Colorado black bear seasons, 2026

Colorado has a large and growing black bear population, and bear tags are often available over the counter in the fall seasons — one of the more accessible big-game hunts in the state. The dates below are the statewide framework from the full calendar.

Season dates as a table

Species	Method	2026 dates
Black bear	Archery	SEP 2 – SEP 30
	Muzzleloader	SEP 12 – SEP 20
	Rifle	SEP 2 – SEP 30 (Sept.); OCT 14 – OCT 18 (1st (concurrent)); OCT 24 – NOV 1 (2nd (concurrent)); NOV 7 – NOV 15 (3rd (concurrent)); NOV 18 – NOV 22 (4th (concurrent))

The rules that catch people out

Colorado voters banned the two most common bear-hunting methods used elsewhere:

• No baiting. You may not use bait to attract or take a bear.
• No hounds. Hunting bears with dogs is prohibited.

That makes Colorado bear a spot-and-stalk or opportunistic hunt, most often taken by hunters already in the field for elk. Always confirm the current rules against the CPW 2026 Big Game Brochure.

The seasons

• Archery — September 2–30, alongside archery elk and deer.
• Muzzleloader — September 12–20.
• September rifle — a separate rifle bear season, September 2–30. CPW's rule names it the "Limited September Rifle" season and it behaves like one: licences are issued by DAU/GMU through the draw, not over the counter. If you cross-check this against the rule, expect a wrinkle: CPW labels this season "28-day" while dating it September 2–30, which is 29 days, and calls the identical September 2–30 archery span a 29-day season. The dates are what your licence runs on.
• Concurrent rifle — bear can also be taken during each of the four deer/elk rifle seasons in October and November, which is how most incidental bear harvest happens.

One trap in the September season worth knowing before you buy: an unfilled September rifle bear licence may not be carried into the regular deer or elk rifle seasons. If you want to hunt bear while you are out for elk in October, the concurrent season is the one you need. CPW 2025–2029 Season Structure §NN

Tags

"Bear is over the counter" is close to true but not evenly true, and the difference sits exactly where people assume it doesn't. The over-the-counter path is the concurrent rifle season, not the September one — and even there it depends on how CPW is managing the herd. Where a DAU's bear strategy is to reduce or suppress the population, unlimited OTC bear-only rifle licences are available, and a hunter already holding a deer or elk licence can add a bear licence for the same manner of take. Where the strategy is to hold the population stable, CPW's rule allows every rifle bear licence in that DAU to be limited and run through the draw instead. CPW 2025–2029 Season Structure §NN

So bear remains one of the more accessible Colorado hunts and a natural add-on to an elk trip if your unit sells OTC — but check your specific DAU and season before you count on buying a tag, rather than assuming the September season is the walk-up one.

Gear this season actually calls for

Colorado bear seasons run from early September into November, so the gear list spans warm early hunts and cold late ones.

• Trail camera on AmazonUseful for scouting; check the current CPW rule on cameras before the season.
• Game bags on AmazonBear meat spoils fast in a warm September; get it in bags and in the shade.
• Binoculars on AmazonMost Colorado bears are spotted in oak brush and burns, not called in.
• Predator and bear calls on AmazonWhere the rules allow; see the season page for method limits.

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Common questions

When is bear season in Colorado in 2026?

Archery bear and a separate September rifle season both run September 2–30, 2026, with muzzleloader September 12–20. Bear can also be taken concurrently during the four October–November rifle seasons.

Can you bait bears or use dogs in Colorado?

No. Colorado prohibits both baiting bears and hunting them with dogs. Bear hunting here is spot-and-stalk, and many hunters take bears incidentally while hunting elk.

Do you need to draw a bear tag in Colorado?

It depends which season. The separate September rifle season is CPW's "Limited September Rifle" — those licences are issued by DAU/GMU through the draw. The over-the-counter path is the concurrent rifle bear season that runs alongside the October–November deer and elk seasons, and even that varies: where CPW is managing a herd down, unlimited OTC bear licences are sold; where it is holding the herd stable, those licences can be limited and drawn instead. Check your specific unit and season before relying on an OTC tag.