Colorado Parks and Wildlife moves to protect, encourage wild bison herds with dual classification

In its November meeting, Colorado Parks and Wildlife unanimously approved dual legal classification for bison. These changes will change how wild bison will be treated under state law.

"Under the new regulations, privately owned and fenced bison herds will continue to be managed as livestock through the Colorado Department of Agriculture. However, free-ranging bison that naturally enter the state from neighboring jurisdictions will now be managed as wildlife, specifically as a big-game species under Colorado Parks and Wildlife's (CPW) authority," said CPW in a release.

A new bison calf chases other bison in the spring snow at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in Denver, Colorado, on Wednesday, April 18, 2025. Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post via Getty Images

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