I am making my first trip to Colorado elk hunting this October, (Second season).The rules and regulations I have found to be mind boggling. If someone with some knowledge could help me I would be eternally gratefull. Do you need a non resident hunting license and an elk tag or is the elk tag your license?? Do you need a small game license to shoot a coyote if you see one?? I have been reading the Colorado gfc website but I cannot find those answears. Hope someone can help. This is harder to plan than a trip to Africa. Thanks.

An elk tag/license are one in the same.

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from pg. 1
LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
1. You must have a license to hunt and carry it while hunting.
2. You can hunt only the animal, season and area stated on the license.
3. It is illegal to give false information to obtain a license. It also is
illegal to alter a license or to loan, transfer, sell or give your license to
someone.
4. If you lose or destroy your license, you can get a duplicate before
the season opens from a license agent for a fee. After the season
begins, duplicate available only at DOW offices.
5. Licenses expire on the date stated on them.

Exception to #2 from pg. 4
Coyotes
You can hunt coyotes without a small game license during big game seasons if you have an unfilled big game license. But, you can hunt coyotes only in the same unit, season and manner of take as on the big game license. Once you fill your big game license, you must buy a small game or furbearer license to hunt coyotes. Harvesting a coyote does not void your big game license.

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Note: the above copied from the 2009 Colorado Big Game booklet.

BUT...to hunt other small game, birds, waterfowl or varmints requires a separate NR small-game hunting license.

Thankyou outdoor writer. Sorry for the double post. After I posed it I could not find it. I had to delete my Cookies to reload the web page and then I found the two posts. Again thanks for the help and sorry for the double post.

You're welcome.

Colorado is actually one of the easier western states to decipher You can contact the DOW directly by phone, most of them are glad to answer questions. The first time I went elk hunting, (longer ago than i care to think about) I had a spot (I thought) picked out. I called and talked to the game warden of that area, and he directed me to a different spot. Good call, I scored the first time out. One word of warning, when somebody from Colorado says, "yeah, it's a little steep", get ready to climb Good Luck!

BobS,

Where are you looking at hunting? I was in CO last fall...

gd

One does need a CCC or Conservation Certificate before or with the purchase of a license or tag. Or a least you used to need one.

Certificate was good for life and made some things easier after the initial registration.

Wait till you ty to untangle the fishing regs, it will make hunting regs look like first grade primer.

I have to admit I am spoiled. I have a license to hunt and fish for everything in TN (unless I go waterfowling and need a federal duck stamp) for the rest of my life.

Can only kill 3 bucks all season but I can harvest somewhere around 100 does.

Elk . . . hey I won't live long enough to hunt elk in TN.

We are going to be in the area of Yampa Co.
This is about 40 or 50 miles south of Steam Boat Springs.

They have done away with the Conservation Certificate, and from my experience since my first hunt in Colorado in 1992, deciphering the Colorado Regs can be difficult, especially if the person has never tried it before.

Also, many folks from what I have been observing over the past 4 or 5 years or so, have come to rely on the wisdom or collective knowledge of other hunters on sites like AR to have their questuons answered, instead of taking the time or making the effort to look things up for themselves or contact the Game Dept. of the state they will be hunting in.

In some ways it is good to have sites like this where a person can get the information, but in some ways to me, it takes some of what makes planning and doing an out of state hunt an adventure. JMO.

I did a lot of asking on here and other sites before I went the first time. But calling the CDOW was the most helpful.
If you think Colorado regs are confusing, check into Montana, Wyoming, or New Mexico.

quote:

I did a lot of asking on here and other sites before I went the first time. But calling the CDOW was the most helpful.

The problem I have seen with asking on the forims is that unless thr person giving the answer goes yearly and stays on top of the rule changes in that state, they can give some wrong information rapidly.

One of the things I was referring to on the Colorado Regs deals with the antler restrictions on elk in the majority of the GMU's in the state.

Most folks just look at the part where it has 4 points or more on One Antler and go from there.

They don't read the part that a 5 inch brow tine on one antler works just as well.

Although they did away with the actual Conservation Certificate you will still be issued a CC #. It will be on your license and will make it easier to do your online applications/licenses or be identified by a DOW officer

That's the reason I suggested calling the CDOW if you can't get things deciphered. They have been very heplful when I have spoken to them. As with most western states, so many of the rules vary per the GMU. That's always confusing to us flatlanders. The online sites have too many "armchair experts", well meaning or not. But for helpful hints, what to take, what to leave, etc. people with personal experience are always good to talk to.

I still have the old Tyvek CC, tacked up on the wall in my reloading room. They may not wear out, but you would have heck of a time reading mine