The Colorado 2025 wildfire season consumed more than 230,000 acres of forests, sagebrush and grassland areas, which will affect the hunting seasons. 

Colorado’s big game hunting season started on Sept. 2 with rifle bear and archery. Muzzleloader season starts Sept. 13, with rifle seasons starting next month. 

Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials agreed it is a bad fire season but added it won’t impact as many hunting areas as previous seasons. 

“While we have seen some impacts to hunters, they are minimal to what we saw during 2020, when the Cameron Peak, Grizzly Creek, Williams Fork, Pine Gulch and East Troublesome fires were actively burning over large areas during the major hunting seasons,” Rachael Gonzales, Northwest Region public information officer, said via email. “For the upcoming seasons, CPW will work with hunters who have drawn limited licenses in Game Management Units (GMUs) that have been significantly impacted by direct fire and public land closures to provide refunds, if desired.”

The Lee and Derby fires caused the biggest habitat and access restrictions in GMUs 22 and 25 respectively.

“However, conditions are improving and access should improve,” Gonzales said. 

Hunting among the burned sagebrush

The effects on hunting season near and within the Lee fire burn area are not yet fully known, Rio Blanco County Natural Resources Manager Reece Melton said.

“It’s too early still,” Melton said.

Melton said outfitters utilize both public and private lands. 

Land, the natural resources manager added, is an important piece of income to the county’s operations.

“What we are pushing out and what we are relaying is CPW working very hard to provide flexibility and communicate expectations for folks who may have had a hunting tag in the burned area,” he said. “We encourage folks to reach out to the CPW office to get all of that information correct before they prepare, cancel, or otherwise determine their hunt for the upcoming season or the current season.”

When hunters are in the field, Gonzales reminded them to be aware of potential closures. 

“Your hunt may take you to an area that’s closed for firefighter and public safety, which means these areas are also closed to hunting,” Gonzales said. “While gates in these areas may have been left open to aid in fire fighting efforts, CPW is asking the public to respect the closures.”

For more information on alternative access locations, visit the Colorado Hunting Atlas online or contact the local CPW office near the hunting area, officers said. To learn more about forest and public land closures near hunting areas, contact the National Forest or Bureau of Land Management local ranger district office. 

Denver Gazette digital producer Jonathan Ingraham contributed to this report.