Colorado Unit 43 Muzzleloader

Drew a muzzleloader tag and looking for any advice I could get from the experts. Not afraid to work hard and go the extra mile. Thank you in advance.

Bring your boots and some oxygen. Deer will typically be high during that season and those are some rugged, unforgiving, mountains with not much air.

Basically, take a scouting trip early to mid August. Find a valley with some feed above timberline not too far from winter range (5-10 or so), get in there without spooking anything, and glass an evening and a morning in each location. Find a location with a few prospects, and be there first before opening day. You will have lots of competition, but the deer won't leave the area for long. Good luck!

Deer numbers are relatively low in the high alpine areas in 43. You'll have to do a lot of hiking and glassing to find the few pockets of bucks that exist. I haven't spent much time down low but there may be private land issues in places. Get off the beaten track to get away from all the OTC elk hunters. Some of the deer in that unit migrate south to the Gunnison Basin and the remaining migrate north towards Carbondale/Glenwood to winter. The Gunnison herd has had severe winterkill so deer numbers there would be even lower. It is some of the most beautiful country in Colo so enjoy!

Thank you guys. Much appreciate the info. I've never hunted this area. Only the Gunnison basin. Just want to enjoy the hunt, see some great country, possible dig up a nice buck, if not go home saying I tried.
Thanks again.

Get on a trail and hike into the wilderness and like Marburg said bring the oxygen it will be 10,000+ .I have done it once and I wish I would have started hunting colarado earlier Because I will never get back up in there again without being packed in.

I hunted the unit last year and a few other times in various seasons over the past 15 years. I can tell you for certain that the deer are few and far between. You will probably find a few pockets that hold deer. Get on top and glass and then glass some more. Last year it seemed like everyone and their brother was hunting where I was in 43. I had drawn the HCB tag and was in 6.2 miles and I thought I was in a good place only to find that an outfitter was in with 6 or 8 elk hunters on horses. There was also a few (3 or 4) mzl hunters and one other HCB hunter that I saw. The other HCB hunter shot a 26" buck at daylight on the first day. I spoke to him later and he said he couldn't resist but there was a bigger buck that he saw after shooting the buck. On Monday morning 2 hunters that I saw must have shot 15 shots at something (never did see what they were shooting at). They were on the top of the basin/ridge in what looked like a gun turret hooping and hollaring. The only thing that I saw moving was a coyote that perhaps they were shooting at. Kind of ruined the day with all the noise. I don't think you can go anywhere in 43 that you will get away from other hunters. I saw 13 bucks on my hunt and didn't pull the trigger. I also saw 4 black bears, a bobcat and some elk. Good luck its some beautiful country.

Dave
300 Wtby

I had this tag last year, when I finally found bucks there were 6 other guys also moving in on them, lots of competition, If I get the tag again I'd skip the first 3 days and wait for it to clear out some.