Colorado › Species › Lesser prairie-chicken
No open season
Lesser prairie-chicken in Colorado: no 2026-27 hunting season
Why there is no lesser prairie-chicken season, with the rule and related hunts.
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (CC BY 2.0)
Why there is no lesser prairie-chicken season
Hunters will not find lesser prairie-chickens in any 2026-27 CPW brochure table; here is the status and the law.
- CPW status (lesser prairie-chicken): No season listed.
- Protection rule (lesser prairie-chicken): No 2026-27 season in the Small Game & Waterfowl brochure (only the species listed there may be hunted).
- Allowed species (lesser prairie-chicken): No 2026-27 season in the Small Game & Waterfowl brochure (only the species listed there may be hunted).
From 2026 Small Game & Waterfowl brochure, PDF p. 14, checked November 5, 2026.
Lesser prairie-chicken: fines and points
The statutes behind any lesser prairie-chicken violation, with fines and points.
| Violation | Penalty | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| General misdemeanor | Any violation of Title 33 articles 1-6 or a Commission rule without a specific penalty: $100 fine plus surcharge and 5 license suspension points; penalty assessments may be paid within 20 days. | C.R.S. 33-6-104 |
| License suspension points | 20 or more points in five years: suspension of license privileges up to five years (Wildlife Violator Compact reciprocity). | C.R.S. 33-6-106 |
| Illegal possession of big game | Elk, bear, moose, lion: $1,000 and 15 points each. Deer, pronghorn: $700 and 15 points. Three or more animals: up to $10,000 per animal and/or 1 year jail. Bighorn sheep, mountain goat, eagles: $1,000-$100,000 and/or 1 year and 20 points. Turkey/raptors: $200 and 10 points. Other wildlife $50 + 5 points. | C.R.S. 33-6-109 |
| Willful destruction (waste) of big game | Class 5 felony with $1,000-$20,000 fine, 20 points and suspension (lifetime possible) for big game, eagles and endangered species; class 2 misdemeanor and 20 points for other wildlife. | C.R.S. 33-6-117 |
| Licensing violations | Hunting without a proper license: $100 and 10 points (non-big game) or $200 and 15 points (big game); false statements/fraud: fine twice the most expensive license. | C.R.S. 33-6-107 |
CPW district wildlife managers take lesser prairie-chicken reports, as does the Turn In Poachers line.
From C.R.S. Title 33 (2024 printout) and 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure, PDF p. 22, checked November 5, 2026.
What to hunt instead of lesser prairie-chickens
Species close to lesser prairie-chickens that do have a Colorado season, with dates and limits.
| Species | Status | Season | Usual limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greater prairie-chicken | Open now | October 1, 2026 to January 31, 2027 | Daily 2, possession 6 per year |
| Ring-necked pheasant | Next opener Nov 14 | November 14, 2026 to January 31, 2027 | Daily 3 cocks, possession 9 |
| Quail (bobwhite, scaled and Gambel's) | Next opener Nov 14 | November 14, 2026 to January 31, 2027 | Daily 8 of each species, possession 24 |
| Mountain sharp-tailed grouse | Closed for 2026-27 | September 1 to September 20, 2026 | Daily 2, possession 4 |
From CPW website, checked November 5, 2026.
What is legal in place of lesser prairie-chickens
CPW names these legal species by group; lesser prairie-chickens are not on any of them.
- Big game with 2026-27 seasons (lesser prairie-chicken page): mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, pronghorn, moose, black bear, mountain lion, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, desert bighorn sheep and mountain goat.
- Wild turkey (lesser prairie-chicken page): wild turkey (Merriam's and Rio Grande).
- Small game mammals (lesser prairie-chicken page): cottontail rabbit, snowshoe hare, white-tailed jackrabbit, black-tailed jackrabbit, marmot, fox squirrel, pine squirrel and Abert's squirrel.
- Small game birds (lesser prairie-chicken page): dusky (blue) grouse, mountain sharp-tailed grouse, greater sage-grouse, white-tailed ptarmigan, ring-necked pheasant, northern bobwhite, scaled quail, Gambel's quail, chukar partridge and greater prairie-chicken.
- Other small game (lesser prairie-chicken page): black-tailed prairie dog, white-tailed prairie dog, Gunnison's prairie dog, Wyoming (Richardson's) ground squirrel, prairie rattlesnake and common snapping turtle.
- Furbearers (lesser prairie-chicken page): coyote, bobcat, beaver, badger, red fox, gray fox, swift fox, mink, muskrat, opossum, pine marten, raccoon, ring-tailed cat, striped skunk, western spotted skunk, long-tailed weasel and short-tailed weasel.
- Migratory game birds (lesser prairie-chicken page): ducks, mergansers, coots, dark geese, light geese, mourning dove, white-winged dove, band-tailed pigeon, sandhill crane, sora, Virginia rail, Wilson's snipe and crow.
- Invasive (no license; hunter education card required) (lesser prairie-chicken page): Eurasian collared-dove, European starling and house sparrow.
From 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure, PDF p. 11, 2026 Colorado Turkey brochure, PDF p. 8 and 2026 Small Game & Waterfowl brochure, PDF p. 9, checked November 5, 2026.
Dusky grouse among dry grass along the rim drive at Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Photo: Ron Knight (CC BY 2.0)
Dusky grouse male strutting beside a gravel road near Ohio Creek, Gunnison County. Photo: Larry Lamsa (CC BY 2.0)
Lesser prairie-chicken booming in dry grass, Prowers County. Photo: Ron Knight (CC BY 2.0)
Questions about lesser prairie-chickens in Colorado
What related species have a Colorado season?
Related species with 2026-27 seasons: greater prairie-chicken, ring-necked pheasant, quail (bobwhite, scaled and gambel’s) and mountain sharp-tailed grouse; see the table on this page for dates and limits.
What happens if someone takes lesser prairie-chicken illegally?
The sources read name no penalty class for lesser prairie-chickens. Title 33 runs from the default (any violation of Title 33 articles 1-6 or a Commission rule without a specific penalty: $100 fine plus surcharge and 5 license suspension points, CRS 33-6-104) to willful destruction (CRS 33-6-117): class 5 felony with $1,000-$20,000 fine, 20 points and suspension (lifetime possible) for big game, eagles and endangered species; class 2 misdemeanor and 20 points for other wildlife.
Which units matter for lesser prairie-chickens?
Only greater prairie-chickens have a season (GMUs 93, 97, 98, 100, 101, 102, 103, 109; all of Morgan County; parts E of Colorado 71 and S of Colorado 14 and Hwy 138, October 1, 2026 to January 31, 2027); lesser prairie-chickens have none.
Where are lesser prairie-chicken incidents reported?
Report lesser prairie-chickens taken by mistake to CPW; Turn In Poachers (TIPs) covers illegal take: turn In Poachers: licenses and preference points for reports leading to charges for illegal big game or turkey take (TIPs licenses no longer count toward moose/sheep/goat lifetime limits).
Which sources describe lesser prairie-chickens here?
From CPW sources dated August 21, 2026 (read November 4, 2026) and CRS Title 33 (2024 printout); this page was checked November 5, 2026.
Which game shares a group with lesser prairie-chickens?
Next to lesser prairie-chickens, CPW lists these legal small game birds: dusky (blue) grouse, mountain sharp-tailed grouse, greater sage-grouse, white-tailed ptarmigan, ring-necked pheasant, northern bobwhite, scaled quail, Gambel’s quail, chukar partridge and greater prairie-chicken.
How does CPW treat lesser prairie-chickens?
For lesser prairie-chickens: No 2026-27 season in the Small Game & Waterfowl brochure (only the species listed there may be hunted).
Can you hunt lesser prairie-chickens in Colorado?
No license or season exists for lesser prairie-chickens this year; CPW: no season listed.
Other photos on this page: Ron Knight (CC BY 2.0); Larry Lamsa (CC BY 2.0); Ron Knight (CC BY 2.0).