The Colorado Hunting Guide

Last verified

Legal shooting hours

For big game, Colorado's legal shooting hours run from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset — not a fixed clock time, and not the same window as small game. Small game and waterfowl hunting is allowed one-half hour before sunrise but has to stop at sunset, with no half-hour extension afterward. Because sunrise and sunset shift daily, "legal shooting hours" is really a moving target you have to check for your date and location. 2 CCR 406-2 §202 · Hunting Hours

The rule, by species group

The distinction matters if you're combining hunts — say, elk in the morning and grouse in the afternoon of the same trip — since the two windows don't close at the same clock time on the same day.

Finding today's exact times — teach yourself the tool

Because sunrise and sunset shift by a few minutes every day and vary by longitude and elevation across the state, there's no single clock time that's "legal shooting hours" for the whole season or the whole state. The practical approach:

  1. Look up sunrise and sunset for your specific hunt location and date — not just "Denver" or a statewide average — using a reliable sunrise/sunset calculator (NOAA's solar calculator or a mapping app with a sun-times feature both work).
  2. Subtract 30 minutes from sunrise, add 30 minutes to sunset (big game), or just use sunset as your stop time (small game).
  3. Recheck it every few days — the shift is small day-to-day but adds up across a multi-week season, and it's larger the closer you hunt to the solstices.

CPW's Big Game Brochure publishes its own sunrise/sunset reference table for the season — worth cross-checking — but confirm you're reading the current year's table and, if your unit sits far from the reference city and date it's built around, treat a location-specific calculator as the tiebreaker.

Shooting hours are one piece of what makes a hunt legal alongside legal weapons and the blaze-orange rule — all three live in the regulations hub. To check whether your season is even open on a given date, start with what's open right now.

Common questions

What are the legal hunting hours in Colorado?

For big game, one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. For small game and migratory birds, one-half hour before sunrise to sunset — with no half-hour extension after sunset.

Are hunting hours the same for small game as big game in Colorado?

No. Big game gets the extra half hour after sunset; small game and migratory bird hunting has to stop at sunset itself.

How do I find the exact sunrise and sunset time for my unit today?

Use a sunrise/sunset calculator set to your specific hunt location and date — not a statewide average — then apply the 30-minute offset yourself. The Big Game Brochure also publishes a seasonal reference table; confirm you're using the current year's version.

Can I be in the field before legal shooting hours start?

The rule that's clearly defined governs when you can take (harvest) game — not simply being in the field to hike in, glass, or get to a stand before shooting hours open. That said, confirm any unit- or property-specific access restrictions (some state wildlife areas have their own entry-time rules) before you plan a pre-dawn approach.

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.