The official 2018 leftover big game limited licenses list for deer, elk, bear and pronghorn is now available on the CPW website. These remaining limited licenses provide hunting access on specific Game Management Units (GMUs) and offer Colorado big-game hunters some great opportunities this big game hunting season. The leftover licenses go on sale Tuesday, August 7 at 9:00 a.m (MDT). NOTE: at 9:00 a.m. licenses will be available for purchase online (CPWshop.com), by phone at 1-800-244-5613 , in person at CPW offices and at license retailers (sporting goods stores, hunting and fishing supply stores, etc.).
There are more than 50,000 big game hunting licenses available on the leftover list this year.
- Bear – more than 4,900 limited licenses available
- Deer – more than 8,400 limited licenses available
- Elk – more than 29,100 limited licenses available
- Pronghorn – more than 7,400 limited licenses available
So it’s important that you do your homework, build a solid strategy and are ready to pull the trigger when sales start on Tuesday morning. Leftover licenses are sold on a first come, first served basis and while there is a wide variety of opportunity, most of the licenses are available in small quantity with extremely high demand! So it is expected that they will be gone in the first minutes after sales begin.
Building a Leftover Day Strategy
Pick MULTIPLE Hunt Codes for Each Species
You may be successful at purchasing your first choice on leftover day. But, a surefire winning strategy is to find several hunt codes for each species that you would like to hunt. With just over a week to go before leftover day, there is plenty of time and information to help you research your options.
- Use CPW Regional Hunt Guides to get an idea of public land access in the GMUs that you are considering.
- Southeast Region
- Southwest Region
- Northeast Region
- Northeast Region – for information, please call the Northeast Region Office, (303) 291-7227, or a Hunt Planner at 303-291-7526.
- Use the Colorado Hunting Atlas to do some virtual scouting and find a license that puts you on terrain that suits your hunting needs. The atlas is loaded with useful species-specific information, including migration corridors, winter concentration areas, resident population area, overall range winter range and much more.
Plan Your Leftover Day Purchase Strategy: Online or In-Person
- Online – CPW’s new online shopping system (CPWshop.com) is a great option for shoppers who have limited time and are looking to avoid long lines. To help reduce the bottlenecks in the online system, it’s essential that hunters have their game plan in place. Make sure that you confirm your CPWshop.com account is ready to go!
- Confirm that your login and customer information is up to date, including phone, email and mailing address.
- Existing customers: log in to CPWshop.com to confirm that you can access your account. If you are experiencing issues logging in to your account, please call CPW at 303-297-1192 (M-F, 8am-5pm MT) or Aspira at 800-244-5613 (24/7) for assistance. If you are unsure whether or not you are a customer with an account, please use LOOK UP to see if you have an existing account. CAUTION: Do not create multiple accounts. Purchasing licenses with multiple accounts could potentially invalidate your sale.
- New customers (you have never used the CPW IPAWS site or purchased a CPW wildlife license, or you do not have a Reserve America account): Please create an account. If you are experiencing issues creating an account, please call CPW at 303-297-1192 (M-F, 8am-5pm MT) or Aspira at 800-244-5613 (24/7) for assistance.
- Confirm that your login and customer information is up to date, including phone, email and mailing address.
- In-Person – If you plan to purchase a leftover license in-person, at CPW office or license retailer, make sure that you contact the location before Tuesday, August 7, 2018, at 9:00 a.m (MDT) and confirm that they will be offering license sales on leftover day. Also, confirm how they determine purchase order. Some CPW offices are first come, first served and others use a lottery system to determine the purchase order. Take the mystery out of the process by contacting the CPW offices or retailers where you plan to purchase and ask them what their leftover day process will be.
Whether you are purchasing online or in-person, you’ll need to have your hunt codes selected before Tuesday, August 7 at 9:00 a.m (MDT). I know I keep repeating date, time, and hunt codes, but they are the key ingredients to a successful strategy! Don’t gamble your hunting season on a single hunt code. Come prepared with a list of hunt codes recorded on a piece of paper so you are ready to go when the process starts.
Leftover Day Online Purchase Guide
Take the guesswork out leftover day! View the 2018 Big Game Leftover Guide to see exactly what the online process will look like when licenses go on sale Tuesday, August 7 at 9:00 a.m (MDT). The guide provides tips that will help you avoid the common errors that can slow down the process and prevent a successful license purchase.
Guaranteed Big Game Hunting License Options
If you are unsuccessful on leftover day, there are still two great options that will guarantee you’re big game hunting in Colorado this season.
- Reissued Licenses – these licenses will start appearing on the leftover list beginning on August 14, 2018 at 9 a.m. and hunt codes will appear on the list Tuesday thru Friday (throughout the season) from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. There is no preview list, so you never know which licenses will appear from week to week. But there are amazing opportunities for hunters with flexible schedules and they will appear throughout the season. Reissued licenses will include hunt codes that took four or fewer preference points to draw and the licenses will appear on the leftover list the week after they are processed. Visit the CPW website to learn more about the reissue process.
- Over-the-Counter (OTC) – OTC license sales begin on August 9, 2018 at 9:00 a.m. (MDT). Big game hunting license options include Unlimited OTC licenses for cow and either-sex archery elk, bull elk in the 2nd and 3rd rifle seasons, either-sex elk in the plains, either-sex archery pronghorn, and doe and either-sex whitetail deer licenses. These are great options for hunters that are looking to start planning today. OTC hunts are restricted to certain units and manners of take. Please visit the CPW website for more information about OTC season dates and big game hunting opportunities.
On Tuesday, August 7, 2018 at 9:00 a.m (MDT), an enormous number of license purchases will occur in the first minutes after sales open. And just like being in the field, the big game hunters that have done their homework and are prepared for the day are the ones that have the greatest chance for success!
Additional resources:
- 2018 Leftover License List
- Colorado Big Game Hunters, You Have Post Draw Options
- 2018 Colorado Big Game Brochure
