Application Strategy

Colorado uses a hybrid draw for some units. In hunt codes requiring six or more resident preference points to draw, Colorado will issue 20% of available licenses for deer, elk, and antelope through a random drawing. The number of preference points required to draw shall be determined by calculating the average number of points a Colorado resident needed in order to draw the permit during the previous three-year period with one year of lag. A minimum of five preference points is required for an individual applicant to participate in the hybrid random drawing. Group applications are not eligible to participate. The hybrid draw occurs after the regular drawing, so in almost every case, non-residents will have already met their quota in the initial drawing, leaving no non-resident permits available in the hybrid draw.

There is a slightly modified point system for moose, rocky mountain bighorn sheep, and mountain goat, and it is optional. For those species, you are awarded a preference point for the first three years you apply. You must build three preference points before you are actually entered into the draw. After you have three points, you can enter the drawing and permits are randomly allocated. If you are unsuccessful in the drawing, a weighted point can be awarded if you opt in and pay the point fee of $100. In this weighted preference system, your six-digit application number is converted to a new number determined by your weighted point total, plus one. (If you have zero weighted preference points, your application number is simply divided by one.) After the conversion, the lowest application numbers are then awarded licenses. As an example, if you have one weighted point, your application number will be divided by two, giving you greater chance of having a lower converted application number and therefore improving your odds of scoring a tag. There isn’t a point system for Desert bighorn sheep.

If you draw your first choice, or if fail to apply for any big game species for ten years, your points will be purged for that species.

Over-the-counter second- and third-season rifle tags remain for a large number of units spread out across the western side of the state. Unfortunately, this year, units 54, 55, and 551 are making the jump over to limited license. The unit around Gunnison, you will need to put in for the draw. On the flip side, fifteen units in northwest Colorado containing what is commonly known as the White River herd were added back to second- and third-season OTC rifle hunts. The second and third rifle seasons see more hunting pressure, with the second season bearing the brunt of it. Harvest success is usually a bit lower and more unpredictable during the third season, primarily due to weather impacting access to elk in the backcountry. Elk can handle some snow, and they often remain at higher elevations if pressure permits into the third season. This can be a challenge if you’re not in peak physical condition or lack proper transportation to reach their hideouts. The second season offers advantages, including milder weather and calmer elk that have yet to be shot at, but fewer bulls are harvested compared to the third season.

Typically, bulls in general units are two to three years old, while herd bulls range from four to six years with over older individuals. Differences between over-the-counter units are often subtle and influenced by familiarity and past experiences, which play a big role in success. Ultimately, the heart of any over-the-counter hunt is the experience itself, so choose a unit that aligns with your desired adventure. If you need guidance, give us a call and we’ll help ensure you have a fantastic Colorado hunt with family and friends.

If you enjoy archery hunting, Colorado offers over-the-counter antelope licenses. Most of these OTC units are on the east side of the state, which does not have many options for public land hunting. However, there is still enough there to make it worth the effort. Antelope, especially in the southeast portion, have seen an increase in population, likely due to multiple mild winters in recent years, and this year’s hunting may turn out to be the best it has been in sometime.

Fortunately, Colorado still has a thriving moose population, and CPW has been very 

liberal with the number of tags issued to non-residents over the years. There will be forty cow-only moose hunts for non-residents this year. New this year (and very exciting) is the addition of a wilderness-only hunt in unit 66. There will be at least one cow tag allotted for this hunt to non-residents this year. An important thing to remember about cow moose hunts is that there is a quota for the archery, muzzleloader, and first rifle hunts. Successful applicants for any of these hunts are limited to hunting only during the season they applied for. The late-season hunt code ending in -L1R- allows successful applicants to hunt first through fourth rifle hunt dates until they harvest.

Ewe sheep hunts are also a great opportunity for applicants who have very few sheep points and don’t mind spending their points and money on a Rocky Mountain bighorn ewe. Non-residents will be allotted seven rifle tags and one archery-only tag, which is new for this year.

If someone has drawn a license in a cow unit, they may add on a bear tag as well. Any hunt code with a bear pay symbol next to the hunt code symbol in the big game regulations qualifies you to add on a bear tag after you have drawn your license. There are also over-the-counter bear licenses, so if a buddy of yours has drawn a tag somewhere and you want to go hunt with them, you may be able to pick up a bear tag and accompany them with a tag in your pocket. Colorado has an abundance of bears and the hunting season for them is only in the fall.

In our March 2026 issue, we covered the elk hunts available through Colorado’s draw. This article will cover the over-the-counter licenses available for elk. For more information on Colorado’s rules and regulations, refer to our March issue or Colorado’s 2026 Big Game Brochure.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) offers over-the-counter (OTC) second- and third-season rifle elk licenses. These licenses are unlimited and can be purchased online, by phone, or in person at any license retailer location starting at 9 a.m. MDT on August 4, 2026. These licenses do not affect your preference points in any way. You do not have to buy a qualifying license in order to purchase any leftover or over-the-counter licenses. Colorado will also have leftover and reissued limited licenses that go on sale on August 4 and can be purchased via phone, in person at some license agents, or online starting at 9 a.m. MDT. Keep in mind that these are the licenses remaining after the secondary draw has been conducted. There are always a handful of good elk and deer hunts available, so watch for this list to become available and reference our unit descriptions in this issue and our March issue to identify which units are better than others.

Colorado has a program for reissuing returned licenses. Updated reissue and leftover license lists will be available on August 11, and tags will be available for purchase at 11 a.m. on August 12. You can view the reissue list at https://cpw.state.co.us/activities/hunting/big-game/leftover-remaining-and-reissued-licenses. Every Tuesday following the initial sale date, an updated reissue list will be posted, and tags will be available for purchase the following Wednesday starting at 11 a.m. MDT. This process will continue every week until the hunts have expired for the year. Any hunts that still have available licenses after the start of the season will be available for purchase online, at license vendors, and at any CPW location. Some of the best hunts often have tags come up on the reissue list after the season has started.

In the July 2026 issue, we are covering over-the-counter unlimited elk licenses, as we do not yet know what leftover limited licenses will be available. Colorado has over forty units west of Denver that can be hunted with over-the-counter licenses. We cover units that have an ample amount of public land to hunt and offer a reasonable chance at success without having to pay a trespass fee. Some of these units differ in quality depending on whether you hunt them during the archery or rifle seasons, as elk tend to move onto private land later in the year. The tables in this section cover OTC rifle hunts.

Bear licenses are either unlimited over the counter or limited draw. However, there are often leftover licenses available for these draw areas. Archery and muzzleloader OTC licenses are still “add-on,” meaning you must have a valid deer or elk license to be eligible to purchase a bear license for the same season. There is one rifle “add-on” for unit 61, but you must hold an E-E-061-E-R license to purchase this October 1-through-7 hunt. The rest of the OTC rifle bear licenses are no longer “add-on” licenses. Hunters can now purchase those licenses without having a valid deer or elk license for the same season. In 2024, the Colorado Wildlife Commission voted to increase the non-resident cost back up to $251.75 from $100. The Commission felt that the $100 fee was too cheap, diminished the value of a black bear, and “looked bad,” despite the increased number of license purchases and harvests from bloated black bear populations across the state that the lower fee produced. In 2025, the Commission increased the fee to $294.75, and now, in 2026, it is $302.56. There is no spring bear season in Colorado, so fall is your only option if you’re looking to take home a black bear from the state.

The first rifle season will start on October 14, and the fourth season won’t start until November 18. Extended break periods in between rifle hunts were put in place in 2020 to allow animals to relax a bit and hopefully give a better opportunity for the next season’s hunters to locate elk after the shooting stops during the prior season. After five seasons of harvest reporting, it appears that the break period has little to no effect on the harvest percentage throughout all the seasons.

As of last season, there are no longer OTC archery elk hunts for non-residents west of I-25. There are still OTC opportunities for antlerless and either-sex elk east of I-25, including fifty-eight units for either-sex and four for antlerless. Most of Colorado’s elk herds are found in the mountains west of I-25, but there are still a few elk that can be found on the east side of the interstate. That said, public land access is very limited, and populations are low. We only recommend this hunt if you have access to private land. Last season, a lot of non-resident archery hunters overlooked the opportunity to purchase -V1A- hunt codes over the counter. The “V” means “non-resident only.” About 3,000 licenses were leftover and available to purchase over the counter. These licenses were for the units that used to be OTC tags for non-residents but that moved to a draw last season. So, even though the archery hunts moved to a draw, a lot of those licenses are still available for purchase over the counter after the secondary draw.

The second and third rifle seasons get more hunting pressure, with the second season taking the bulk of it. Harvest success tends to be slightly lower and more erratic during the third season, largely due to weather having a bigger impact on accessibility to the backcountry. Elk can withstand a lot of snow, so they will often stay up at higher elevations if hunting pressure persists throughout the second rifle hunt and into the third, posing a problem if you are not physically fit or equipped with the right transportation methods and gear to get back into their hidey holes. The biggest advantages to hunting the second rifle season are a better chance for nicer weather and calmer elk that have not been shot at yet. There have also been fewer bulls harvested by the start of the season compared to the third season.

Typically, bulls in general units fall between the ages of two to three years old. Herd bulls are mostly between four to six years, though a select few can exceed that range. New for 2026, the state changed how it reports harvest data. All hunts are now reported by hunt code. Since the second and third seasons have a specific hunt code, you are no longer able to break down each unit by season. Instead, you can only see the statewide data for each hunt code. Second season (EM000U2R) saw a total of 23,668 hunters with an average harvest success of 19.3%. Third season (EM000U3R) saw a total of 17,371 hunters with an average harvest success of 12.1%. In our tables, we are reporting harvest data from 2024 and prior so that you can still have an idea of what each unit offers, as the units do not change much year to year. Use this section to determine which units have what you are looking for in a hunt; going over the hunter and harvest data and reading a brief description of each unit should point you in the right direction. The differences between over-the-counter units can be subtle, and they often boil down to one’s familiarity and past experiences with a particular unit, which significantly influences the likelihood of success. Ultimately, the essence of any over-the-counter hunt lies in the experience itself, so selecting a unit that aligns with the desired hunting experience is paramount. If you have any questions, give us a call and we will help get you start planning a terrific Colorado hunt experience with your friends and family.

Archery antelope hunting is also over the counter for many units. If you haven’t drawn a tag and want to get out hunting, or if you want more time in the field or want to start hunting earlier, you should look at picking one of these tags up. They are not unit specific, allowing you to hunt in any unit that is open for it. Most of the units consist primarily of private land, but a few still offer an ample amount of public land where one can have an enjoyable but challenging hunt. Refer to page 54 of the Colorado Big Game Brochure for a full map of open areas and season dates. You can hunt for bucks from August 15 through 31 and either-sex from September 1 through 20.

Any license that took fewer than 5 preference points to draw that is returned will be placed on the leftover list. Colorado will reissue any tag surrendered after the initial leftover license purchase deadline of August 4. They will release a list of reissued licenses each Tuesday beginning August 11 and will transfer them into the leftover list for purchase the following Wednesday, beginning August 12 at 11 a.m. MDT. All tags purchased from the leftover list do not affect a hunter’s current preference points for that species.