New to Colorado and hunting in Colorado, help!

[Alaskabound2016]

Hey guys,

This may be long so I apologize in advance! So I am new to hunting Colorado. I just moved out here in May. I read on the DMV website that you are a resident once you start working in Colorado or own a home, well I have both. But then you get to the CPW website and they say you need to be here 6 consecutive months before you are a resident? What is with that? So, I would have to wait to buy a license and (OTC tag?) since I will officially be a resident in November. If there any tags left at that point. However, it looks like the last day of general hunting is November 18th, which is the exact day I become an official resident, so that won't work. Seems like there may be hunting on private land after that day. So my question is, is there any big game hunting after November 18th that isn't on private land? Maybe I missed something? I was aiming for elk, deer, or pronghorn but it looks like I may not be able to hunt this year

Thank you in advanced and any help is appreciated.

 

[brushcreek]

you can hunt as a nonresident

 

[JimP]

Yep, to qualify as a resident you have to be here 6 months. Homes, job, utility bills, and everything else doesn't count. Even if you change you drivers license over and then claim residency you might have problems if they check the data base.

I was in the same boat that your are in 31 years ago. I didn't officially become a resident until the first of November so I just didn't worry about it that year. I was able to fall back on my Utah tags for that year so all was not lost. I spent a lot of time getting to know the areas that I planned on hunting in the future.

 

[Alaskabound2016]

Unfortunately the price for non resident hunting is a little steep right now since I'm fixing up my house. That's my backup plan is to just do a few scouting trips in the areas I'll put in for next year. Thanks for the replies!

 

[Camelcluch]

They use the month on your DL and use some bills. If you are a resident in November, you should be able that November season. However, if you waited for your DL it’s damn near impossible.

 

[JimP]

They quit using utility bills and anything else a long time ago. If your drivers license is not a Colorado one then you are a non resident.

I worked for a utility company and years ago people were coming in all the time asking for a copy of their bills so that they could prove that they were a resident. We actually got a letter from the DOW to post that said that a utility bill was not proof of residency.

 

[Alaskabound2016]

My Colorado drivers license issue date is 5/18/18. I assumed that I wouldn't become a resident until 11/18/18, which would be exactly 6 months. You're thinking they would accept me being a resident November 1st? That would be awesome if so.....

 

[JimP]

They might.

I had the same problem 31 years ago. I started work here on 5/8 and had a apartment lease signed on 4/11 and moved in on 5/1.

I just waited until the next year since I was still considered a resident in Utah where I came from and had a resident hunting/fishing combo license from Utah.

But the one problem could be in the wording of the regulations where it says that you don't claim residency in another state. So if you have a resident tag in the state you came from that could throw a wrench into the solution.

 

[Alaskabound2016]

Nope, no resident tag in my former state (California). I have no interest in hunting there ever again! Haha

 

[wy-tex]

Here's some light reading on the matter: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2016-title-33.pdf