By Ethan Janicki
Great Plains Land Company | Colorado Land Broker
If you own or are looking to buy a larger piece of hunting land in Colorado, especially in
a good elk, deer, or pronghorn area, you have probably heard someone mention the
Colorado Landowner Preference Program.
You may also hear people call it the “landowner preference point program,” “landowner
tags,” “landowner vouchers,” or simply “LPP.”
Whatever name someone uses, the basic idea is this: Colorado gives qualifying
landowners a preference in the draw for certain big game hunting licenses because
private land often provides important habitat for wildlife. For the right property, this can
be a meaningful benefit. It can matter for the landowner, for family hunting opportunities,
for outfitters, and for buyers trying to understand the full recreational value of a ranch.
That said, it is also one of those programs that gets misunderstood pretty often. A
property being “eligible” does not mean the landowner is guaranteed tags every year. A
property being registered does not mean the tags, registration, or accumulated points
automatically transfer when the property sells. And not every 160-acre parcel in
Colorado qualifies.
What is the Colorado Landowner Preference Program?
The Colorado Landowner Preference Program is run by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. It
was created to give qualifying private agricultural landowners a preference in the limited
license draw for species like mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, and pronghorn.
The program matters because many of Colorado’s best hunting areas are limited-
license units. In those areas, hunters often need preference points and sometimes
years of patience to draw certain tags. If a landowner qualifies for the program, they
may be able to apply for landowner preference vouchers tied to the property and the
applicable Game Management Unit.
Those vouchers can then be used by the landowner or transferred/sold to an eligible
hunter, depending on the type of voucher.
For a ranch owner, this can add flexibility and value. For a buyer, it can be one more
thing to look at when evaluating a Colorado hunting property.
What land qualifies for Colorado Landowner Preference?
Not every rural property qualifies. CPW has specific requirements.
In general, the land must be:
– At least 160 contiguous deeded acres
– Private agricultural land
– Located in a Game Management Unit where all rifle licenses are totally limited for
the species being applied for
– Habitat for the species being applied for, either year-round or during important
seasonal periods
– Land with a history of game damage or a huntable population of the species
The species also needs to actually use the property. This is important. Owning 160
acres does not automatically mean you qualify for elk, deer, or pronghorn. CPW looks at
whether the property provides meaningful habitat such as winter range, migration
corridors, calving areas, forage, transitional habitat, or other wildlife use.
Also, if the unit has over-the-counter rifle licenses available for that species, then there
is no landowner preference for that species in that GMU.
Ranching for Wildlife properties, public land, and land owned by public entities are not
eligible for the standard Landowner Preference Program.
Eligible species
The main species included in the program are:
– Mule deer
– White-tailed deer
– Elk
– Pronghorn
For Colorado landowners, mule deer and elk are usually the big ones people ask about,
especially on mountain, foothill, and larger transitional-range properties. On the plains,
pronghorn can also be a major factor depending on the ranch and the unit.
How many applications does a landowner get?
The number of applications a landowner can submit is based on the number of deeded
acres properly registered with CPW.
This is one of the most important parts of the program because acreage matters. A 160-
acre property may qualify, but a much larger ranch may be eligible for more
applications.
Below is the CPW acres-to-applications table in a cleaner format:
Registered deeded
acres
Landowner applications
160 to 639 acres 1 application
640 to 1,239 acres 1 application + 1 Private-Land-Only
application
1,240 to 1,839 acres 2 applications
1,840 to 2,439 acres 3 applications
2,440 to 3,039 acres 4 applications
3,040 to 3,639 acres 5 applications
3,640 to 4,239 acres 6 applications
4,240 to 4,839 acres 7 applications
4,840 to 5,439 acres 8 applications
5,440 to 6,039 acres 9 applications
6,040 to 6,639 acres 10 applications
6,640 to 7,239 acres 11 applications
7,240 to 7,839 acres 12 applications
7,840 to 8,439 acres 13 applications
8,440 to 9,039 acres 14 applications
9,040 to 9,639 acres 15 applications
9,640 to 10,239 acres 16 applications
10,240 to 10,839 acres 17 applications
10,840 to 11,439 acres 18 applications
11,440 or more acres 19 applications
The 640 to 1,239-acre tier is a little different because CPW gives that tier one regular
application plus one Private-Land-Only application. That Private-Land-Only restriction
matters because the hunter can only use that voucher on private land under the specific
rules tied to that voucher.
Are landowner vouchers guaranteed?
No. This is probably the biggest misconception.
Landowner applications are not guaranteed licenses. The landowner still goes through a
draw process. The program gives the landowner a preference, but it does not mean
they automatically receive a voucher every year.
That distinction matters when valuing a property. I would be careful with any listing or
sales pitch that makes it sound like a ranch “comes with elk tags every year” unless that
is backed up by a clear history and the current CPW rules.
A better way to look at it is this: qualifying land can create an opportunity to participate
in the Landowner Preference Program. The strength of that opportunity depends on the
property, the GMU, the species, the hunt code, the acreage, and the draw history.
How preference points work
Landowner applications can build preference points if the first-choice hunt code is not
drawn.
If a first-choice hunt code is successfully drawn, the application’s preference points
reset to zero. If the first choice is not drawn, the application may receive a preference
point. Drawing a second, third, or fourth choice does not affect the application’s
preference point level.
That is another reason it is important to understand the history of a property before
buying. A property may have a registration history, application history, or accumulated
landowner preference points under the current owner, but those points do not transfer to
a buyer when the property sells.
What happens when land sells?
This is a big one for buyers and sellers.
When a property sells, the new owner must reapply for the Colorado Landowner
Preference Program. The prior owner’s registration does not simply transfer with the
deed, and any accumulated landowner preference points do not transfer to the buyer.
That point is very important.
A property may have a strong history in the program. It may have been registered for
elk, mule deer, whitetail, or pronghorn. It may even have built up preference points over
time. But when the land changes hands, the new owner starts fresh with CPW.
That can matter during a transaction. If you are buying a Colorado ranch and the seller
says the property is “in the landowner preference program,” you need to ask follow-up
questions:
– Who is the current registered landowner?
– What legal entity owns the property?
– What species has the property been approved for?
– What GMU is the property in?
– How many acres are registered?
– Are there past draw results?
– Are there any current vouchers?
– Will any current voucher still be valid after closing?
– When will the buyer need to reapply?
– Has CPW previously approved the same land for the same species?
This is where a lot of confusion happens. A buyer may assume the hunting benefit
automatically transfers with the ranch. It does not. The land itself may still be good
habitat, and the property may still be a strong candidate for the program, but the new
owner has to go through CPW’s application process on their own.
Can landowner vouchers be sold?
Regular Colorado landowner preference vouchers can be transferred to an eligible
hunter, and landowners often receive compensation for that transfer. However, the rules
are strict.
The better way to say it is that a landowner voucher can be transferred for
compensation. I would be careful using the phrase “selling tags,” because the
landowner is not selling a hunting license itself. The voucher allows the eligible hunter to
purchase the license tied to the specific hunt code printed on the voucher.
The voucher must be transferred directly from the landowner or designated land
manager to the hunter, and it can only be transferred one time. CPW does not allow
vouchers to be brokered by a third party. If a voucher is brokered or transferred
improperly, the voucher can be void, and the license purchased with that voucher can
also be void.
The hunter also has to use the voucher for the exact hunt code printed on the voucher.
They cannot take an elk voucher for one unit and use it somewhere else.
One other important detail: when a landowner transfers a voucher, that transfer includes
permission for the hunter to access and hunt the registered land for the season tied to
that voucher. So this is not just a piece of paper. It also comes with hunting access
rights under the program rules.
Family Member/Youth vouchers are more restricted and are not the same as regular
transferable landowner preference vouchers.
What this means for sellers
For sellers of larger Colorado hunting properties, the Landowner Preference Program
can be a real marketing point, but it needs to be presented accurately.
If your land qualifies, or has qualified in the past, that may help attract the right buyers.
Serious recreational land buyers care about elk, mule deer, pronghorn, access, habitat,
draw odds, and long-term hunting opportunity. A clean explanation of the property’s
landowner preference history can help separate your listing from other rural properties
on the market.
That does not mean you should overpromise. I would not market a property as having
“guaranteed tags” unless that is truly the case under the specific structure involved,
which is not how the standard LPP draw usually works.
The better approach is to show the facts:
– Total deeded acres
– Agricultural tax classification
– GMU
– Species observed on the property
– Habitat features
– Historic game use
– Any current or prior CPW registration
– Any known voucher history
– Whether the buyer understands that they must reapply after closing and that no
accumulated landowner preference points transfer with the sale
Buyers appreciate clean information. The more organized you are, the more confidence
they will have in the property.
On higher-end hunting ranches, especially in good mule deer or elk country, this can
absolutely help tell the story of value.
What this means for buyers
For buyers, the Landowner Preference Program is something to investigate during due
diligence.
If you are buying a 35-acre cabin parcel, this program probably is not going to apply. If
you are buying 160 acres or more of agricultural land in a limited-license GMU, then it
may be worth looking into.
On a larger ranch, I would want to know:
– Does the property meet the 160-acre minimum?
– Is the acreage contiguous?
– Is it classified as agricultural for tax purposes?
– What GMU is it in?
– Are elk, mule deer, whitetail, or pronghorn using the property?
– Is the unit limited for that species?
– Has the seller registered the property before?
– Are there previous CPW communications or draw results?
– Are there outfitters, leases, or hunting access agreements in place?
– When does the buyer need to reapply after closing?
– Are there any current vouchers, and what happens to those vouchers after
closing?
– Does the buyer understand that prior landowner preference points do not
transfer?
This is especially important in the mountains and foothills where the difference between
a general recreational property and a strong hunting ranch can be significant. A property
with water, cover, migration use, winter range, or resident game populations can have a
different buyer pool than a property that simply has pretty views.
That does not mean the Landowner Preference Program should be the only reason you
buy a ranch. It should be one piece of the overall picture, along with access, water,
fencing, topography, improvements, neighboring land use, conservation easements,
mineral rights, and the quality of the habitat.
Important deadlines
CPW has specific deadlines for the program.
The main one to remember is December 1. Landowners must register by December 1
to be eligible for the following year’s drawing.
Applications generally open March 1 and close on the first Tuesday in April, which
matches the general public application deadline.
Draw results are typically available around the end of May or beginning of June, with
vouchers mailed later in June.
If you are buying or selling land near these dates, timing matters. A closing in November
versus January could change what is realistic for the next license year.
Does the program increase land value?
It can, but it depends.
The Landowner Preference Program by itself does not automatically make a property
valuable. The underlying land still has to make sense. Buyers are looking at the full
package: habitat, location, access, water, views, improvements, income, proximity to
Denver or mountain towns, and the quality of the hunting unit.
But on the right property, LPP eligibility can absolutely add to the story.
For example, a well-located mountain ranch with elk and mule deer habitat in a limited-
license GMU is going to attract a different kind of buyer than a similar-sized property
with no meaningful wildlife use. If that ranch also has a clean history with CPW’s
Landowner Preference Program, it gives buyers one more reason to take the property
seriously.
There can also be an economic component if the landowner receives transferable
vouchers and chooses to transfer those vouchers for compensation. That does not
mean a buyer should value the property based on guaranteed annual tag income,
because the vouchers are still subject to the draw and the rules can change. But it is
part of the broader hunting and recreational value discussion.
For sellers, the key is not to exaggerate. The key is to document the opportunity clearly.
For buyers, the key is not to assume. The key is to verify.
Final thoughts
The Colorado Landowner Preference Program is one of those details that can make a
big difference in the land market, but only if it is understood correctly.
For landowners, it may create additional hunting opportunity and can help tell the story
of a ranch’s recreational value.
For buyers, it can be a valuable due diligence item when looking at larger Colorado
hunting properties.
And for sellers, especially sellers of larger acreage in good elk, mule deer, or pronghorn
country, it is worth getting the details organized before going to market. A buyer who
understands hunting will ask about it. A good listing should be ready to answer.
The most important thing to remember is that the program is tied to CPW approval and
the current landowner. When the land sells, the new owner must reapply, and the prior
owner’s accumulated landowner preference points do not transfer.
If you are looking at buying or selling Colorado hunting land and want to understand
how wildlife, landowner preference, access, water, and habitat affect value, feel free to
reach out. I work with landowners and buyers across Colorado and can help you think
through the land side of the equation.
Ethan Janicki
Great Plains Land Company
Colorado Land Broker
Denver, Colorado
