Feral Pig Hunting in Colorado: Laws, Licenses, and Reporting Rules
November 15, 2026
Feral pig hunting in Colorado is unlike what you will find in Texas or Oklahoma, because the state announced in 2020 that it had wiped out its wild swine. That changes what a “hog hunt” means here, and it changes the legal risks if you bring the wrong assumptions across the border.
This article covers how Colorado classifies feral swine, what the historical open-season rules were, what is banned today, and where you can still legally pursue pigs. It also explains how to report a sighting and how to check the rules directly with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) before you head out.
Important Note: Sources disagree on current status. Older hunting-regulation sites list feral hogs as unregulated, while at least one newer aggregator labels them “not huntable.” Colorado’s official position since 2020 is that all known feral swine are gone, so treat any older “no license, no limit” summary as historical and confirm with CPW.
Can You Hunt Feral Pigs in Colorado?
Technically yes, but there is almost nothing left to hunt. CBS Colorado reported that CPW declared all known feral swine eliminated, making Colorado the first state to do so.
For most of the eradication campaign, the state wanted hunters involved. According to Pork Business, CPW’s Travis Black said there was no limit, no license requirement, and people could hunt day and night with any legal method.
That open-door policy was a tool for removing an invasive species, not an invitation to build a hunting tradition around it. Since the 2020 announcement, the practical answer is that you may legally shoot a feral pig you encounter, but you should not plan a trip around finding one on public ground.
If you are used to southern hog hunting, expect a very different experience. Colorado hunters are more likely to chase deer, bear, or turkey, all of which have defined seasons and license rules.
Feral Pig Status and Classification in Colorado
Colorado treats feral swine as an invasive nuisance species rather than as wildlife. After four pigs were euthanized near Hotchkiss in 2019, the Grand Junction Sentinel quoted a CPW spokesman saying feral swine are an invasive species and not considered wildlife.
The history explains why. Feral swine were first noticed in the 1970s, and by the early 2000s two large populations had formed in the southeast, according to CBS Colorado. About 250 animals lived along Big Sandy Creek in Kiowa County and roughly 100 along the Cimarron River in Baca County, per the Colorado Springs Gazette.
Efforts accelerated in 2005, when 6,000 domestic pigs at a hog facility had to be destroyed after a disease outbreak that likely spread through feral swine. That led to a partnership among CPW, the Colorado Department of Agriculture, USDA Wildlife Services, and the Forest Service.
The Colorado Department of Agriculture announced on February 12, 2020 that all known feral swine had been eliminated after a near 15-year effort. The task force continues to monitor for new animals.
| Period | Status | Hunter Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s to early 2000s | Small populations establish in the southeast | Limited |
| 2005 to 2019 | Active eradication program | Open season encouraged |
| February 2020 onward | Declared eradicated; monitoring continues | Report sightings, shoot only if legal and safe |
Feral Pig Hunting Season Dates or Year-Round Rules in Colorado
Colorado has no set feral pig season. Historically the answer was year-round: MeatEater noted that wild pigs could be hunted legally without a license all year, while possessing or importing them was illegal.
An older state-by-state chart from Hogman Outdoors lists the season as unregulated, with night hunting allowed and no baiting. That page is several years old, so treat it as a snapshot of the open-season era rather than a current rulebook.
You might wonder whether the 2020 eradication closed the open season. The sources reviewed do not describe a formal closure, but they also show the state’s focus shifted from encouraging kills to monitoring and reporting. Confirm any season question with CPW before acting.
License and Permit Requirements for Feral Pig Hunting in Colorado
During the open-season period, no hunting license was required for feral hogs for residents or nonresidents, per Hogman Outdoors. That is the main reason Colorado is often listed as one of the states with unregulated hog hunting.
Do not assume that exemption covers everything else you do afield. If you are also pursuing big game, small game, or waterfowl, normal rules still apply, and our Colorado hunting license guide explains which licenses you need.
Trespass is the bigger permit issue. No license replaces landowner permission, and the broader Colorado hunting laws still govern where and how you can carry a firearm.
Bag Limits and Possession Rules for Feral Pigs in Colorado
There was no bag limit during the open-season era. CPW’s Black described it as no limit, and Hogman Outdoors lists the limit as none.
Possession is a different matter. Colorado law bars possessing live feral swine, and the state has enforced it. In 2020, CPW officers confiscated three feral swine from an El Paso County farm, and Pork Business reported that each illegal transport or possession charge was a misdemeanor carrying a $137 fine and surcharge per animal.
Pro Tip: Photograph any pig you shoot, note the GPS location, and report it to CPW or USDA Wildlife Services. A confirmed animal is exactly the data the monitoring task force needs.
Legal Weapons and Hunting Methods for Feral Pigs in Colorado
When the state wanted maximum pressure on pigs, methods were wide open. Black said hunters could use archery, muzzleloaders, and rifles, and could hunt day and night.
Official programs went further than anything a hunter can do. According to Pork Business, agencies used corral-style live traps and USDA Wildlife Services aerial gunning on known populations with landowner permission. They also ran eDNA water sampling and trail cameras to confirm absence.
Those tools are for agency staff, not hobbyists. As a private hunter, stick to ordinary firearm, bow, and muzzleloader rules and confirm any method question with CPW, especially for night hunting or aerial work.
| Method | Who Uses It | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rifle, archery, muzzleloader | Hunters | Allowed during the open-season era |
| Night hunting | Hunters | Listed as allowed by Hogman Outdoors; verify first |
| Corral traps | CPW and partners | Live trapping, then euthanasia |
| Aerial gunning | USDA Wildlife Services | Landowner permission required |
Private Land and Public Land Feral Pig Hunting Rules in Colorado
On private land, you need the owner’s permission, full stop. Many southeastern landowners are ranchers and farmers who actively want pigs gone, which is why the eradication relied on cooperating landowners.
Public land is a harder call. No source reviewed describes a special feral swine rule for state wildlife areas or national forest, so normal land-use, firearm, and seasonal closure rules apply. The Forest Service was a task force partner, but that does not create a hog-hunting program you can sign up for.
A few commercial operations advertise pig hunts on fenced ranches. For example, Severson Outfitters lists a high-fence ranch near Collbran and prices a meat hog hunt at $1,250 per hog. Prices are the operator’s own and may have changed, so check directly.
Transport, Release, and Live Possession Rules for Feral Pigs in Colorado
This is the strictest part of Colorado’s approach. The state’s official message is that it is illegal to possess, transport, or release feral swine, wild swine species, or hybrids, per the Colorado Department of Agriculture release.
The rule exists because people moving pigs caused much of the problem. Black told Pork Business there was no doubt some pigs were illegally brought into the state, and he told the Gazette that some hunters illegally transport feral swine in to hunt them.
Disease is the other reason. The El Paso County pigs tested positive for pseudorabies, which CBS Colorado described as a contagious herpes virus that can spread to cattle, dogs, cats, sheep, and goats.
- Never bring live pigs into Colorado, even for a fenced hunt.
- Never release or relocate a captured pig.
- Do not keep a live feral pig as livestock or a pet.
- Report anyone you suspect is moving or holding pigs.
Hunting dogs raise their own questions about transport and disease, so see our guides to hunting dog breeds and the state’s feral dog laws if you plan to run hounds.
Where to Hunt Feral Pigs or Report Sightings in Colorado
If your goal is a pig in the freezer, Colorado is a poor bet. Backfire noted that the most likely area to see hogs is the southeast corner, but no wild population is currently confirmed there. Reports of pigs elsewhere, including the West Slope, are hard to confirm, and many turn out to be domestic pigs.
Your most useful contribution is a report. The state asks you to contact USDA Wildlife Services at 1-866-487-3297 or CPW at 303-297-1192 if you see feral swine or suspect transport activity, per the Colorado Department of Agriculture.
When you call, give a location, a photo if possible, the number of animals, and a description. CPW officers have been trained to tell feral hogs from domestic pigs. Feral swine typically have a longer, narrower snout, visible tusks, a straight tail, and coarse fur, according to the Gazette.
Key Insight: Colorado’s eradication worked partly because ordinary people called in sightings. A cornfield report from a farmer led to the last known pig being found on camera and killed in late 2018.
For a regional alternative, the Texas license rules cover a state where hog hunting is a major pursuit. For predator work closer to home, see Colorado coyote hunting laws.
How to Confirm Current Feral Pig Regulations With Colorado’s Wildlife Agency
Because the rules changed from open season to eradication and monitoring, confirm before you act. Start with CPW, which is the agency that sets Colorado hunting rules, and ask specifically about feral swine, since most printed brochures do not cover them.
- Call CPW at 303-297-1192 and ask whether any feral swine rule has changed since February 2020.
- Ask whether a license, landowner permission letter, or reporting step is required for the area you plan to hunt.
- Ask about night hunting, baiting, and carcass handling if you intend to shoot a pig.
- Get the answer in writing or note the officer’s name and date.
Treat third-party summaries with caution. They disagree on whether Colorado hog hunting is unregulated or not huntable, and the Hogman Outdoors chart is several years old. For wider context on other quarry, review the state’s hunting laws overview, and if you are also looking at the protected species list, make sure you never mistake a protected animal for a pig.
The bottom line: Colorado feral pig hunting is a legal gray area wrapped around an eradication success story. Shoot only where you have permission and certainty about the rules, never move live pigs, and call CPW or USDA Wildlife Services when you see one.