2019 Grand County Hunting Season Preview

Grand County's public lands offer hunters some of the best opportunities in the state to pursue big game, turkey and even big cats. But it is important to know the basics of hunting and hunting regulations first.

To manage our wildlife populations and ensure that future generations can enjoy these majestic animals, Colorado Parks & Wildlife issues a limited number of licenses per game-management unit (GMUs). In the case of Grand County, there are five GMUs (No. 18, 27, 28, 37 and 181) offering a wide variety of habitats and game species (The Colorado Hunting License is an excellent resource to get your bearings).

The 2019 deadlines for acquiring a license are as follows:

• April 2, 2019 — Limited license applications deadline
• Early August, 2019 — Over-the-counter licenses go on sale at 9 a.m. MST
• Early August, 2019 — Leftover limited licenses go on sale at 9 a.m. MST

For more information on licenses, visit the Colorado Parks & Wildlife website. In the meantime, here's a profile on hunting in Grand County.

Epicenter: Kremmling

Throughout Grand County, you will find plenty of places to set up your base camp. Hunters find all of the towns to be hospitable during the hunting seasons, but one place in particular turns bright orange with welcome signs: Kremmling. A big part of this has to do with Kremmling's location: in between a handful of GMUs, where hunters can pursue pronghorn, elk, deer, bears and even mountain lions. Learn more about Kremmling.

Big Game

Within Grand County, hunters can track and hunt a variety of big game. Topping the list are elk, which can be hunted in public lands north, south and east of Kremmling and in limited pockets around Granby. This same habitat proves fruitful for deer hunters, while those interested in pursuing moose know that Grand County west of Grand Lake offers up one of the state's best and most populated habitats. Again, consult the Colorado Parks & Wildlife website for more specific information.

Big Cats & Bears

Parts of Grand County are open to mountain lion and bear hunting, making it a unique destination for hunters. Mountain lion season is generally in April, while black bears are hunted in fall (September and October). Regulations for hunting mountain lions as well as bears need to be observed. Learn more about hunting mountain lions and hunting bears from Colorado Parks & Wildlife.

Turkey

Grand County offers a handful enclaves of turkey habitat west of Kremmling, and in April — when turkey season runs — hunters often come to these areas to pursue one of North America's most majestic and popular game birds. Limited licenses go on sale on January 8, 2018.