The Colorado Hunting Guide

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ATV, OHV & motorized-access rules

You can drive an OHV to hunt in Colorado, but only on routes designated open to motorized use, and only to transport hunters and downed game — off-route motorized game retrieval is prohibited on public land in nearly all cases. Shooting from, on, or across a public road is a separate and unrelated violation: it's flatly illegal, no matter what vehicle is or isn't involved. Which specific routes are open is set by the land manager — USFS, BLM, or CPW state wildlife area — not a single statewide map, so confirm the current travel plan for wherever you're hunting. CPW · Elk — In the Field

Registration comes first

Any off-highway vehicle operated on Colorado public land, or on a route designated for OHV use, needs a valid Colorado OHV registration or permit — this applies whether or not you're hunting. CPW · OHV & Snowmobile Riding You can register online at CPW · Register an OHV.

Designated routes only

Motorized travel for hunting is limited to routes a land manager has designated open to motor vehicles. Which routes those are is set by the agency that manages the ground — the U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management on federal land, CPW on its own state wildlife areas — through each unit's travel management plan, not by a single statewide CPW rule. In practice, that means checking the current Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) for the specific national forest or BLM field office you're hunting before you leave a maintained road, since the open-route network differs unit to unit and changes over time. Stay the Trail · hunting with OHVs

Motorized game retrieval

CPW's own guidance is blunt: "vehicle use is limited to transporting hunters and downed game." CPW · Elk — In the Field In practice that means driving on routes that are already open — it is not a blanket right to leave the road and cross-country it to a downed animal. Off-route motorized retrieval is prohibited on public land in nearly all cases; some land units allow narrow, specifically-mapped exceptions under their own travel plan, so if you're counting on driving to an animal, confirm it with the specific land manager (BLM or Forest Service office) before the season, not after you've made the shot.

If you carry a firearm or bow on an OHV during deer, elk, pronghorn, or bear season, it has to be unloaded in the chamber and magazine (handguns excepted) and fully enclosed in a hard or soft case — open-ended scabbards don't meet the rule. CPW · Deer — In the Field

Road hunting is separately illegal

Regardless of OHV rules, Colorado law makes it unlawful to discharge a firearm or release an arrow from, upon, or across any public road — a misdemeanor carrying a $100 fine and five license suspension points. CRS § 33-6-126 · Shooting from a public road CPW's own field guidance goes further with a practical distance rule: hunters using a rifle, handgun, shotgun firing a single slug, or archery equipment have to stay at least 50 feet from the centerline of any public road. CPW · Deer — In the Field

Motorized access sits inside the same regulations hub as legal weapons and the blaze-orange rule. For where you can legally be in the first place, see public-land & SWA access rules.

Common questions

Can you use an ATV to hunt in Colorado?

Yes, but only on routes designated open to motorized use, and registered with CPW if it's operated on public land. It's for transporting hunters and downed game — not for off-route travel or as a shooting platform.

Can you use an ATV to retrieve game off-trail in Colorado?

Generally no. Off-route motorized game retrieval is prohibited on public land in nearly all cases; some land units allow narrow, mapped exceptions under their own travel management plan. Confirm with the specific BLM or Forest Service office before you count on it.

Do I need to register my ATV or OHV to hunt with it in Colorado?

Yes. Any OHV operated on Colorado public land, or on a designated OHV route, needs a valid Colorado OHV registration or permit, hunting or not.

How close to a road can you legally hunt in Colorado?

You can never legally shoot from, on, or across a public road — that's a separate misdemeanor under CRS § 33-6-126. CPW's field guidance keeps rifle, handgun, slug-shotgun, and archery hunters at least 50 feet from a public road's centerline as a practical safety margin.

Primary sources

Never miss a deadline

The Colorado draw application closes in early April, and season dates shift a little each year. Leave your email and we'll send one short reminder before the draw deadline and a note whenever the season dates change — nothing else.