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Small game & waterfowl seasons
Colorado's small-game seasons (rabbits, squirrels, pheasant, quail, grouse, ptarmigan and more) and its waterfowl seasons (ducks and geese) are set separately from big game — and the 2026 small-game brochure with dates and fees publishes in August 2026. Waterfowl dates in particular are set later in the year, within federal frameworks, so they aren't finalized as early as big-game dates. CPW · Small game
Small game
Colorado's small-game list runs from rabbits and squirrels to upland birds — pheasant, quail, several grouse species, ptarmigan — plus prairie dogs and coyote. Seasons and bag limits are published in CPW's Small Game Brochure. As of mid-2026, CPW notes the 2026 brochure with updated season dates and fees becomes available in August, with the 2025 brochure serving as a planning reference until then. CPW · Small game We'll show the confirmed 2026 dates here once that brochure is live.
Waterfowl — why the dates come later
Ducks and geese are migratory birds, so their seasons are set within federal frameworks under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Colorado finalizes its waterfowl dates and bag limits later in the year than its big-game dates. To hunt waterfowl, hunters 16 years or older need both a federal migratory bird stamp (the duck stamp) and a Colorado waterfowl stamp, on top of a small-game license — the age threshold is easy to miss, and it means a younger hunter needs neither. The state stamp is printed on your licence and is only valid once you have signed it in ink. One 2026 change CPW has noted is that the pintail daily bag limit increased to three. CPW · Small game & waterfowl
The HIP number — mandatory, and separate from your licence
A small-game licence on its own is not enough. CPW requires that hunters "planning to use their small game license to hunt small game, coyote and migratory birds will need to obtain their Harvest Information Program (HIP) number ... before they can legally hunt." It is a separate step from buying the licence, done at CPWShop, at a CPW office or sales agent, or by phone — and because it is a step people do not know exists, it is a common way to be technically unlicensed on opening morning. Note the scope: it is not a waterfowl-only requirement, it reaches small game and coyote too. CPW · Small game
Licenses
The annual small-game license is also the standard qualifying license big-game applicants use, so many hunters buy it regardless. See the fee tables for pricing, and the season calendar for how the fall lays out overall.
Gear this season actually calls for
Small game and waterfowl gear is lighter and cheaper than big game gear, and most of it lasts for years.
- Upland game vest on AmazonShell loops, a game pouch, and the blaze orange the rules ask for.
- Waterfowl decoys on AmazonColorado's waterfowl seasons run into January, when the decoy spread matters most.
- Waders on AmazonEastern plains reservoirs and river bottoms are cold by the late season.
- Duck and goose calls on AmazonPracticed before the season, not learned on the water.
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Common questions
When do Colorado small game seasons open in 2026?
CPW publishes the 2026 Small Game Brochure with dates and fees in August 2026; until then the 2025 brochure is the planning reference. We'll post the confirmed 2026 dates here once the brochure is live.
Why aren’t Colorado waterfowl (duck) dates set yet?
Ducks and geese are migratory, so their seasons are set within federal frameworks under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Colorado finalizes them later in the year than big-game dates. You'll also need a federal duck stamp and a Colorado waterfowl stamp to hunt them.