Colorado › Species › Sandhill crane
Migratory bird
Sandhill crane hunting in Colorado: 2026-27 seasons, limits and where to hunt
2026-27: Open now. Every CPW row, limits, licenses, public land and legal hours.
Photo: mark byzewski (CC BY 2.0)
The short version for sandhill cranes
For 2026-27, CPW prints 1 dated row for sandhill cranes, running October 3 to November 29, 2026. Status today: open now. Typical bag on the crane rows: daily 3, possession 9.
- Bag in brief (crane): Daily 3, possession 9
- Dates in short (crane): Regular season: October 3, 2026 to November 29, 2026 (East of the Continental Divide except North Park (Jackson Co)
From 2026 Small Game & Waterfowl brochure, PDF p. 15 and CPW website, checked November 5, 2026.
GearHeading out for a hunt? Hunting gear checklists by season →
Sandhill crane: all CPW dates and licenses
1 row, each a CPW license group with its dates and limit. Big game rows merge hunt codes that share a method, sex, license type and dates.
| Row | Sold as | Valid in | Open | Limit | Codes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Small game + HIP | East of the Continental Divide except North Park (Jackson County) and the San Luis Valley | Oct 3–Nov 29, 2026 | Daily 3, possession 9 | – |
- Season (crane, East of the Continental Divide except North Park (Jackson Co): Free sandhill crane permit through HIP; Whooping cranes protected.
From 2026 Small Game & Waterfowl brochure, PDF p. 15, checked November 5, 2026.
Where Colorado crane hunting is open
- Season (crane): East of the Continental Divide except North Park (Jackson County) and the San Luis Valley; October 3 to November 29, 2026.
County footprint of the crane rows, 42 in all:
Adams, Arapahoe, Archuleta, Baca, Bent, Boulder, Broomfield, Chaffee, Cheyenne, Clear Creek, Crowley, Custer, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Elbert, Fremont, Gilpin, Hinsdale, Huerfano, Jefferson, Kiowa, Kit Carson, Lake, Larimer, Las Animas, Lincoln, Logan, Mineral, Morgan, Otero, Park, Phillips, Prowers, Pueblo, Saguache, San Juan, Sedgwick, Teller, Washington, Weld, Yuma
From 2026 Small Game & Waterfowl brochure, PDF p. 15, checked November 5, 2026.
How many sandhill cranes you can take
- Daily 3, possession 9 (crane, 1 row)
From 2026 Small Game & Waterfowl brochure, PDF p. 15, checked November 5, 2026.
Buying a license for sandhill cranes
CPW folds a $1.25 search-and-rescue surcharge and a $1.50 Wildlife Education Fund fee into each crane price. Ages 18 to 64 need the $12.76 Habitat Stamp before any crane license.
| License | Buyer | Fee | Valid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small game (annual) | Resident | $38.49 | 13 months |
| Small game (annual) | Nonresident | $104.86 | 13 months |
| Youth small game | Anyone | $2.53 | 13 months |
| HIP registration | Anyone | free | from March 1 |
| Habitat Stamp (annual) | Anyone | $12.76 | 13 months |
| Sandhill crane permit | Anyone | $0 | 13 months |
From 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure, PDF p. 15, 2026 Small Game & Waterfowl brochure, PDF p. 5 and 2026 Small Game & Waterfowl brochure, PDF p. 7, checked November 5, 2026.
Sandhill crane: guns, bows and methods
- Migratory birds (crane), OK: Shotguns 10 ga max, plugged to 3 shells, fired from the shoulder; hand-held bows; hawking.
- Migratory birds (crane), off limits: Rifles, pistols, slugs, traps, nets; unplugged guns except light-goose conservation order.
- Season (crane method text): Shotguns 10 ga max, 3 shells max (plugged), fired from shoulder, no slugs; hand-held bows; hawking; Nontoxic shot rules per federal law; No bait; no recorded/electronic calls (except crows and light geese in the conservation order).
From 2026 Small Game & Waterfowl brochure, PDF p. 10 and 2026 Small Game & Waterfowl brochure, PDF p. 15, checked November 5, 2026.
Sandhill crane rules in the field
- Orange and pink (crane): Not required for small game, migratory birds, turkey or lion (encouraged).
- Hunting hours (crane): One-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
- Baiting (crane): No hunting big game, turkey, small game or migratory birds over bait; furbearer bait allowed; bear luring prohibited (CRS 33-6-131).
- Electronic calls (crane): Prohibited for big game, lion, turkey, small game and waterfowl; allowed for furbearers, crows and light geese in the conservation order.
- Trespass (crane): Permission required on private land whether or not posted; State Land Board lands only where leased/signed by CPW.
- Vehicles and roads (crane): No shooting from a vehicle or within 50 ft of a public road centerline; firearms unloaded in the chamber in vehicles; firearms (except handguns) unloaded and cased on OHVs during deer, elk, pronghorn and bear seasons.
- Walk-In rules (crane): Walk-In Access: small game September 1-February 28, 2027 (regular), late cropland from pheasant opener; extended properties to March 31; big game on some properties September 1-December 31; small-game license and Habitat Stamp required; foot access only.
- Sunday rule (crane): No statewide Sunday restriction appears in the 2026 brochures, CPW regulation chapters read or CRS Title 33; seasons run every day; Some State Wildlife Areas limit hunting to certain days (Chapter W-5/W-9 property rules, for example waterfowl only on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays on some SWAs).
- SWAs and STLs (crane): Everyone 16+ needs a hunting or fishing license (or State Wildlife Area Pass) on state wildlife areas and state trust lands.
- Safety course (crane): Anyone born on or after January 1, 1949 needs a hunter education card to buy or apply for a hunting license; carry it (or have it verified "V" on the license); Other states' cards honored.
From 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure, PDF p. 25, 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure, PDF p. 24, 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure, PDF p. 22, 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure, PDF p. 23 and 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure, PDF p. 16, checked November 5, 2026.
Hours for sandhill cranes by place
Crane light changes by more than twenty minutes across the state, so three places are shown, each from the NOAA solar formula.
| When | Point | Denver | Grand Junction area | Lamar area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 5, 2026 | Check date | 6:02 a.m. to 4:55 p.m. | 6:15 a.m. to 5:10 p.m. | 5:49 a.m. to 4:48 p.m. |
| Nov 29, 2026 | Season closes | 6:29 a.m. to 4:37 p.m. | 6:41 a.m. to 4:53 p.m. | 6:14 a.m. to 4:32 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Winter solstice | 6:47 a.m. to 4:38 p.m. | 6:59 a.m. to 4:54 p.m. | 6:32 a.m. to 4:33 p.m. |
From 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure, PDF p. 23 and 2026 Small Game & Waterfowl brochure, PDF p. 8, checked November 5, 2026.
Snowy peaks of the Rocky Mountains beyond pines and a valley in central Colorado. Photo: U.S. Department of Agriculture (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Snow-covered Rocky Mountain peaks rising above a line of pines in Colorado. Photo: Bob Denaro (CC BY 2.0)
Ruffed grouse in the woods. Photo: GerryT (CC BY 2.0)
Questions about sandhill cranes in Colorado
What is the bag limit for sandhill cranes in Colorado?
Limit on the crane rows: Daily 3, possession 9.
When is crane season in Colorado for 2026-27?
Opening row for sandhill cranes: Season: October 3 to November 29, 2026; last day on any row: November 29, 2026.
Can I use a rifle on sandhill cranes?
For sandhill cranes the legal list is shotguns 10 ga max, plugged to 3 shells, fired from the shoulder; hand-held bows; hawking; the crane ban list is rifles, pistols, slugs, traps, nets; unplugged guns except light-goose conservation order.
Which license and stamps go with crane hunting?
Crane hunters buy from this list: Small game (annual) (resident) $38.49; Small game (annual) (nonresident) $104.86; Youth small game & furbearer (under 18) (anyone) $2.53; Harvest Information Program (HIP) registration (anyone) free.
Do crane hours end at sunset or later?
For sandhill cranes: one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Denver on November 5, 2026: 6:02 am to 4:55 pm, worked out with the NOAA solar formula.
Orange or pink for sandhill cranes: required?
Sandhill cranes are outside the rule (not required for small game, migratory birds, turkey or lion (encouraged)).
Bait and electronic calls for sandhill cranes: legal?
Bait (crane): no bait for small-game mammals, game birds or migratory birds; federal baited-area rule (10 days after removal) for migratory birds; e-calls (crane): prohibited for big game, lion, turkey, small game and waterfowl; allowed for furbearers, crows and light geese in the conservation order.
What does CPW report about the crane harvest?
The CPW harvest reports read for this guide carry no separate figure for sandhill cranes, and CPW has no records program.
HIP and stamps for sandhill cranes: what applies?
For sandhill cranes: Required for small game, coyote and migratory bird hunters, including falconers; not for turkey.
Other photos on this page: U.S. Department of Agriculture (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Bob Denaro (CC BY 2.0); GerryT (CC BY 2.0).