Colorado, 2027 shed season

Colorado Shed Antler Season 2027

Q: When is shed hunting season in Colorado?

Colorado Parks and Wildlife publishes these dated closures. Public lands west of I-25: closed from January 1 until April 30. Public lands west of I-25 in GMUs 54, 55, 66, 67 and 551: closed from May 1 until May 15. In the agency's words: "Shed antler and horn collection on all public lands west of I-25 is prohibited from January 1 through April 30, annually."

Q: Do I need a permit to collect sheds in Colorado?

Colorado Parks and Wildlife's published shed rules name no permit, course or license for collecting. Landowner permission and the land manager's own rules still apply wherever you walk.

Q: Who sets the shed antler rules in Colorado?

Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The rules here were read from its own pages on September 21, 2026, and each one links to the page it came from. Rules change between winters, so the agency page is the one to check before a trip.

Colorado closes public land west of I-25 to shed collecting from January 1 through April 30 every year.

“Shed antler and horn collection on all public lands west of I-25 is prohibited from January 1 through April 30, annually.” Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Dated closures

Rule type

from Colorado Parks and Wildlife

April 30

Next closure lifts

Public lands west of I-25

None named

Course or permit

in the agency rules quoted below

September 21, 2026

Rules read

from the agency page

The rule

Shed antler rules in Colorado

Dated closures

The I-25 line splits the state. East of it, and on private land west of it with lawful access, sheds can be picked up in any month. In five southwest units (GMUs 54, 55, 66, 67 and 551) the first half of May adds a daily closure from sunset until 10:00 AM.

Public lands west of I-25

January 1 to April 30

Shed antler and horn collection on all public lands west of I-25 is prohibited every year from January 1 through April 30.

Shed antler and horn collection on all public lands west of I-25 is prohibited from January 1 through April 30, annually.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife, read September 21, 2026. Read it at the source

Public lands west of I-25 in GMUs 54, 55, 66, 67 and 551

May 1 to May 15

From May 1 through May 15 collecting and possessing shed antlers or horns is prohibited between legal sunset and 10:00 AM in these units.

On public lands west of I-25, in GMUs 54, 55, 66, 67, and 551 the collection and possession of shed antlers or horns is prohibited between legal sunset and 10:00 AM from May 1 through May 15 annually.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife, read September 21, 2026. Read it at the source

Public lands west of I-25

May 1 to December 31

Anyone may collect shed antlers or horns on public lands west of I-25 from May 1 through December 31.

Public lands west of I-25, any person may collect shed antlers or horns from May 1 through December 31.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife, read September 21, 2026. Read it at the source

Private lands west of I-25

Private lands are outside the closure, and with lawful access a person may collect and possess sheds at any time.

On private lands west of I-25, any person may, with lawful access, collect and possess shed antlers or horns at any time.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife, read September 21, 2026. Read it at the source

Any lands east of I-25

East of I-25 anyone with lawful access may collect shed antlers or horns at any time.

On any lands east of I-25, any person may, with lawful access, collect shed antlers or horns at any time.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife, read September 21, 2026. Read it at the source

Dated windows

Colorado shed closures by month

Winter range closures protect wintering deer and elk, keeping people off the ground where the animals spend the hardest months. The dates below are Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s own, each one printed in the agency sentence quoted above.

Colorado windows, January to December, as Colorado Parks and Wildlife dates them

Public lands west of I-25January 1 to April 30

Public lands west of I-25 in GMUs 54, 55, 66, 67 and 551May 1 to May 15

Public lands west of I-25May 1 to December 31

Closed to shed collectingOpen window

When antlers drop

When deer shed antlers in Colorado

Deer shed from mid January through March, elk from February into April, and moose from November through January.

Deer in Colorado are known to shed their antlers from mid-January through March. Elk may start in February, running through April, and moose typically drop their palmate antlers November through January.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife, read September 21, 2026. Read it at the source

A large elk antler lying in green grass with snow covered mountains in the distance — An elk shed on the National Elk Refuge, Wyoming, with the Tetons behind. Elk winter range in the West is where most dated shed closures fall, because the closures exist for the animals wintering there. “Shed Antler on the National Elk Refuge (53662858076)”, USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain

Colorado shed antler questions

Is it legal to pick up shed antlers in Colorado?

When is shed hunting season in Colorado?

Do I need a permit to collect sheds in Colorado?

Can I pick up sheds on private land in Colorado?

When do deer shed antlers in Colorado?

Who sets the shed antler rules in Colorado?

Shed antler rules in other states

Colorado deer seasonArchery and firearms dates for Colorado, read from Colorado Parks and Wildlife.Colorado deer rutWhen bucks breed in the fall, months before those antlers drop.Colorado elk rutWhen bulls bugle in September and October, on the same animals that shed in spring.Shed antler rules by stateEvery state's shed rule, the dated western closures and when each species drops.

A young bull elk carrying a single antler standing among elk bedded in snow — A young bull that has already dropped one antler, among elk bedded in snow. Colorado Parks and Wildlife says elk may start shedding in February and run through April. “Bull Elk and Herd (6258537907)”, USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain

Compiled September 21, 2026. Every rule above is republished from Shed Antler and Horn Collection, CPW and the other Colorado Parks and Wildlife pages linked beside each quote, read on September 21, 2026. Rules change between winters, so the agency page is the one to check before a trip. Every state is in the national shed antler guide.