Last verified
Colorado rifle season dates, 2026
Colorado's four 2026 rifle seasons run 1st October 14–18, 2nd October 24 – November 1, 3rd November 7–15, and 4th November 18–22. The 2nd and 3rd are the combined deer-and-elk seasons and carry over-the-counter bull elk licences in eligible units, which is where most Colorado elk hunting happens; the 1st and 4th are limited draws, elk-primary but with an optional limited deer licence available in both. Tags and deadlines are on the draw page and the OTC page. CPW 2025–2029 Season Structure
2026 season dates at a glance
| Season | 2026 dates | Species | Elk tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st rifle | OCT 14 – OCT 18 | Elk + optional deer | Limited (draw) |
| 2nd rifle | OCT 24 – NOV 1 | Deer + elk | OTC (antlered) in many units |
| 3rd rifle | NOV 7 – NOV 15 | Deer + elk | OTC (antlered) in many units |
| 4th rifle | NOV 18 – NOV 22 | Elk + optional deer | Limited (draw) |
Every rifle deer and elk hunter picks one of these four, and for the general west-of-I-25 licences you can't hunt the same species across multiple rifle seasons on one tag, so the choice matters. That is a rule about these licences, not a universal one: plains season-choice licences and moose season-choice licences are explicitly valid in any or all seasons until they're filled, and the Unit 128 OTC bull tag described below spans all four windows.
One correction worth making up front, because it is stated wrongly nearly everywhere: the 1st season is not elk-only. CPW's rule names it the "First Regular Rifle Elk and Optional Deer Seasons" and defines it as a "[d]eer and elk combined season, but deer hunting is optional," with all optional deer licences limited and issued by GMU/DAU. The 4th season carries word-for-word the same structure. Deer is huntable in both, through a limited optional-deer licence you have to draw, which is a different thing from deer being closed. CPW 2025–2029 Season Structure §V.N The deer page covers which licences those are.
Gear for your October or November rifle hunt
Whichever season you pick, you'll hunt in orange and walk in and out in the dark.
On Amazon, choose Colorado Rifle Season Kit.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. More.
Open our Amazon gear listsOpens Amazon in a new tab.
- Blaze orange vest and hat on AmazonRequired for every rifle season in Colorado, 500 square inches, and a hat counts toward it.
- Headlamp with spare batteries on AmazonRifle hunters walk in and pack out in the dark in November.
The full, printable list, split into archery and rifle season: the season-by-season gear checklist.
How to choose
1st rifle season 2026: October 14–18, elk-primary, draw
The shortest season, and the quietest: the elk haven't been pressured yet. It's limited (draw), so you need to apply and often hold points. Good weather, undisturbed animals, fewer hunters; the trade-off is you have to draw it.
2nd rifle season 2026: October 24 – November 1, deer + elk, the OTC workhorse
The most popular season: nine days, both species, and over-the-counter elk in many units. That accessibility is also its downside: it's the most crowded. If you're planning a first Colorado elk hunt without points, this is usually where you land.
3rd rifle season 2026: November 7–15, deer + elk, often the sweet spot
Also over-the-counter for elk in many units, but a week later, so you get colder weather that moves elk to lower ground and the start of the deer rut. Many hunters consider it the best balance of access and conditions.
4th rifle season 2026: November 18–22, elk-primary, draw
The latest and shortest, limited (draw). Cold, potential snow, and elk grouped into big herds at lower elevation, a favorite of hunters who've drawn it, and often the deer hunter's choice because it aligns with the mule deer rut.
OTC or draw, again
The pattern to remember, for bull elk in the mountains: 2nd and 3rd rifle = over-the-counter in eligible units; 1st and 4th = draw. A few units have moved off the OTC list for 2026 (notably the Gunnison Basin), so confirm yours in the CPW 2026 Big Game Brochure. Deer, by contrast, is limited in all four. See deer seasons for that wrinkle.
That shorthand is worth stating carefully, because it is not the whole story and it is repeated as if it were. The brochure also sells over-the-counter rifle elk on the plains (either-sex, September 1 through January 31) and in Unit 128 (bulls, October 14 – November 22), neither of which is a "2nd and 3rd season" license. If you are hunting east of the mountains, read the OTC page rather than the pattern above.
Archery and muzzleloader hunters have their own earlier seasons (archery and muzzleloader), and the whole fall is on the season calendar.
Packing for a rifle season
An October 1st-season hunt and a late-November 4th-season hunt need different gear: the rifle-season gear checklist covers what changes, from blaze orange and a steady shooting rest to traction and a winter vehicle kit. If you want all four windows on paper, the sign-up form just above this section sends a printable calendar of the 2026 deer, elk, pronghorn, bear and moose seasons.
Finish your packing list
Late October and November rifle hunts are cold, dark at both ends, and end with a pack-out. These are the categories the gear checklist says every rifle hunter needs.
On Amazon, choose Colorado Rifle Season Kit.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The gear links below go to Amazon and are affiliate links: if you buy through one, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we list. More.
Open our Amazon gear listsOpens Amazon in a new tab.
- Blaze orange vest and hat on AmazonRequired for every rifle season in Colorado, 500 square inches, and a hat counts toward it.
- Laser rangefinder on AmazonRifle shots across Colorado parks and burns are longer than they look.
- Elk game bags on AmazonA bull is four quarters plus loose meat, and you carry it out.
- Headlamp with spare batteries on AmazonRifle hunters walk in and pack out in the dark in November.
The full, printable list, split into archery and rifle season: the season-by-season gear checklist.
Common questions
What are the Colorado rifle season dates for 2026?
First rifle October 14–18, second rifle October 24 – November 1, third rifle November 7–15, and fourth rifle November 18–22.
Which Colorado rifle season is over-the-counter for elk?
For bull elk in the mountains, the second (October 24 – November 1) and third (November 7–15) rifle seasons offer over-the-counter licences in eligible units; the first and fourth are limited (draw only). That is not the whole picture: CPW also sells over-the-counter rifle elk on the plains (either-sex, September 1 through January 31) and in Unit 128 (antlered, October 14 – November 22), and neither is a second- or third-season licence.
Which rifle season is best in Colorado?
There's no single answer, but many hunters favor 3rd rifle for its balance of over-the-counter access and colder weather that moves elk. 2nd rifle is the most accessible (and most crowded); 1st and 4th are quieter but require drawing a tag.
Can you hunt both deer and elk in the same rifle season?
In the 2nd and 3rd rifle seasons, yes. They're the full combined deer-and-elk seasons (with the appropriate licenses). The 1st and 4th are elk-primary, but CPW's rule makes both of them combined deer-and-elk seasons in which deer hunting is optional, so deer is available in either through a limited optional-deer licence.