Colorado bear season 2026: dates and free maps
Season dates
Archery: Wednesday, September 2 to Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Source: Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Plains rifle (select plains GMUs): Wednesday, September 2 to Sunday, November 22, 2026
Source: Colorado Parks and Wildlife
September rifle: Wednesday, September 2 to Wednesday, September 30, 2026
By license, in the units that offer it.
Source: Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Muzzleloader: Saturday, September 12 to Sunday, September 20, 2026
Source: Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Rifle, with the deer and elk seasons: Wednesday, October 14 to Sunday, November 22, 2026
Four segments: Oct. 14-18, Oct. 24-Nov. 1, Nov. 7-15 and Nov. 18-22.
Source: Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Checked on the agency's site November 6, 2026. Licenses, units, bag limits and shooting hours differ, and dates can vary by unit: the regulations are what count, so read them before you go.
Legal shooting hours for big game in Colorado, generally: 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
Bear country is big timber and steep ground, usually with no signal. Download the maps for your spot ahead of time and Cartahaven shows your GPS position on them offline, so you can stay on public ground, find your stand or bait site and get back out after dark.
Free public land maps in Colorado
Before you go
Cartahaven is not affiliated with or endorsed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Season dates come from the agency pages linked above.