Hunt Codes (cont.)

The next portion of the hunt code in our example D-M-030-O2-R indicates what season the license is good for. In our example, O2 indicates second season. Other indicators you will see are:

• O1 — first season
• O3 — third season
• O4 — fourth season
• E1 — early season
• L1 — late season
• K — youth only
• P — private land only
• W or J — ranching for wildlife (Ranching for Wildlife licenses are valid only on private ranches that have opened themselves up to the public for hunting purposes.)

The valid dates that each season code corresponds to are listed in the brochure under the “dates” column. Going back to our example code of D-M-030-O2-R, second season, in this example, is from October 24 until November 1.

The final aspect of every hunt code is a letter. In our example D-M-030-O2-R, it’s R. This letter indicates the main method of take for the season the license is valid for. In our example, R stands for rifle. Other indicators you will see are:

• A — archery
• M— muzzleloader
• X — season choice

With an archery license, you can only use archery equipment such as compound bows, recurve bows, and longbows. (Crossbows are not permitted during archery season without a special accessibility permit available by application.) With a muzzleloader license, you can only use a muzzleloader. A season choice license is valid for all seasons. It starts as an archery license when the archery season begins. If you don’t harvest in that season, it becomes a muzzleloader license during the muzzleloader season. If you don’t harvest during muzzleloader season, it becomes a rifle season license for the remainder of the valid season dates until the hunting season ends or until you harvest an animal.

Any license marked as an R, like our example, is valid during rifle season. However, you can use any legal method of take with a rifle license: rifle, muzzleloader, archery, etc. The vast majority of hunters use rifles during this season, but you are welcome to use any of those methods of take during this time.

Now you know every aspect of a hunt code. Using that base of knowledge, you should be able to understand any hunt code for any license sold in Colorado. To reiterate, let’s breakdown our example code one last time.

D-M-030-O2-R
D — Deer
M — Male
030 — GMU 30
O2 — 2nd season
R — Method of take is rifle.

There is one last aspect of big game hunt codes you should be aware of, and that is a license’s list distinction. Colorado sells three different types of licenses: list A, B, and C. You can have more than one license per species, and these list indicators let you know which licenses can be added to the license you already possess. Hunters can only have one list “A” license per species. However, a hunter can have two list “B” licenses, or they can combine one list “A” license with one list “B” license. In addition to those limits, a hunter can add as many list “C” licenses as they want.