Colorado › Species › Wilson's snipe
Migratory bird
Wilson's snipe 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: U.S. Department of Agriculture (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Wilson's snipe at a glance
Every snipe row CPW published for 2026-27 is below: 1 row, September 1 to December 16, 2026. On November 5, 2026 the status is open now. The limit you will see most for Wilson's snipe: daily 8, possession 24.
- CPW bag summary (snipe): Daily 8, possession 24
- How and when (snipe): Regular season: September 1, 2026 to December 16, 2026 (Statewide)
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 →
Wilson's snipe season rows with limits
Rows come from the 2026-27 brochures; codes are listed where a row holds one or two, otherwise counted.
| Season | License | GMUs or zone | Dates | Limit | Hunt codes | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Small game + HIP | Statewide | Sep 1–Dec 16, 2026 | Daily 8, possession 24 | – |
From 2026 Small Game & Waterfowl brochure, PDF p. 15, checked November 5, 2026.
Where Wilson's snipe rows apply
- Season (snipe): Statewide; September 1 to December 16, 2026.
The snipe rows cover all 64 counties; land rules (State Wildlife Area, State Trust Land, private permission) decide where you can stand. 64 county guides
From 2026 Small Game & Waterfowl brochure, PDF p. 15, checked November 5, 2026.
The snipe limit rules
- Daily 8, possession 24 (snipe, 1 row)
From 2026 Small Game & Waterfowl brochure, PDF p. 15, checked November 5, 2026.
Colorado snipe license prices
Prices for Wilson's snipe include the $1.25 search-and-rescue surcharge and the $1.50 Wildlife Education Fund fee, per CPW. A $12.76 Habitat Stamp rides on the first purchase of the year (ages 18-64), snipe licenses included.
| License or fee | For | Cost | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
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.
Firearms, bows and gear rules for Wilson's snipe
- Migratory birds (snipe), permitted: Shotguns 10 ga max, plugged to 3 shells, fired from the shoulder; hand-held bows; hawking.
- Migratory birds (snipe), not allowed: Rifles, pistols, slugs, traps, nets; unplugged guns except light-goose conservation order.
- Season (snipe 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.
Wilson's snipe: orange, hours, bait and checks
- Blaze rule (snipe): Not required for small game, migratory birds, turkey or lion (encouraged).
- Legal hours (snipe): One-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
- Baiting (snipe): No hunting big game, turkey, small game or migratory birds over bait; furbearer bait allowed; bear luring prohibited (CRS 33-6-131).
- Electronic calls (snipe): Prohibited for big game, lion, turkey, small game and waterfowl; allowed for furbearers, crows and light geese in the conservation order.
- Dogs (snipe): No dogs for big game except a leashed tracking dog (annual permit) to recover wounded deer/elk and others (not bear); dogs allowed for lion (max 8), small game, waterfowl and furbearers.
- Trespass (snipe): Permission required on private land whether or not posted; State Land Board lands only where leased/signed by CPW.
- Walk-In properties (snipe): 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 hunting (snipe): 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).
- SWA and STL rule (snipe): Everyone 16+ needs a hunting or fishing license (or State Wildlife Area Pass) on state wildlife areas and state trust lands.
- Hunter education (snipe): 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.
Public land for Wilson's snipe
Public land listing Wilson's snipe: 4 places; by CPW region Southwest 2, Northwest 1, Southeast 1. Read the land page before you go: State Trust Lands usually open September 1 to the end of February, and SWAs post their own dates.
| Name | Type | County | Acres | CPW region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arapaho | Refuge | Jackson | 26,344 | Northwest |
| South Republican | SWA | Kit Carson +1 | 18,365 | Southeast |
| Monte Vista | Refuge | Alamosa +1 | 15,799 | Southwest |
| Alamosa | Refuge | Alamosa +1 | 11,760 | Southwest |
From CPW website, CPW website and 2026 Colorado Big Game brochure, PDF p. 16, checked November 5, 2026.
When snipe hunting light starts and ends
Legal hours for Wilson's snipe worked out for county centres with the NOAA solar formula (Mountain Time); CPW prints Denver tables with town offsets in the brochures.
| Date | Why | Denver | Grand Junction area | Lamar area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 5, 2026 | Checked on | 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. |
| Dec 16, 2026 | Season closes | 6:44 a.m. to 4:36 p.m. | 6:56 a.m. to 4:53 p.m. | 6:29 a.m. to 4:32 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | December 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.
Snow-covered Rocky Mountain peaks rising above a line of pines in Colorado. Photo: Bob Denaro (CC BY 2.0)
Ruffed grouse walking on the ground. Photo: YellowstoneNPS (Public domain)
American woodcock camouflaged in leaves. Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain)
Wilson's snipe, answered
How many Wilson's snipe are taken in Colorado each year?
No harvest figure for Wilson’s snipe is in the CPW reports read for this page.
Where can I hunt Wilson's snipe on public land in Colorado?
4 lands list Wilson’s snipe. Biggest: Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge, South Republican State Wildlife Area and Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge.
Do I need a duck stamp or HIP for Wilson's snipe?
For Wilson’s snipe: Required for small game, coyote and migratory bird hunters, including falconers; not for turkey.
What are the bait and call rules for Wilson's snipe?
Wilson’s snipe and bait: no bait for small-game mammals, game birds or migratory birds; federal baited-area rule (10 days after removal) for migratory birds; Wilson’s snipe and calls: prohibited for big game, lion, turkey, small game and waterfowl; allowed for furbearers, crows and light geese in the conservation order.
How many snipe can one hunter keep?
Most rows for Wilson’s snipe say: Daily 8, possession 24.
When does the Colorado snipe season open and close?
First snipe window: Season: September 1 to December 16, 2026. Final close: December 16, 2026.
Which guns and bows can I use on Wilson's snipe?
CPW allows these for Wilson’s snipe: Shotguns 10 ga max, plugged to 3 shells, fired from the shoulder; hand-held bows; hawking; it bars these for Wilson’s snipe: rifles, pistols, slugs, traps, nets; unplugged guns except light-goose conservation order.
What license do I need to hunt Wilson's snipe?
CPW prices that apply to Wilson’s snipe: 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.
How early can I shoot Wilson's snipe in the morning?
Legal snipe hours: one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Denver, November 5, 2026: 6:02 am to 4:55 pm (NOAA solar formula).
Is fluorescent orange or pink required on a snipe hunt?
CPW does not require orange for Wilson’s snipe: not required for small game, migratory birds, turkey or lion (encouraged).
Other photos on this page: Bob Denaro (CC BY 2.0); YellowstoneNPS (Public domain); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain).