We don’t just sell rifles in Steamboat Springs — we hunt the same units you do. Elk River Guns sits right in the middle of Northwest Colorado, home to the White River elk herd, the largest elk herd in North America, part of a population topping 55,000 animals across the surrounding game management units. From the Bears Ears country north of Craig to the Flat Tops south of the Yampa, this is some of the best public-land big game hunting in the West — and it’s in our backyard.

This guide pulls the 2026 dates and deadlines that actually matter into one place, flags what changed this year, and points you to the gear that gets it done. Let’s get you ready.

012026 Season Dates

These are the statewide 2026 deer and elk seasons under Colorado’s current Big Game Season Structure. Many hunts are limited to specific units and hunt codes — always match your license to the dates printed on it.

Official CPW Big Game Brochure  →Buy your license at CPWshop.com  →

Deer & Elk

Bear

Black bear runs alongside the deer and elk calendar, with the widest opportunity of any big game species. September rifle bear is Sept. 2 – 30, then bear follows the four rifle seasons through Nov. 22.

Read our full Colorado bear hunting guide →

Pronghorn, Moose, Sheep & Goat

These are fully limited, draw-only hunts with dates that vary by unit and hunt code. Pronghorn seasons run roughly mid-August (archery) through mid-October (rifle); moose archery and rifle run September into October; and bighorn sheep and mountain goat are managed under their own separate brochure. Drew one of these tags? Stop by the shop — we love talking about a once-in-a-lifetime hunt.

02Draw & License Deadlines

The primary and secondary draws for 2026 have already run, and the August 4 leftover sale has come and gone — but you can still get a tag this fall. Over-the-counter licenses for certain species and units are on sale right now at CPWshop.com or in person, and CPW posts a reissue preview list every Tuesday at 11 a.m. MT (starting Aug. 11), with those returned licenses going on sale the following Wednesday — all season long.

Full draw & license info at CPW  →

A current-year 2026 qualifying license is required before you can apply in either draw — but not to buy a leftover or over-the-counter license.

03What’s New for 2026

• Mandatory CWD testing for elk. Chronic Wasting Disease testing is now required for elk harvested during rifle seasons in specific GMUs. It’s free. There is no mandatory testing for harvested deer in 2026.
• Gunnison Basin elk goes limited. Rifle elk in GMUs 54, 55 and 551 is now fully limited (draw) instead of over-the-counter. If that was your traditional OTC spot, plan around the draw.
• GMU boundary changes. Boundaries for Units 97 and 99 have changed — update your GPS and mapping apps and double-check the CPW Hunting Atlas before you head out.
• New hunts added. CPW added moose, buck deer, archery elk and bear licenses across a variety of units this year.

04Hunting Around Steamboat

Northwest Colorado is elk country, plain and simple. The White River herd ranges across the units between Meeker, Craig and Steamboat and remains the largest elk herd on the continent. To our north and west, the Bears Ears country and the sage and aspen of Moffat County hold strong elk and mule deer numbers; to the south, the Flat Tops Wilderness is classic high-country backpack hunting. After the hard winter of 2022–23 knocked herds back, CPW surveys show Northwest Colorado elk have recovered to at or above objective across the region — good news heading into 2026.

Most of this is public: BLM, White River National Forest, Routt National Forest, State Wildlife Areas and Walk-In Access properties. Just don’t assume public-looking ground is open — sort out unit boundaries, private parcels and seasonal closures first with the free Colorado Hunting Atlas.

05Gear Up at Elk River Guns

Whether you’re chasing bugling bulls with a bow in September or glassing a high basin in the fourth rifle snow, we’ve got the rifles, glass and gear to back your hunt. Browse our top hunting categories:

Rifles

Bolt, lever, semi-auto

Riflescopes

Glass finds animals

Suppressors

Hunt suppressed

Ammunition

Sight in early

Binos & Spotters

Glass more, walk less

Field Gear

Knives, packs, calls, camo

06Our Services

Our gunsmiths at the bench — scope mounting, boresighting, trigger work and general maintenance.

Beyond the sales floor, our team keeps you shooting straight all season. Our gunsmiths handle scope mounting and boresighting, trigger work, barrel and stock work, and general maintenance — get it in early before the fall rush. We also process firearm transfers and can walk you through a suppressor purchase from paperwork to pickup.

Season dates and regulations are current as of publication and subject to change. Always verify dates, hunt codes and unit-specific rules against your printed license and the official Colorado Parks & Wildlife Big Game Brochure before hunting.