Colorado Parks and Wildlife opens applications for 2018 big game licenses

Rebecca Ferrell

DENVER – Applications are now open for limited 2018 big game, sheep and mountain goat hunting licenses. Colorado Parks and Wildlife encourages all hunters to prepare and apply early for this year’s license draw. 2018 will be the first big game draw process conducted in the new CPW integrated purchasing system, which means there are some significant changes for sportsmen and women this year.

One major change is that paper applications are no longer accepted; all applications must be done online or over the phone. Additionally, payment in full is no longer required at the time of application in 2018. Hunters will be responsible only for their application fees and a $10 habitat stamp when applying. The cost of any licenses will not be charged until a hunter is selected in the draw.

Finally, updates to our purchasing system no longer require unique emails for every account, allowing families to use the same email address for all purchases. This also means email is no longer a unique identifier for logging into the system; prepare to have your CID number, driver’s license number or other information handy for logging in.

“We advise all sportsmen and women to spend some time reviewing their accounts in the new system, verifying their personal information and preference points, and getting to know the system before applying for a license this year,” said Cory Chick, CPW’s license administration manager. “We realize change can be a little tricky, and we don’t want our customers caught by surprise by the system or any of our licensing requirements at the last minute.”

The deadline to apply for limited licenses is April 3.

CPW suggests applicants follow these key steps before applying in order to solve for common account issues.

1. All customers will need their CID (Customer Identification number), driver’s license or other unique identifier to look up or create their CPW account and confirm all stored personal information. This includes not only verifying the correct address, email and phone number on file, but also checking preference points to ensure those have carried over correctly.
2. Be ready to confirm your driver’s license information. If your license was issued or renewed within the past six months, you will need to confirm your residency with proper documentation at any CPW office. If preferred, you may also email accepted documentation to our hunt planners; call (303) 297-1192 for more details.
3. Don’t wait to verify your information until the last minute. Applications for the draw opened on March 1 and will close on April 3. Logging into the system and applying early will ensure access and confirm your information well ahead of the closing date next month. 

The 2018 Colorado Big Game brochure is available online, and at most CPW offices and purchasing agents. The brochure contains regulations for deer, elk, pronghorn, moose and bear. The 2018 Colorado Sheep and Goat brochure details regulations for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, desert bighorn sheep and mountain goat. An approved hunter education card or certificate is required before applying for or purchasing any of these Colorado hunting licenses.

Please see the Big Game hunting page for additional resources and details on applying for the draw. Colorado Parks and Wildlife hunt planners are also available to answer questions and help you plan. Hunt planners are available Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. by calling 303-291-7526.

For additional information on hunter education, maps, statistics and more, visit cpw.state.co.us.