The fall season is right around the corner, and as days continue to get shorter and mornings and nights colder, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has issued a reminder that most of Colorado’s outdoors is intended to be shared by all sorts of recreationists.

September marks the start to the big game hunting season and it is recommended that nonhunters take additional precautions and recognize the hunting season dates and safety tips to remain safe while hiking, biking or viewing wildlife.

CPW changes its hunting season structures for elk and deer each season through 2024 as part of the annual five-year big game season structure process. This means each season will have different dates than the year prior in an effort to achieve certain management objectives. 

CPW’s main objectives are to test hunter satisfaction and participation, revenue generation and law enforcement. It may also impact the ways hunters apply and their draw odds if certain seasons were to become more popular.

The following is the complete elk and deer hunting schedule for 2023:

• Archery: Sept. 2-30
• Muzzleloader: Sept. 9-17
• 1st Season Rifle: Oct. 14-18
• 2nd Season Rifle: Oct. 28-Nov. 4
• 3rd Season Rifle: Nov. 11-17
• 4th Season Rifle: Nov. 22-26

Other season dates to know:
Pronghorn Season

• Archery: Bucks: Aug. 15-Sept. 20
• Muzzleloader: Sept. 21-29
• Rifle: Oct. 7-15

Moose Season

• Archery: Sept. 9-30
• Muzzleloader: Sept. 9-17
• Rifle: Oct. 1-14

Bear Season

• Archery: Sept. 2-3
• Muzzleloader: Sept. 9-17
• Rifle (limited): Sept. 2-30
• Plains Rifle: Sept. 1-26
• 1st Season Rifle: Oct. 14-18
• 2nd Season Rifle: Oct. 29-Nov. 5
• 3rd Season Rifle: Nov. 11-17
• 4th Season Rifle: Nov. 22-26

Hunting for several small game birds opened Friday including the Band-tailed pigeon, chukar partridge, doves, dusky grouse and more. The fall turkey season began the same day. 

Those who purchased a small game license can hunt rabbits, squirrels, grouse, pheasants, doves and more within their respective seasons, which can be found on CPW’s website. Caliber restrictions for hunting small game apply west of Interstate 25 during big game rifle seasons.

As a reminder, big game hunters using a firearm are required to wear fluorescent orange or pink when in the field. While it is not required for other recreation users, CPW recommends they also wear these bright colors especially during the muzzleloader and rifle seasons.

It is illegal to intentionally interfere with hunters, especially causing animals to flee, denying access to public spaces and maneuvering into the line of fire.

Licenses from the draw are still available for deer, elk, pronghorn and bear. Purchases can also be made for over-the-counter licenses on bear, elk, pronghorn and whitetail deer. Every Wednesday morning, licenses returned by other hunters are made available, and the complete list of these reissue licenses can be viewed through CPWShop.com every Tuesday. 

CPW’s Hunting Atlas, which can be found on the organization’s website through the hunting tab, helps  hunters find hunting locations and save topographic maps, view big game migration corridors and OHV trails. 

Traditionally, hunting accounts for around $840 million every year in Colorado, according to the Colorado Wildlife Council. Following the harsh winter season of heavy snow, the hunting fall season in Northwest Colorado will not quite be the same this year. 

In May, Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced heavy license reductions for big game hunting in zones that experienced the worst winter conditions. This includes the majority of Moffat and Rio Blanco counties as well as parts of Routt and Garfield counties. 

CPW estimates that survival among many of the area’s big game is lower than it has ever documented, and to combat this, the state offered 32,000 fewer hunting licenses for shooting deer, elk, moose and pronghorn this fall season in an effort to allow time for the herds to recover. 

Hunters with a tag in the Northwest should expect good hunting opportunities, with a smaller quantity of hunters in the area. CPW predicts many deer and elk can be found in the usual hunting locations, just at lower densities than in previous years.