Sheep, goat & moose seasons

These three species sit apart from the rest of Colorado big game: tiny quotas, a special draw, and a once-in-a-lifetime rule. The moose calendar below is the statewide framework (also on the full season calendar); sheep and goat work differently, covered underneath.

Season dates as a table

Species	Method	2026 dates
Moose	Archery	SEP 12 – SEP 30
	Muzzleloader	SEP 12 – SEP 20
	Rifle	OCT 1 – OCT 14

Moose

Moose seasons follow the framework above — archery September 12–30, muzzleloader September 12–20, rifle October 1–14 — with a limited late antlerless season in some units. Every moose license is drawn; there is no over-the-counter moose. Colorado moose tags use a weighted preference-point system and carry a point fee, so building toward one is a multi-year project. A bull moose is a genuine once-in-a-lifetime tag — the lifetime bag limit for antlered moose is one — but antlerless moose is not restricted that way. CPW · Moose

Bighorn sheep & mountain goat

Here we won't hand you a single "sheep season" or "goat season" date, because Colorado doesn't set one. Sheep and goat hunts are defined per individual hunt code, each with its own dates and unit, published in a separate publication rather than the big-game brochure. Broadly they fall between late summer and early winter, but the only correct date is the one on your specific hunt code. Pull it from CPW Sheep & Goat Brochure and the CPW bighorn sheep page — don't trust a generic "season" figure for these species anywhere, including a rough range.

How often you can really draw one

These are usually called "once-in-a-lifetime" species. For two of the three that is not what the rule says, and the difference is years of hunting:

• Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep — "If you harvest a Rocky Mountain bighorn ram (must have a halfcurl or more), you must wait five years (sixth year after harvest) before applying for another Rocky Mountain bighorn ram license." A five-year wait, not a lifetime ban. CPW · Bighorn sheep
• Mountain goat — "If you harvest a mountain goat, you must wait five years (sixth year after harvest) before applying for another mountain goat license." CPW · Mountain goat
• Moose — this one really is a lifetime limit, but only for a bull: "The lifetime bag limit for antlered moose is one." Draw a bull and you may never draw another antlered or either-sex moose licence; antlerless moose is not affected. CPW · Moose

Two things follow that the "once-in-a-lifetime" shorthand hides. The trigger is harvest, not drawing — eat your tag and you are not restricted at all. And you cannot apply for a Rocky Mountain bighorn and a desert bighorn in the same year. CPW · Bighorn sheep

The draw itself

Moose, Rocky Mountain bighorn and mountain goat use a weighted-point system that gives long-time applicants better — but never guaranteed — odds; you build ordinary preference points first, and only after three of them do further misses earn weighted points. How weighted points actually work covers the mechanic, which is a lottery rather than a queue. The point fee is $50 resident / $100 non-resident, waived for youth and resident lifetime licence holders, and the licenses themselves are among the most expensive Colorado sells (see the fee tables). Apply through the same draw as other big game, by the April deadline. CPW Primary Draw

Because these are the rarest tags in the state, they're worth applying for every year even while you chase elk and deer — the point costs little and the draw is the only way in.

Common questions

When is moose season in Colorado in 2026?

Archery moose runs September 12–30, muzzleloader September 12–20, and rifle October 1–14, 2026. All moose licenses are limited (draw only).

When is bighorn sheep season in Colorado?

There isn't a single statewide date — Colorado sets sheep (and mountain goat) seasons per hunt code, each with its own dates and unit, in the CPW Sheep & Goat Brochure. Check the exact dates on your specific hunt code; a generic "season" range would be misleading.

Can you draw more than one Colorado sheep or moose tag?

Usually yes, eventually — "once in a lifetime" is shorthand, not the rule. If you harvest a Rocky Mountain bighorn ram or a mountain goat you must wait five years (the sixth year after harvest) before applying for that species again. Only moose carries a true lifetime limit, and only for antlered animals: the lifetime bag limit for antlered moose is one. If you draw a tag but don't harvest, nothing is restricted.