Hunters, get ready: Wednesday is the first day of Colorado’s over-the-counter (OTC) hunting license sales. Bear, elk, whitetail deer and pronghorn licenses will be available on a first come, first served basis. In anticipation of large crowds, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers are gearing up for OTC day, ready for hunting stories, camaraderie and lots and lots of hunters.

Some offices focus on fun by creating a festive atmosphere like the Salida, CO, office, which serves breakfast burritos and coffee and offices in Lamar, CO, and Pueblo, CO, which plan to serve donuts; others prefer to focus on efficiency, “serving customers as quickly as possible” due to the “high volume of traffic expected,” KOAA.com reports.

“Bear licenses are the biggest attraction on OTC day,” Michelle Mulrony, lead customer service representative in the Southeast Region offices, told KOAA.com. “People are very excited about the start of the hunting season. They want their license right away.”

Continued below

On leftover day, hunters can purchase tags leftover from the draw.

“Leftover day is huge. We had people 50 deep last year waiting for leftover day,” says Mulrony. “During the draw process, you can only take one tag per species. Leftover day is the only way to get another tag from the same species.”

If you plan to purchase a tag during either day, you will need to bring the following:

Click here for more details on OTC and leftover day. Good luck!