Colorado is one of the better nonresident turkey options in the West because it combines unlimited over-the-counter spring and fall licenses with limited draw hunts that can improve timing and access. Merriam's turkeys are the primary mountain opportunity on the Front Range and Western Slope, while Rio Grande turkeys are found mostly in eastern Colorado riparian and plains habitats. A nonresident can build a strong hunt around OTC licenses, then apply for limited licenses when a specific early, private-land, state wildlife area, youth, or high-demand hunt fits the plan.

Colorado limited turkey licenses are issued through separate spring and fall draws. Hunters may submit only one application per season, and spring and fall applications are separate. Colorado uses preference points for turkey. The drawn out at or draw recap report both show the last point level and choice at which each hunt code was drawn by residency. For 2026, spring applications opened January 2 and were due February 3 at 8 p.m. MT, with results posted online by February 11. Fall applications opened May 1 and were due May 29 at 8 p.m. MT, with results posted online by June 4.

Regular public limited licenses are available to residents and nonresidents unless a specific hunt restriction applies. Ranching for Wildlife turkey licenses are available only to Colorado residents by draw. Hunters who draw must pay for the license by the posted deadline or lose it. Spring payment was due February 25, 2026, and fall payment was due June 18, 2026.

OTC licenses are Colorado's main turkey opportunity. Spring OTC licenses went on sale March 1, 2026 and are valid April 11-May 31 in listed GMUs. Fall and late OTC licenses went on sale June 18, 2026. Fall OTC licenses are valid September 1-October 4 west of I-25 and in GMU 140, and September 1-October 23 east of I-25 except GMU 140. Late-season OTC licenses are private-land-only beardless turkey licenses in Units 112 and 113 from December 15, 2026-January 15, 2027.

Legal hunting hours for turkeys are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Merriam's hunters should focus on the foothills and mountain transition country west of I-25 and along the Front Range, especially where ponderosa pine, oak brush, meadows, and drainages meet. As spring progresses, snowmelt can move birds higher, so early hunts often start lower and later hunts can improve in mountain country.

Good Merriam's regions include the southwest counties around Archuleta, La Plata, Montezuma, and Dolores; western and central units around Mesa, Montrose, Delta, Garfield, Eagle, and Pitkin counties; and Front Range foothill units with public-land access. Rio Grande opportunity is mostly east of I-25 in riparian and agricultural habitats, where access is often the limiting factor. Walk-In Access properties, state wildlife areas, national forests, BLM land, and the Colorado Hunting Atlas are key planning tools.

• If you want a nonresident spring hunt, buy the OTC license and hunt Merriam's country.

• Apply for limited licenses when they give you a real advantage: better dates, a specific SWA, private-land-only access, or a high-confidence unit.

• Colorado's 2028 draw changes are coming, but 2026 turkey still uses the current preference-point-style limited draw reporting.

• Private-land-only tags are only good if permission is already secured. Confirm access before applying or buying a late-season license.

• Use the Colorado Hunting Atlas to check GMU boundaries and public access; the spring and fall OTC maps do not make every acre huntable.

• Follow the snowline. Early April birds may still be low; late May Merriam's can be much higher in mountain units.

• Rio Grande hunts can be excellent, but many eastern plains birds live on private river-bottom ground. Access matters more than bird numbers.

• Youth hunters get extra value from youth-only limited hunts and the Nov. 21-29 extended fall season if they still hold an unfilled fall license.

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