For those who are passionate about turkey hunting, Colorado delivers — and fall is the sleeper season. While everyone else is chasing elk, fall turkey hunters enjoy over-the-counter licenses in most units, either-sex birds, and some of the prettiest woods of the year.
Fall 2026 At a Glance
To hunt turkeys in Colorado you need a valid turkey license. Most fall licenses are sold over the counter at CPWshop.com, CPW offices, and licensed retailers — no draw required in the majority of units. A handful of units are limited-draw (that application closed in the spring), and youth under 18 hunt at reduced cost. Don’t forget the Habitat Stamp with your first license of the year.
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| Season | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2026 — west of I-25 | Sept. 1 – Oct. 4 | Includes Routt, Moffat and GMU 140. OTC most units; one bird, either sex |
| Fall 2026 — east of I-25 | Sept. 1 – Oct. 23 | Except GMU 140; one bird, either sex |
| Spring 2026 | Concluded | Bearded birds only; two-bird limit; draw + OTC |
Dates above are from the 2026 CPW Turkey Brochure. Hunt dates vary by season, license type and location — always confirm against your printed license and the official CPW Turkey Brochure.
In the fall the limit is one turkey of either sex. In the spring it’s two bearded turkeys — and CPW is specific about how: one must be taken with a limited license and the other with an over-the-counter license.
Fall also opens up your gun cabinet. Where spring is shotgun-and-archery, fall and late seasons allow rifles and handguns as well — muzzleloading, centerfire or rimfire, with bullets of at least 17 grains and a manufacturer’s energy rating of at least 110 foot-pounds at 100 yards. Shotguns, bows, crossbows and air guns are legal too. Legal hours run from a half-hour before sunrise to sunset.
Method and bag-limit figures above are quoted from the 2026 CPW Turkey Brochure. Unit rules vary — read the brochure for your unit before you hunt.
Merriam’s turkeys thrive in Colorado’s ponderosa and scrub-oak country. National forests, State Wildlife Areas and Walk-In Access properties all hold birds — and right here in Northwest Colorado, the river-bottom cottonwoods and oak brush of the Yampa Valley are underrated fall turkey ground. Scout roost trees near water and food, and use the free Colorado Hunting Atlas to sort unit boundaries before you go.
Fall flocks love agricultural edges. Before stepping onto private ground, get the landowner’s permission — a knock on the door and a respectful ask still works in Routt and Moffat counties. Treat the place better than you found it and you’ll get invited back.
A reliable 12- or 20-gauge with a tight turkey choke is a turkey hunter’s best friend — and modern TSS loads have made the 20 (and even the .410) a legitimate gobbler gun. Pattern your gun before the season, not opening morning.
Browse the categories our turkey hunters lean on:
Shotguns
12ga, 20ga, .410
Turkey Loads
TSS & premium shot
Camo & Apparel
Head-to-toe cover
Game Calls
Box, pot & diaphragm
Knives
Clean and dress
Accessories
Decoys, bags, blinds
The classic fall play: locate a flock, break it up, then set up and call the scattered birds back together. Young birds respond eagerly to kee-kee runs.
Glass feeding flocks from a distance and use terrain to close the gap. One of the most exhilarating ways to fill a fall tag — just be dead sure of your target and backstop.
A blind on a feeding edge or water source masks your movement and is the most comfortable way to bring a kid along on a fall hunt.
Complete your hunter education before you go — it’s required for anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1949. Never stalk turkey sounds (it might be another hunter calling), identify your bird completely before shouldering the gun, and aim for the head and neck with a shotgun for a quick, clean kill. Respect public and private ground alike: leave gates as you found them and pack out everything.
Chasing bigger game this fall? Read our 2026 Colorado Big Game Hunting Guide for elk and deer season dates, license deadlines and gear.
Season dates, bag limits and method requirements on this page are quoted from the 2026 Colorado Turkey Brochure and are subject to change. Always verify dates and unit-specific rules against your printed license and the official Colorado Parks & Wildlife Turkey Brochure before hunting.
The date under the headline is the last time we checked this page against its sources — not the day it was first written. Rulebooks get amended, regulations change and season dates move, so we review these guides on a regular cycle and re-stamp the date whenever we revise one. If you find something here that has changed before we caught it, email [email protected] or tell us at the counter; we will verify it against the source and correct it.
We write these because people ask us at the counter. Everything in them we either sell, service, or shoot ourselves — and if you'd rather talk it through than read about it, come in.
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