Colorado Whitetail Deer hunting

Est. Whitetail Population

5, 000

No. Licenses Sold Annually

$31

Resident hunting license and deer permit

$371

Non-resident hunting license and deer permit

Taken by Eddie Kinney in El Paso County in 2003 and is currently ranked No. 96 of all time.

Record B&C Typical Stat

36

Total B&C Typical Entries

Taken by Michael Okray in Cheyenne County in 1992 and is currently ranked No. 50 of all time.

Record B&C Non-Typical Stat

22

Record B&C Non-Typical Entries

Season Dates (2015):

Colorado’s eastern plains archery season runs from Oct. 1-23, Nov. 4-30 and Dec. 15 - 31. The season west of I-25 and Unit 140 is Aug. 29 to Sept. 27. Muzzleloader season runs from Sept. 12-20 and Oct. 11 – 19. Rifle season run from Oct. 17-25, Oct. 24 - Nov. 3, Nov. 11-15 and Dec. 1-14. Dates can vary with individual units. Check regulations.

The Grade: B

Colorado's growing population of whitetails dominate the river bottoms of the eastern half of the state with the South Platte and Arkansas rivers being the dominate waterways. That said, lesser-known creeks and rivers that feed these two main arteries also have good whitetail numbers.

Although the Centennial State boasts more than 23 million acres of public ground, only a small fraction of that is located in Colorado’s whitetail country. That being said, there is nearly 50, 000 acres of whitetail-rich public ground in eastern Colorado, and if a hunter is willing to wait a handful of years to draw a coveted tag, they are sure to have a good hunt.

Antler Nation Knowledge:

Although Colorado has numerous state wildlife areas that hold an ample supply of whitetails, the most coveted is the 11, 800-acre Tamarack Ranch. As it weaves its way along northeast along the South Platte River, it offers visiting hunters more than 10 miles of prime river bottom real estate. Success rates typically run well above 50 percent and that's pretty good for a public land hunt.