Hunting in Colorado

By Amanda May
Staff Writer
Rockies.com

The bugle mating call of a bull elk is a welcome sound to Colorado visitors who have come to hunt. If stalking elk, pronghorn or pheasant through prairie and mountain sounds like fun to you, come to this Rocky Mountain state to hunt many different species!

While Colorado seems like a wild, lawless land, we assure you it is not. Make sure to get your hunting license and obey bag limits to avoid problems with the law and the Colorado Division of Wildlife.

Licenses that can be applied for and purchased:
-Big Game
For example: moose, elk, mule deer, pronghorn
-Goat & Sheep
-Mountain Lion
-Turkey
-Waterfowl
For example: Snow geese, blue geese, Ross’ geese
-Small Game
For example: Morning dove, greater sage-grouse, greater prairie-chicken, dusky grouse, Colombian sharp-toothed grouse, pheasant

While its not always hunting season, shooting ranges are always open. Practice your marksmanship, whether you are a bowhunter, wingshooter, waterfowler or rifle hunter. After all, practice makes perfect, and it gets you accustomed to your weapon. Hunters accustomed to their weapons are safer to themselves and their hunting buddies.

Increase your “one shot kills” to avoid unnecessary animal suffering by perfecting your shot in one of these Colorado shooting ranges. It’s also a good idea for visiting hunters to visit a shooting range to check their gear after travel and to get used to shooting at altitude.

Public Shooting Ranges

Denver Area
Archery in the Wild- Longmont
Aurora Gun Club- Aurora
Boulder Rifle Club- Boulder
Camp Fickes Shooting Range- Buffalo Creek
Cherry Creek State Park Family Shooting Center- Aurora
Clear Creek Couny Sportsman’s Club- Idaho Springs
Colorado Archery- Littleton
Colorado Clays- Brighton
Colorado Rifle Club- Byers
Firing-Line- Aurora
Golden Gun Club Inc.- Watkins
Green Mountain Family Shooting Center- Lakewood

Northeast Colorado
Front Range Gun Club- Loveland
Haxton Gun Club- Haxton
Holyoke Gun Club- Holyoke
Kit Carson County Sportsmen’s Club- Burlington
Rocky Mountan Shooter’s Supply- Fort Collins
Rocky Ridge Sporting- Fort Collins

Southeast Colorado
Dragon Man’s- Colorado Springs
Rocky Mountain Roosters- Colorado Springs
Buena Vista Sportsmen’s Club- Buena Vista
Cactus Flats Club- Penrose
Chaffee County Shooting Range- Between Salida and Buena Vista
River’s Edge Outdoors- Avondale
Pueblo Municipal Shooters, Inc.-Pueblo
Sangre De Christo Shooting Club- Westcliffe

Northwest Colorado
Bears Ears Sportsman Club- Craig
Byers Canyon Rifle Range- Hot Sulphur Springs
Castle Peak Gun Club- Gypstum
Glenwood Springs Gun Club- Glenwood Springs
Hayden Shooting Range- Hayden
Meeker Sportsman’s Club- Meeker
Rifle Sportsmen’s Club- Rifle
Routt County Rifle & Pistol Club- Steamboat Springs
Vail Rod & Gun Club, Ltd.- Wolcott

Southwest Colorado
Colorado West Gun Club- Hotchkiss
Bayfield Lions Cllub Shooting Range- Bayfield
Blue Water Gun Club- Saguache
Del Monte Gun Club- Monte Vista
Durango Gun Club- Durango
Four Corners Rifle and Pistol Club- Cortez
Gunnison Sportsman’s Association- Gunnison
Kit Carson Rod and Gun Club- Crestone
Montrose Rod and Gun Club- Montrose
Summit Shooting Center- Cortez

Be safe and good luck!