Boulder County for Hunters

Boulder County units, point rules and CWD

Seasons here follow 3 game management units, not the county line; GMU 20 is the biggest piece at near 51%. None of these units lies wholly inside Boulder County; each one carries on into a neighbouring county. Unit edges are roads, drainages and divides named in the brochure text; the percentages here are GIS measures, and the written description decides where a unit stops.

CPW lists GMU 38 as antler point restriction units; count four points or measure the brow tine before shooting. CWD sampling is compulsory for chosen rifle elk codes in GMU 20, and voluntary for deer. Mountain lion hunting runs November 23, 2026 to March 31, 2027 in harvest-limit groups; the county touches group 4 (limit 28), and each group closes when its limit is reached. Leave sheds on public ground west of I-25 until May 1. OTC spring gobbler hunting is open in GMUs 20, 29, 38.

GMU shares from the CPW GMU boundary layer over Census county lines; boundaries in the 2026 Big Game brochure GMU descriptions; point rule from brochure p. 36; CWD units from brochure p. 41; lion groups from the 2026-2027 Mountain Lion brochure; turkey lists from the 2026 Turkey brochure; shed closure from brochure p. 12. Checked November 5, 2026.

Boulder County acres by owner

The overlay finds about 141,910 public acres here, or 30.5% of the land area; the top category is forest Service land. Do not assume State Land Board land is open: only the CPW-leased parcels are. Acres with a star are left out of the public figure; hunting there depends on park, base or lease rules. Acreages come from overlaying map polygons and will not match agency totals exactly.

Boulder County public ground, largest first

Next-county ground for Boulder County

• Twin Sisters SWA13 miles, state wildlife area, Larimer County
• Rocky Flats NWR18 miles, national wildlife refuge, Jefferson County
• Golden Gate Canyon State Park18 miles, state park, Gilpin County
• Ralston Creek SWA18 miles, state wildlife area, Jefferson County
• Lon Hagler SWA23 miles, state wildlife area, Larimer County
• Boedecker Reservoir SWA24 miles, state wildlife area, Larimer County

Carry a Colorado hunting or fishing license, or buy the SWA Pass, before stepping onto an SWA or trust parcel if you are 16 or older. Dates and restrictions vary property by property; the land pages carry the CPW wording.

Acres from the CPW managed properties layer (SWA and STL), USGS PAD-US 4.1 (Forest Service, BLM, refuges, parks, military) and the BLM field office layer; places from the CPW SWA finder, the STL finder and each land page; access rules from the CPW property pages. Checked November 5, 2026.

Hunting dates in Boulder County

County total as of November 4, 2026: 1 listing ahead (DU dinner).

Is your committee night missing? Submit it

Boulder County area office, outfitters and stores

CPW Area 2 is led by area wildlife manager Jason Duetsch, which covers Boulder County. Lion hunters phone CPW within 48 hours of a kill and present the head and hide within five days.

Boulder County towns with their own guides

Remaining towns and CDPs, Boulder County:

• Louisville20,811
• Lyons2,155
• Nederland1,487
• Jamestown246
• Ward127
• Allenspark
• Altona
• Bark Ranch
• Bonanza Mountain Estates
• Crisman
• Eldora
• Eldorado Springs
• Glendale
• Gold Hill

Within Boulder County the directory holds 2 taxidermists, 16 gun and outdoor stores and 4 outfitters and guides and lacks game processors. Listings mix DORA outfitter records with chain locators and Yellow Pages; ring before you go.

Taxidermy around Boulder County

Boulder County gun counters

Registered outfitters, Boulder County

Offices and area wildlife managers from the CPW Contact Us page and the CPW area layer; towns and places from the 2024 Census gazetteer; outfitters from the DORA licence data; other services from store locators and Yellow Pages listings. Checked November 5, 2026.

Boulder County legal shooting light

The sun rises about twenty minutes later at Grand Junction than at Burlington, so use the times worked out for Boulder County.

Furbearer night rules are in the CPW small game brochure.

Hours rules from the 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure and the Small Game and Waterfowl brochure; sunrise and sunset worked out for this location with the NOAA solar formula (Mountain Time); checked November 5, 2026. Legal hours for every county.

Around Boulder County

Four counties nearby and three statewide references.

Boulder County trip reminders

This page covers the 2026-27 seasons only; where it and the CPW brochures differ, the brochures govern.

Sources: 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure, CPW hunting, Census and the sources in each section. Checked November 5, 2026.