By Craig Wescoatt

Hunting season is upon us, and actually has been for some weeks. Amazingly enough this happens every year but people are still surprised.  What should be remembered is that hunting seasons are fairly consistent from year to year as far as starting dates and lengths of time the seasons last but that they are set by the government, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission, so there always seems to be something slightly new and different. Ever hear that phrase – we’re from the government and we’re here to help? Well in this case the intent is true but that doesn’t lessen the confusion. Here is the information that probably pertains the most to recreation and trails enthusiasts that might encounter hunters:

• Archery deer and elk season dates August 29 to September 27, starts last weekend of August
• Rifle Black Bear September 2 to September 30, always (so far) starts September 2
• Muzzleloading for deer and elk September 12 to September 20, second weekend of September start
• High Country Deer (Wilderness Areas) September 12 to September 20, first weekend after Labor Day start
• Rifle hunting for deer and elk:
  • 1st Season October 10 to October 14, second weekend in October start
  • 2nd Season October 17 to October 25
  • 3^rd Season October 31 to November 8^th
  • 4^th Season November 11 to November 15
• Small game hunting seasons began on September 1 with a variety of starting and ending dates dependent upon species

Archers need to get closer to their prey so they are not required to wear the bright daylight fluorescent orange clothing. The remainder of the big game hunters you see should be dressed with at least 500 square inches of that bright color.

Be aware that there are other licenses which are out there that do allow hunting to occur outside these dates. Most of those are limited to private property but even then there are some exceptions. What good would regulations be if they didn’t become so convoluted that they were difficult to understand? Best information I can provide you is if you see something that appears strange occurring outside these dates, contact your local dispatch center and pass the information on.