Commission adopts revised draw rules with split draw and new point rules after heated public comment

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission on March 5 approved final regulations that change how the division runs limited‑quota license draws for deer, elk, pronghorn, bear and turkey. The new framework implements a split primary draw (roughly half the quota reserved for accrued preference points and half for a bonus "names‑in‑a‑hat" draw), a single resident/nonresident allocation of 75% resident / 25% nonresident applied in the primary draw, and the removal of a separate “preference‑point only” hunt code. The commission approved the package after an amendment replacing set preference‑point fees with placeholders (staff will return with concrete fee values following additional financial analysis and public input).

Why it matters: The new rules rework a complex former system intended to balance long‑term point accrual by resident hunters with opportunities for newer hunters and nonresidents. The package affects how applicants acquire and spend preference points, how returned licenses will be reissued, and introduces an “auto‑reissue” option for applicants who opt in.…