Booking Update:

We regularly remind our hunters that reputable outfitters are usually booking a year or more in advance. Try to get in the habit of planning next year’s hunt this year! Here is what our current booking availability looks like:

• Several 2025 Archery Drop Camps available. Contact for dates.
• One 2025 First Rifle Drop Camp available. This will go fast! 
• A handful of 2026 Guided mule deer, elk, and bear hunts
• Partial Rifle Drop Camp availability for 2026 

2025 Draw Guide

The 2025 Colorado Big Game Draw period opens March 1st. The draw deadline is April 1st at 8:00pm MT. Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW) will post draw results beginning on May 30th. Don’t procrastinate! Submit your application early to avoid the stress of a frantic, last-minute ordeal. Often, the CPW website is overloaded on the final days of the draw deadline. 

To apply you will need:

1) The hunt codes for the hunts you want to apply for. These can be found below for all of the hunts FTWG has to offer. If you are planning on hunting a different area you will need to look these up in the 2025 Colorado Big Game Brochure. 

2) Your hunter safety certificate 

3) A credit card that is valid through June

4) An email address

If you are a first time license purchaser for a Colorado fishing or hunting license you will need to create an account which will generate a Customer Identification Number (CID). To begin this process click HERE.

During the application process, if you run into an issue on the CPW website please call one of their offices and speak with a representative click HERE.

For non-residents, before you can apply for a tag or for a preference point you need to purchase a qualifying license. The cheapest qualifying license is an annual small game license. 

If you are going to be purchasing an over-the-counter tag along with a draw tag, please purchase that  OTC tag online in August. August 5th is when they go on sale. OTC tags can also be purchased at any license vendor in the state. However, don’t wait until the last stop to purchase your OTC tag! Generally, CPW office locations are your best bet for buying a tag in-person. Also, big-box sporting stores (Cabela’s, Sportsmen’s Warehouse, etc.) are a good alternative.   

As I mentioned above, this article is for elk, mule deer, and black bear for the areas we hunt on the Flat Tops Wilderness Guides permit area. If you are interested in Rocky Mountain goat, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, or Shiras moose, see the article that Jimmy posted to the Blog on 2/26/2025. The draw system for those three species is very different than the standard big game draw. For more information, check out: Understanding The Colorado Sheep, Goat, and Moose Draw. 

Whether you plan on hunting every year or once every 20 years, you should be putting into the Colorado draw. Even if that means you are only putting in for preference points. Likely, Colorado will continue to move more OTC units to draw units which will require preference points. Gaining a preference point each year is the best way to guarantee your success of drawing a tag in the future, and often times, hunting a better unit. However, keep in mind that a 20 point unit is not necessarily 20x better than a 1 point unit.  For both deer and elk there are Boone and Crockett quality animals in every single unit in Colorado; the units that require more preference points simply have a higher density of those caliber animals. My suggestion, is to find units/seasons in the 1-5 preference point range and hunt those. In the off years, hunt OTC units, units you can draw as a second choice, or tags from the leftover list. Personally, I would much rather hunt every year in an OTC unit or second choice unit and every five years in a 5 point unit. Thus, in 20 years of applying, I would get to hunt a draw unit 4 times and an OTC or second choice unit 16 times. If I only applied first choice for the 20 point unit, I would only have one opportunity to hunt.

Definitions:

CPW: Colorado Parks and Wildlife. They are the governing state agency for wildlife and fisheries in Colorado. 

OTC: Over the counter tags. These can be purchased online in August through the CPW website or in person at where licenses are sold. However, these need to be purchased BEFORE the season opens! The exception is OTC archery tags.

Preference point (PP): There are two ways to gain a preference point in Colorado. You can either pay for a preference point as a first choice in the draw, or earn a preference point if you are unsuccessful in drawing your first choice tag 

Guaranteed draw: If you apply for this tag you will most likely draw it even if you have zero preference points. However, you need to put this as your first choice… You will NOT be able to build preference points

Preference Point Gainer Hunt: PP Gainer Hunt. These are hunts that you can draw as a second choice and in turn means you can build a preference point as your first choice. If you are applying for one of these make sure you put the hunt code for a PP as your first choice. If you put the hunt code for one of these units as your first choice you will LOSE any preference points you have built up. 

0 vs O: This is a huge one! In a lot of the hunt codes you might see a 0 (the number zero) or an O (the letter). As a rule to follow, the only time the you will type the number 0 is when is if the Game Management unit (GMU) you are hunting is only a two digit number and thus you put the number 0 in front of the two digit GMU. For example GMU 25 is typed in as 025. The only time you type the letter O is in front of the season. For example you want to hunt 2nd rifle season you would type O2. The hunt code for for a deer hunt in unit 25 during 2nd rifle season looks like this: D-M-025-O2-R which reads like: D-M-025(zero two five)-O2 (letter O 2)-R

Preference Point Codes:

Deer: D-P-999-99-P

Elk: E-P-999-99-P

Bear: B-P-999-99-P

September Hunts:

September Bear

• GMU 25 Archery Bear 9/2-9/30: PP Gainer
  • Hunt Code: B-E-012-O1-A
  • I recommend applying for the rifle bear tag. You can always shoot a bear with a bow on a rifle tag.

• GMU 25 Archery Bear Add on 9/2-9/30: OTC
  • Hunt Code: B-E-012-U1-A
  • You MUST hold an archery deer or archery elk tag to purchase one of the licenses

• GMU 25 Muzzleloader Bear 9/14-9/22: PP Gainer Hunt
  • Hunt code: B-E-012-O1-M
  • I recommend applying for the rifle bear tag. The rifle tag is a longer season and is a PP Gainer Hunt

• GMU 25 Muzzleloader Bear Add on 9/2-9/30: OTC
  • B-E-012-U1-M
  • You must hold a valid muzzleloader deer or muzzleloader elk tag to purchase one of the licenses

• GMU 25 Rifle Bear 9/2-9/30: PP Gainer Hunt
  • Hunt code: B-E-012-O1-R
    • Great tag to have in you back pocket if you are out archery or muzzleloader hunting for elk or deer  or if you are a dedicated bear hunter coming on one of our Guided Bear Hunts

September Mule Deer

• GMU 25 Archery Deer 9/2-9/30: Guaranteed Draw
  • Hunt Code: D-E-025-O1-A
  • This either-sex tag is an awesome tag to have in the pocket even if your main goal is elk hunting. There is the real possibility of seeing a giant buck but they are hard to get within bow range. If you are targeting mule deer specifically, you may want to grab an archery elk tag (see lower in the article).

• GMU 24 Archery deer (South) 9/2-9/30: Guaranteed Draw
  • Hunt Code: D-E-023-O1-A
  • Tag is a great option to choose from if you are hunting one of our camps on the border of GMU24/25 and you combo it with a GMU unit 24 (south) elk tag.

• GMU 25 Muzzleloader Deer 9/14-9/22: PP Gainer Hunt
  • Hunt Code: D-M-025-O1-M
  • This is a great tag to have if you are chasing elk with a muzzleloader and see a buck. Deer can be tough to hunt this time of year. There is a good chance they may have been bumped around by elk hunters and if they are rubbed out of their velvet they will be in the dark timber.

• GMU 24 Muzzleloader Deer (South) 9/14-9/22: Guaranteed Draw
  • Hunt Code: D-M-023-O1-M
  • This is a great tag to have if you are chasing elk with a muzzleloader and see a buck. Deer can be tough to hunt this time of year. There is a good chance they may have been bumped around by elk hunters and if they are rubbed out of their velvet they will be in the dark timber

• Early Rifle Deer 9/7-9/15: Requires 7-13 PP
  • Hunt Code: D-M-012-E1-R
  • This tag varies year to year on the amount of PP it requires solely due to low tag quotas. The tag, in my opinion, is over valued. However, this is an awesome time of the year to be in the mountains chasing bucks in velvet. The deer are dispersed throughout the landscape leaving a low density. There is the chance of shooting an absolute giant. 

September Elk

• GMU 25 Non-resident Archery Elk 9/2-9/30: Gauranteed Draw.
  • Hunt Code: E-E-025-V1-A
  • This is an either-sex tag. You can combo this with the archery deer and/or a bear tag. 

• GMU 25 Resident Archery Elk 9/2-9/30: OTC
  • Licenses go on sale August 5th. Only available to Colorado residents.
  • This is an either-sex tag. You can combo this with the archery deer and/or a bear tag.

• GMU 24 Archery Elk (South) 9/2-9/30: On average requires 2-3 PP
  • Hunt Code: E-E-033-O1-A
  • Tag is a great option to choose from if you are hunting one of our or northern camps on the border of GMU24/25 and you have a few PP or are willing to watch the leftover list for returned tags

• GMU 25 Muzzleloader Elk 9/14-9/22: on average requires 2-3 PP 
  • Hunt Code: E-E-025-O1-M
  • This is a great tag to have and is either sex! Muzzleloader hunters can expect more/better shot opportunities than archers. This is a great way to experience bugling elk during the rut if you aren’t a bowhunter.

• GMU 24 Muzzleloader Elk (South) 9/14-9/22: on average requires 5-6 PP
  • Hunt Code: E-E-033-O1-M

1st Rifle Season: 10/15-10/19

• 1st Rifle Bull Elk: Guaranteed Draw
  • Hunt Code: E-M-011-O1-R
  • Very popular hunt! Often times the season dates catch the tail end of the rut. Not a very weather dependent hunt. Elk may still be in their summer range. Should be used as a First Choice hunt code.
• 1st Rifle Cow Elk: requires 0-1 PP
  • Hunt Code: E-F-025-O1-R
  • The cow tags, believe it or not, are more difficult to draw than the bull tag. If hunters are looking to fill the freezer you may think about adding this tag. However, you will need to use this as your first choice and you are still not guaranteed to get the tag. 
• 1st Rifle Bear: OTC
  • Hunt Code: B-E-012-U5-R ****DO NOT APPLY FOR THIS TAG IN THE DRAW**** it is to be added in August 
  • This tag is a good addition to an elk tag. There aren’t as many bears out during this time but still decent odds.

2nd Rifle Season: 10/25-11/2

• 2nd Rifle Bull Elk: OTC (For both Residents and Nonresidents)
  • Very popular hunt. This is a fantastic elk/mule deer combo hunt. Weather can start playing a factor in elk behavior, triggering migration from the high country. Snow and cold temperatures make for better hunting!
• 2nd Rifle Cow Elk: Requires 0-1 PP
  • Hunt Code: E-F-025-O2-R
  • If hunters are looking to fill the freezer you may think about adding this tag. However, you will need to use this as your first choice and you are still not guaranteed to get the tag
• 2nd Rifle Deer: Guaranteed Draw
  • Hunt Code: D-M-025-O2-R
  • All OTC elk hunters should consider getting this tag. Bucks are in transition and starting to think about does.
• 2nd Rifle Bear: OTC
  • Hunt Code: B-E-012-U5-R ****DO NOT APPLY FOR THIS TAG IN THE DRAW**** it is to be added in August 
  • Not recommended. Most bears have denned by this time of year.

3rd Rifle Season: 11/8-11/16

• 3rd Rifle Bull Elk: OTC (For both Residents and Nonresidents)
  • Very popular hunt. This is a fantastic elk/mule deer combo hunt. Weather can start playing a factor in elk behavior, triggering migration from the high country. Snow and cold temperatures make for better hunting!
• 3rd Rifle Cow Elk: 0-1 PP
  • Hunt Code: E-F-025-O3-R
  • If hunters are looking to fill the freezer you may think about adding this tag. However, you will need to use this as your first choice and you are still not guaranteed to get the tag
• 3rd Rifle Deer: 0-1 PP
  • Hunt Code: D-M-025-O3-R
  • All OTC elk hunters should consider getting this tag. The mule deer rut officially begins. Watch the does and bucks will show!

• 3rd Rifle Bear: OTC
  • Hunt Code: B-E-012-U5-R ****DO NOT APPLY FOR THIS TAG IN THE DRAW**** it is to be added in August 
  • Not recommended. Most bears have denned by this time of year.

4th Rifle Season: 11/19-11/23

• 4th Rifle Bull Elk: Guaranteed Draw
  • Hunt Code: E-M-025-O4-R
  • This is an awesome time to hunt big bulls, but be prepared for nasty weather! Frigid temperatures and deep snow keep elk on their feet for long periods of time.
• 4th Rifle Cow Elk: 0-1 PP
  • Hunt Code: E-F-025-O4-R
  • If you want a bull and a cow tag in your pocket it probably won’t happen. For most hunters, a bull tag is more desirable. Whichever tag you’d prefer should be used as your first choice.
• 4th Rifle Deer: 0-2 PP
  • Hunt Code: D-M-025-O4-R
  • The bucks are in full-blown rut! This is a great tag! Historically this tag has taken about 5 points to draw. Recently, with higher tag allocations, this is taking about 2 PP to draw for nonresidents. Residents may be able to draw with zero points.
• 4th Rifle Bear: OTC
  • Hunt Code: B-E-012-U5-R ****DO NOT APPLY FOR THIS TAG IN THE DRAW**** it is to be added in August 
  • Not recommended. Most bears have denned by this time of year.

How to apply — Step-by-step

1.) Go to your browser and navigate to the CPW website (https://cpw.state.co.us/)

2.) Click “BUY A LICENSE OR PASS” in the top right of the screen.

3.) Click “Sign In Or Create Account” in the top right of the screen

4a.) If this is your first time purchasing a license in Colorado, you will need to create an account. Click “Create an Individual Account”

You will then have to complete 6 different steps to create this account

4b.) If you are a returning customer fill in your CID number/password and sign in. You will then have to confirm your personal details (mailing address, height, weight, etc.)

4.) Once you are signed in, click the “GO HUNTING AND FISHING” tab near the top and select “Buy Small Game & Combo Licenses”

5.)Purchase and add to cart the non resident small game annual license

6.) Then click “Big Game, Turkey & Draws”

7.) Scroll down until you see the list of species. Select the species you wish to apply/build a point for and click “Apply Now”

8.) Choose if you are applying as a group (or not) and hit proceed.

9.) Type your hunt code or preference point code. Remember, if you want to ensure you draw the tag this year, the hunt code should be your First Choice. To build a point, you must either be unsuccessful in the draw or you must use the preference point code as your First Choice. Once you’ve entered your codes, click “Confirm Choices” and then add to cart.

10.) Repeat this process with any other species you wish to apply for.

11.) CPW will also force you to purchase a Habitat Stamp and ask how you would like the order fulfilled (by mail or by pick up at a sales location.)

We’re happy to help!

If you have any questions feel free to give us a call at: 970-343-4460