Hunting Locator store<\/a>, where you’ll find optics, packs, and field gear built for this kind of hunt.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nFrequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhat are the 2026 Colorado black bear season dates?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Archery runs September 2\u201330, muzzleloader runs September 12\u201320, September rifle runs September 2\u201330, concurrent rifle seasons fall within October and November, and the Plains Rifle & PLO season runs September 2 \u2013 November 23, 2026. Confirm unit-specific hunt codes in the CPW 2026 Big Game Brochure before finalizing plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How much does a Colorado black bear license cost in 2026?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A resident bear license runs $60.05, plus the $36.68 base hunting license. Nonresidents pay $302.56 for the bear\/fishing combo. Both residents and nonresidents also need the $12.47 Habitat Stamp (ages 18\u201364) and a per-species processing fee \u2014 $8 for residents, $11 for nonresidents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is baiting or hound hunting legal for bear in Colorado?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
No. Both baiting and hunting bears with hounds or dogs are prohibited in Colorado. That restriction is why spot-and-stalk has become the default legal method, and it’s one of the bigger adjustments hunters coming from other states need to make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Are Colorado bear tags OTC or draw?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Both, plus a third option. Bear licenses come via limited draw (primary and secondary), over-the-counter (restricted to certain units, seasons, and methods), or as an add-on to a deer or elk license.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is the mandatory bear check in Colorado?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Every harvested bear must be personally presented to Colorado Parks and Wildlife within 5 business days for a tooth-sample extraction and skull\/hide inspection. This is a compliance requirement, not an optional courtesy, so plan your post-harvest timeline around it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How can nonresidents secure land for a Colorado bear hunt?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Nonresidents can hunt public land, look into CPW’s Walk-in Access Program, or secure a private-land lease directly. Browsing Hunting Locator’s Colorado lease listings is often the fastest route to guaranteed private access before the season opener.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can beginners hunt black bear without a guide?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Yes, but it demands solid woodsmanship and physical preparation given the spot-and-stalk-only rules. First-timers should scout food sources ahead of season, practice identifying sows with cubs, and consider pairing a guided hunt or private lease with their first season to shorten the learning curve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Final Shot<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Colorado’s 2026 black bear seasons open September 2, with three license pathways \u2014 OTC, draw, and add-on \u2014 giving hunters real flexibility in how they build their season. The baiting and hound bans mean spot-and-stalk is the game here, and where you hunt often matters as much as when. Land access remains one of the biggest factors you control heading into fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Confirm your exact dates against the CPW brochure, lock in the right license for your situation, and start securing ground and gear now rather than waiting until August.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If private access is part of your plan, browse Colorado hunting leases<\/a> and get your ground locked in before the September opener arrives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This Colorado black bear guide puts the dates, fees, and rules in one place<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":8419,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[22,68,10,16],"class_list":["post-8414","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hunting-seasons","tag-bear-hunting","tag-hunting","tag-hunting-seasons","tag-season-dates"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/huntinglocator.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8414","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/huntinglocator.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/huntinglocator.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/huntinglocator.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/huntinglocator.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8414"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/huntinglocator.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8414\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8425,"href":"https:\/\/huntinglocator.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8414\/revisions\/8425"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/huntinglocator.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8419"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/huntinglocator.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8414"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/huntinglocator.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8414"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/huntinglocator.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8414"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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