can buy additional chances). If you're selected then you must purchase a moose license & habitat stamp. I've been putting in for moose permits since the late 80's so that's my baseline.

I'm putting in for muzzleloader elk this year and another preference point for deer but I'm all done with applying for preference points in Colorado after this year. I love hunting there but it's getting out of hand.

Well I am hoping that riding around in new trucks will improve the attitudes of the field guys. Long shot, but you never know.

Put in for the draw today. At least they aren't charging for the license fee up front anymore!

Saddlesore,
I live about 10 minutes away from Lake Pueblo State Park. Since DOW was merged with Parks, LPSP has seen a dramatic facelift- new road paving, miles of new concrete bike paths, and as you say, a lot of nonwildlife expenditures.
Our hunting and fishing license fees are funding all this, but no contribution is being asked from the nonhunting public, that I can see, other than parks passes and camping permits, which by the way, I also have to pay for if I hunt or fish on Park lands. It still really irritates me that when I buy a license, I am charged a search and rescue fee, and have to buy a habitat stamp. What about all the bikers, hikers, birdwatchers, dogwalkers, etc. that use our state resources? I guess the rock climbers, backcountry skiiers, etc. never get injured or lost or need rescuing, just us hunters and fishermen.
So far, Polis has allowed his liberal policies to permeate everything in our state, including the decimation of our oil and gas industry. I thought Hickenlooper was bad, but Polis is taking liberalism to a whole new level. And, it still amazes me that things like wolf reintroduction can be taken out of the hands of our wildlife agency and placed in the hands of the voters, most of whom live in places like Boulder and Denver.

Bighorn,

The funds for Parks are separate from the Wildlife side. Read the audits! Hunters are not paying for sidewalks.

BeanMan,

If you look at a breakdown of expenditures for both Parks, and for Wildlife, you will see that a minority of funds are earmarked for the category of Operating costs.
With both agencies, the categories of "Personal Services", and "Payments to other Agencies", take up a huge chunk of available revenues. It seems to me that both Parks, and Wildlife, have a lot of latitude on how available funds are spent, regardless of how they are interpreted in audits. After all, these are State Government functions.....