Colorado 2026 Hunting Regulations: What Changed

The biggest regulatory shift of 2026 is that wild bison in Colorado are no longer treated purely as livestock. Under SB25-053, effective January 1, 2026, bison are classified as big game wildlife — unless they are otherwise classified as livestock. According to reporting by KKCO and CPR News, that reclassification adds legal protections for the animals and makes hunting bison illegal unless specifically authorized.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife began accepting bison roster registrations under the new framework starting in early January 2026. If you're interested in a bison hunt, you're not walking into a gun store and buying an OTC tag — this is a tightly controlled, roster-based system. Check directly with CPW on how the authorization process works before you assume you're eligible.

The Law: SB25-053 classifies bison as big game unless classified as livestock, and makes hunting them illegal unless authorized. Effective January 1, 2026.

This is where things get a little counterintuitive, so read carefully.

For deer: There is no mandatory CWD testing for harvested deer in the 2026 seasons, according to both Colorado Outdoors Magazine and SkyHiNews. That's a change hunters should note — if you've been operating under the assumption that mandatory testing was coming across the board, that's not what happened for deer.

For elk: It's a different story. Per Four Corners Science and Industry, CPW is requiring mandatory submission of CWD test samples — specifically the heads — from all elk harvested during rifle seasons in specific hunt codes. Not every hunt code triggers this requirement, but if yours does, you're obligated to submit.

Key Point: Check your specific elk hunt code before your season opens. Mandatory CWD head submission applies to certain rifle hunt codes, not all of them. Missing that requirement isn't a paperwork inconvenience — it's a regulatory violation.

If you hunted the Gunnison Basin on an over-the-counter bull elk license, that option is off the table starting in 2026. According to Western Slope Now, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission approved a regulation change that eliminates OTC bull elk hunting licenses in the Gunnison Basin. You now have to apply for a license to hunt bulls there.

This was a Commission-level decision, not something that snuck in through a legislative back door. If you've been counting on walking into a license vendor and buying a Gunnison Basin bull tag, adjust your plans. The application process means you're competing in the draw like everyone else.

On the addition side, CPW added new licenses for moose and buck deer for the 2026 seasons, per SkyHiNews. The sources don't go deep on the specifics of which units or how many licenses were added, so check the current CPW big game brochure for the exact hunt codes and application deadlines.

Per CPW: "Be sure to read the 'what's new' pages in the Big Game and Sheep and Goat brochures to see a full list of changes for the 2026 hunting seasons."

That's not a dodge — the brochures are where the authoritative, unit-level detail lives. The changes listed here are the headline items confirmed by multiple sources.

CPW produced a YouTube overview of important application dates and changes for 2026 big game seasons. If you're trying to sort out deadlines, that video and the official CPW big game page are your best starting points alongside the printed brochures.

The practical reality is that between the Gunnison Basin OTC change and the new moose and buck deer licenses, 2026 reshuffled some of the application math hunters have been running for years. If your strategy was built around specific unit access, rebuild it against the current brochure — don't assume last year's approach still works.

This one showed up in the Colorado Springs Gazette's roundup of new 2026 laws and it's worth flagging even though it's not a hunting regulation in the traditional sense.

Starting August 1, 2026, Colorado requires completion of a firearms safety course before purchasing or transferring a Specified Semiautomatic Firearm (SSF). The CPW rules and regulations page confirms this requirement. If you're planning a firearm purchase later in the year and that firearm qualifies as an SSF under Colorado's definition, you'll need that course completion documented before the transfer goes through.

This article isn't the right venue to parse every detail of the SSF definition — that's a firearms law question where you want a Colorado attorney or a dealer who knows the current law cold. The point is: if you're buying a semi-auto in Colorado after August 1, ask your dealer whether the course requirement applies before you show up expecting a same-day transfer.

The bottom line: Colorado's 2026 changes aren't sweeping, but a few of them will catch people off guard if they're running on autopilot from prior seasons.

• Bison are now big game — hunting them without authorization is illegal
• Deer don't have mandatory CWD testing this year, but elk rifle hunters in specific codes do
• Gunnison Basin bull elk require a draw tag now
• New moose and buck deer licenses are available — check the brochure for codes
• The SSF safety course requirement hits August 1 if you're buying certain semi-autos

Pull the current CPW big game brochure, verify your hunt codes against the CWD mandatory testing list, and if you were eyeing Gunnison Basin bulls, get into the application system.

• https://coloradooutdoorsmag.com/2026/02/13/whats-new-2026-colorado-big-game-hunting/
• https://cpw.state.co.us/activities/hunting/big-game
• https://www.skyhinews.com/news/whats-new-for-2026-colorado-big-game-hunting/
• https://gazette.com/2025/12/30/new-colorado-laws-that-took-effect-in-2026/
• https://fourcornerssci.com/2026/02/28/big-game-hunting-application-and-new-rules-colorado/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXFoV1kyBto
• https://www.kkco11news.com/2026/01/02/cpw-accepting-bison-roster-registrations/
• https://www.westernslopenow.com/news/gunnison-basin-hunters-must-apply-for-licenses-by-2026/
• https://cpw.state.co.us/rules-and-regulations
• https://www.cpr.org/2025/12/31/colorado-new-laws-2026/

Last Updated: April 03, 2026