What Records Must Colorado Taxidermists Keep for Deer and Elk?

By MountChief Editorial Team|Updated Mar 2026

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) conducts annual audits of licensed taxidermists, and violations cost Colorado taxidermists an average of $3,500 in fines and legal fees. If you're running a shop in Colorado, the record requirements are specific and the enforcement is real.

CPW requires records for all big game specimens, including mule deer, whitetail deer, elk, pronghorn, moose, bighorn sheep, and mountain goat. Here's what you need to document for deer specifically, with the full elk breakdown covered in the Colorado elk taxidermy records guide.

TL;DR

Colorado requires taxidermists to maintain written records for all wildlife received, including deer.
Harvest documentation must include the hunter's license number and the county of harvest.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife conducts compliance inspections of taxidermy shops.
CWD is documented in Colorado deer management units and harvest county must be recorded for every deer.
Records must be retained and available for CPW inspection on demand.

CPW Required Fields for Deer Records

For every deer accepted into your shop, Colorado CPW requires:

Hunter's full name and address
Colorado hunting license number: the specific license issued by CPW for that season
Species: mule deer vs. whitetail deer, distinguished clearly
Sex of the animal: buck or doe
Harvest unit: the specific CPW game management unit (GMU) where the deer was taken. This is more specific than county and is the field where shops most commonly have gaps.
Date harvested
Date received by taxidermist
Your Colorado taxidermist license number on each record

Records must be retained for a minimum of three years from the date received.

The Harvest Unit Requirement

The harvest unit field is the one that catches Colorado shops off guard. CPW issues deer licenses by game management unit, and those units are how CPW tracks population data and enforcement. When a deer comes in, you need to know which GMU it came from, not just "western Colorado" or the county.

If a hunter can't tell you their GMU, ask to see their license. The license itself shows the specific GMU or DAU (Deer Hunting Unit) they were authorized to hunt. Write that number down at intake. CPW inspectors know to look for it.

Non-Resident Hunters in Colorado

Colorado attracts a large out-of-state hunting contingent, and non-resident deer hunters represent a meaningful share of taxidermy intake for many Front Range and Western Slope shops. Non-resident hunters must purchase Colorado licenses just like residents, so the documentation requirements are identical from your perspective.

For deer mounts that will be shipped out of state to a non-resident, keep clear documentation that the specimen was legally taken in Colorado. The Lacey Act applies to interstate shipment of game animals, and your records need to support the chain of custody if questions arise.

CPW Audits: What to Expect

CPW conducts annual compliance audits of licensed taxidermists. An auditor may call ahead or arrive unannounced. They'll ask to see:

Your current Colorado taxidermist license
Records for all specimens currently in your possession
Records for specimens received within the three-year retention window

They'll cross-reference license numbers against CPW's database for any specimens they choose to check. If a license number doesn't match the name on the record, or if the harvest unit doesn't match where that license was valid, that's a compliance flag.

Keeping digital records that you can query instantly makes an audit much less stressful than digging through paper files. If you're using management software, verify it captures the GMU field specifically.

Digital Records for CPW Compliance

CPW accepts digital records for compliance purposes as of the current regulation cycle. Your records need to be complete, accurate, and accessible for inspection. A PDF export of individual job records or a database query showing all specimens by date range both satisfy the requirement.

If you're managing compliance documentation across a high-volume Colorado shop, taxidermy shop management software for Colorado covers the CPW-specific fields built into the MountChief intake workflow.

Frequently Asked Questions

What information does Colorado CPW require on taxidermy records?

CPW requires: hunter name and address, hunting license number, species (mule deer or whitetail, distinguished), sex, harvest game management unit (GMU), harvest date, date received by your shop, and your Colorado taxidermist license number on each record. The GMU requirement is more specific than a county and is the most commonly missing field during audits.

How long must Colorado taxidermists retain big game records?

A minimum of three years from the date the specimen was received. Given CPW's active audit program, keeping records for five years is a practical safeguard. Destroying records before the three-year mark and then having a compliance question arise about a specimen from that period creates a situation with no good outcome.

Can Colorado taxidermists use digital records for CPW compliance?

Yes. CPW accepts digital records that are complete, accurate, and accessible for inspection. Your software should be able to produce a record for any individual specimen and export records for a date range on demand. Scanned paper records also satisfy the digital requirement, though a purpose-built database is faster to query during an audit.

What specific records does Colorado Parks and Wildlife require for deer taxidermy?

Colorado requires taxidermists to record the customer's name, address, hunting license number, species, date received, and harvest location. For deer, county of harvest is particularly important due to CWD monitoring zones. Check the current Colorado Parks and Wildlife taxidermist regulations directly, as requirements are updated periodically.

How does CWD affect Colorado deer taxidermy record requirements?

Colorado has documented CWD in multiple deer management units. Tracking harvest county for every deer allows you to identify specimens from CWD-affected areas and take appropriate precautions. Some units have additional documentation requirements or restrictions on transport of deer parts. Check current CPW guidance each season.

Do out-of-state hunters need different documentation for Colorado deer?

Documentation requirements apply to the specimen, not the hunter's home state. An out-of-state hunter's Colorado deer requires the same records as a resident's deer. Collect the Colorado hunting license number, not the hunter's home state license.

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Sources

Colorado Parks and Wildlife
US Fish & Wildlife Service
National Taxidermists Association (NTA)
Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance

Get Started with MountChief

Colorado deer season brings both resident and out-of-state hunters, and each job requires complete records for CPW compliance. MountChief's intake system captures all required fields and flags CWD-county documentation automatically. Try MountChief before Colorado deer season opens.