Colorado hunting requirements

AGCHAWK (Guest) · Feb 20, 2004

Wondering if any of you could answer a question for me. Does Colorado require proof of hunter's safety course completion for out of state hunters or will a license from the previous year suffice (The license being from another state)?
A hunting buddy of mine here in California is heading out there this year and can't seem to get a straight answer on this.
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AGCHAWK

txhunter58 · Feb 20, 2004

Yes, he does need to have a copy of his hunter safety card and has to carry it with him in the field.

go to http://wildlife.state.co.us/ and check out the big game brochure. It says you need it.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

saminwy · Feb 20, 2004

that is a frequent problem for californians. many places (wyoming and colorado for sure) enforce this fairly tightly. they require it to be on your person when hunting. the big difference is that hunter saftey is verified very well with your first licence in california, so a licence is proof you've been through the class. other states want the card in the field, so they dont have to trust the 18 year kid at the gas station to check it when he sells you the license.

sam

kilowatt · Feb 20, 2004

Sam,
Not sure what you are trying to say here in your statement, but as far as Colorado regulations per Page 2.
Quote:"Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1949, must have completed an approved hunter education cousre."
Last line in this section states:"Out-of-state hunters are "encouraged" to bring their hunter education card with them when coming to Colorado to hunt." IT IS NOT MANDITORY.

And if you were born before the above date a person does not even have to show he has been through the course. Although, I would hope that ALL HUNTERS have at one time or another have taken the test and passed.

Brian
P.S. Saminwy, I sent you a PM at least two or three weeks ago never heard back from you.

saminwy · Feb 21, 2004

i was basing colorado off the post above mine. i assumed since he had a link, it was required as he said(i didn't read it, my bad). in wyoming it is required in the field (unless born after '66 or something) if you dont have it and get checked-good chance of a ticket. as to not aswering your PM-i thought it was informative, not a question..sorry.

freedivr2 · Feb 21, 2004

> the big difference
>is that hunter saftey is
>verified very well with your
>first licence in california, so
>a licence is proof you've
>been through the class.

Sam, that's your opinion, not a fact......I'm a Calif. Hunter Ed. instructor, and have hunted Colorado deer for about 10 years now.

A Hunting license is NOT proof that someone has been in a Hunter ed. class. California (unfortunately) allows people to obtain a hunting lisence simply by filling out an affadavit stating that they had been in a HE class, but had lost their certificate. How many people do you think fill out the affadavit and lie that they took the class? The reason given for this loophole is because Calif. didn't keep records of class attendees until approx. 1990. This is why Colorado (and other states) need to see the Hunter Ed certificate.

Aside from big game hunting in Colorado, another very good reason to have your hunter ed. certificate when you travel; if you decide that you want to purchase a small game license over the counter (if you run into a bunch of grouse when deer hunting and want to hunt them). The deer tag and your CC# won't get you that small game license, neither will your Calif. Hunting license....you will need to show the person your Hunter Ed. certification card. That's been my experience each time I've done that (even tried just to show them my Calif. license and they told me that wasn't enough, they needed to see the certificate). There ya go.....

saminwy · Feb 21, 2004

LAST EDITED ON Feb-21-04 AT 04:32PM (MST)[p]that was pretty much my point. i took hunters ed in california before records were being kept- moved to wyoming when i was 18 and got a ticket for not having my hunters saftey card with me not long after. ended up having to take the class again. my point was that hunters from california run into that problem alot because they (this is my experience 15 or so years ago remember)dont require you to carry it, so they dont think to find/bring it when they go out of state.

one difference in wyoming is that they wont ask for it when you buy a licence. they will ask in the field though, and if you dont have it you are likely to get a ticket.

sam

txhunter58 · Feb 22, 2004

I am confused as to who thinks you need a card, but I stick with my original statement that you need to bring a hunter safety card with you in Colorado.

The same statement quoted above also says that you MUST carry a hunter safety card when you hunt UNLESS your license says that it has already been verified, in other words, you presented your card when you bought a tag. Here is the entire statement:

"Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1949, must have completed an approved hunter ed course or bowhunter ed course (for archery license only) sanctioned by a state or province before applying for or purchasing a license. Coloarado honors hunter ed courses from other states and provinces. AN ORIGINAL HUNTER SAFETY CARD MUST BE PRESENTED WHEN BUYING A LICENSE OVER THE COUNTER AT A LICENSE AGENCY. You also MUST carry your hunter ed card when hunting, UNLESS the words "proof of Hunter ed verified" were printed by the DOW on your CC or a "V" is printed on your license. Out of state hunters are encourage to bring their hunter ed card with them when coming to Colorado to hunt."

If you apply for and receive a license in the draw, it will not say that the card has been verified, so you indeed DO have to have one when you hunt.

And if you are coming from out of state to buy a license over the counter, you need to bring one to buy that license.

No where does it say that a license from another state that requires a card is sufficient to buy a license.

Therefore, you need a card in either case!

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)