Keith Lusher 10.17.25
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is issuing full refunds to hunters who bought licenses for areas affected by the federal authorities shutdown, which has suspended all searching actions at Fort Carson and the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Web site in Southern Colorado.
The suspension, which started when the federal government shutdown began on Oct. 1, initially impacted pronghorn rifle searching. CPW prolonged the closure to incorporate mule deer muzzleloader season on Oct. 10, with hunts scheduled for Oct. 19 now canceled.
In response to CPW spokesman Dean Miller, the closures might doubtlessly have an effect on about 95 licenses: 65 for pronghorn searching and 30 for mule deer searching. These are the one searching areas in Colorado at present impacted by the shutdown.
“Every license is particular for a way of take and for a specific space and species,” Miller mentioned. “The federal authorities shutdown has impacted two distinctive searching alternatives in our space.”
Each Fort Carson and the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Web site south of La Junta are operated by the Division of Protection. The shutdown has affected personnel at every location, forcing officers to shut the areas to searching actions.


Hunters looking for refunds should return their licenses to a CPW workplace in particular person or full an Software for License Refund and mail it with their license earlier than the season begins, no later than Saturday. CPW is providing full refunds and desire level restorations to affected license holders. Extra details about the refund course of is offered on the CPW Refund web page.
“Folks plan a complete season to go searching,” Miller mentioned. “They put together, there’s a whole lot of work and energy to enter it. So that is fairly disappointing for lots of people, and we totally perceive that.”
Further huge sport searching seasons could also be affected if the shutdown continues. Miller famous that new searching seasons and strategies of take happen each couple of weeks, however no selections have been made about future closures, together with the upcoming archery season, till the length of the shutdown turns into clear.

