It’s that time of year again. Hunters hoping to draw a big game permit in Colorado will need to apply for permits starting March 1st. This big game application period will run until April 5 at 8 p.m. MT. CPW officials recommend that hunters apply early to avoid complications or delays.
CPW has made a few changes for the 2022 big game season. Below we will list a few of the changes and some information regarding them.
Archery hunters & Archery Let-off for hand-held Bows
Archery hunters in Colorado can now use compound bows with any let-off percentage. CPW says this gives archery hunters greater options when selecting archery equipment. However, an ADA Recreation Accommodation permit is still required to use a draw-loc or a crossbow during archery season.
CPW Recommends Orange Clothing While Archery Hunting
Earlier this year the CPW looked at requiring the use of hunter orange for bow hunters. This was due to a muzzleloader accidental shooting. However, archery hunters were strongly against this change and the CPW decided instead that they would just strongly recommend archery hunters were orange while hunting during the overlapping muzzleloader-archery season.
Mandatory testing for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)
CPW will require mandatory submission of CWD test samples from deer harvested in certain hunting units. You can find which hunt codes and units will have mandatory testing by checking out the 2022 Colorado Big Game brochure. Mandatory testing hunt codes and areas will be shaded in green. CPW would also like to remind hunters that you can voluntarily submit their animal for testing for a fee of $25 per animal no matter where the animal was taken within the state.
License Surrender Period
Emails Will be sent to successful applicants in the primary draw. Hunters that decide to surrender their elk, deer, bear pronghorn, and moose licenses until Monday, June 6 at 11:59 p.m. MT, to surrender them. Hunters who draw bighorn sheep or mountain goat licenses can surrender them until Friday, April 22 at 11:59 p.m. MT. If a license is surrendered, CPW will reinstate the hunter’s preference points to the pre-draw level and remove the license from their account.
License Exchange Fee
Hunters who wish to exchange their licenses will now be charged a flat $5 fee, instead of a percentage of the total license cost, as in previous years. For more information about this fee reduction, see page 8 of the big game brochure.
CPW would like to remind applicants to check out the “What’s New” pages in the big game brochure and the sheep and goat brochure to get a full list of changes for 2022.
You can read more about Colorado hunting news by clicking here.
What are your thoughts on these new changes? Do you plan on applying for big game in Colorado? Let us know in the comments!
