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Colorado archery season dates, 2026
Colorado's 2026 archery elk season runs September 2–30, and archery deer runs the same dates. Pronghorn archery opens earliest: August 15–31 for bucks, then either-sex September 1–20. You need an archery licence for the species and unit you are hunting, plus hunter education; residents still hold unlimited over-the-counter either-sex archery elk in eligible units, while non-resident archery elk west of I-25 is draw-only. Apply or buy through the draw and licence pages. CPW 2025–2029 Season Structure
2026 season dates at a glance
| Species | 2026 archery dates | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Elk | SEP 2 – SEP 30 | General seasons west of I-25 and GMU 140 |
| Deer | SEP 2 – SEP 30 | Mule deer, general seasons west of I-25 |
| Black bear | SEP 2 – SEP 30 | Concurrent with elk and deer archery |
| Pronghorn | AUG 15 – AUG 31 | Bucks only |
| Pronghorn | SEP 1 – SEP 20 | Either-sex |
Full details by species are on the elk, deer, pronghorn and bear pages, and everything is on the season calendar.
Why archery is the prized elk season
September archery overlaps the peak of the elk rut, when bulls are bugling and responsive to calling — the best chance to hunt vocal, active elk. It's also the most accessible: resident over-the-counter either-sex archery elk is still unlimited in eligible units. The major recent change is that non-resident OTC archery elk west of I-25 and in GMU 140 was eliminated and is now draw-only. CPW · Non-resident hunting
Equipment and crossbows
Archery seasons require archery equipment, and Colorado sets minimum draw-weight and broadhead rules for legal bows — the specifics are on legal weapons. On crossbows: they are not legal during Colorado's archery seasons, with a limited exception for hunters who hold a qualifying disability accommodation. Because that exception turns on your specific permit, confirm it directly with CPW before you carry a crossbow in an archery season. CPW 2026 Big Game Brochure
Where a crossbow is legal is narrower than it is often stated. It is rifle-season equipment: the manner-of-take rule closes the muzzleloader seasons to it as firmly as the archery seasons, providing that "during the muzzle-loading firearms seasons for deer, elk, pronghorn, bear, and moose only lawful muzzle-loaders and smoothbore muskets may be used by muzzle-loading license holders." A crossbow is neither, so a muzzleloader tag does not authorise one. 2 CCR 406-2 §203(2)(a)
Common questions
When does archery elk season start in Colorado in 2026?
September 2, 2026, running through September 30 — the full month across the elk rut.
Can you use a crossbow during archery season in Colorado?
Generally no — crossbows are rifle-season equipment in Colorado, legal during the rifle seasons but not the archery seasons, except for hunters with a qualifying disability accommodation. They are not legal in the muzzleloader seasons either: 2 CCR 406-2 §203(2)(a) allows only lawful muzzle-loaders and smoothbore muskets there. Confirm your situation with CPW before relying on the disability exception.
Is archery elk over-the-counter in Colorado?
For residents, yes — unlimited over-the-counter either-sex archery elk in eligible units. For non-residents, OTC archery elk west of I-25 and GMU 140 was eliminated and is now draw-only; see OTC tags.