Colorado 43 Archery

warrior · Apr 29, 2016

I have put in for a unit 43 archery mule deer tag. Fingers crossed I draw. This will be my first back-country hunt (not solo). I have done map studies and narrowed it down to an area that looks promising (google earth) and (hunt atlas). My llamas and I will be headed up there several times in late July early August to glass it over. I will have two OTC elk tags as well and plan to spend 12 days in there early Sept. I am looking for ANY advice on the area, words of cation, tips/tactics, back country advice. Thank you.

Warrior
USMC Veteran
A man who travels into the woods is lost to the world, yet he find himself

Deerlove · Apr 29, 2016

Be in the best shape of your life.

DW · Apr 29, 2016

Welcome to the forum warrior, and thanx for yer service! I've never set foot in 43 so my advice is of a general nature. Don't assume where you find em early august will be where you find em early sept. Somethin changes around the last week of august. At least that's been my experience. Good luck!

cantclosethedeal · Apr 30, 2016

Make sure you plan your hunt around the muzzleloader deer and elk seasons. They will overlap with your archery deer hunt. You will get a lot of company if you don't watch the dates.
Unit 43 is a big unit with great alpine basins for mulies. Tough hunting but 170+ bucks can be found.
Also, do your best to not get distracted by the elk. You will see plenty!

gatheringsheds · Apr 30, 2016

Free range domestic sheep exist in the 43 highcounty. They don't seem to effect the elk hunting very much. The herders graze them in the high grassy basins and they will change a mule deers patterns right before archery season starts.

warrior · Apr 30, 2016

I will be leaving the mountain just as the muzzleloader season starts. I plan to be up there the 25th and hike up and glass prior to opener on the 27th and be off the mountain on the 8th. My goal is a big muley but I like the sounds of lots of elk cause that means meat in the freezer. The free range cattle ans sheep..... will this be a big concern in the Maroon bells Wilderness?

gatheringsheds · Apr 30, 2016

No cattle just sheep and yes in the maroon bells snowmass wilderness. Not a big deal for the chunk of time you have there. Just be prepared to move to other basins if you encounter them. Elk hunters will not be a problem for you. You will see many other archery deer hunters. There is also a high country mule deer rifle hunt that starts around the 4th or 5th of september in the wilderness portion of the unit. It's very limited but I've seen blaze Orange and big guns stalking the same deer as me. Not fair!

Feleno · Apr 30, 2016

Early rifle hunt starts the same time as muzzleloader

gatheringsheds · Apr 30, 2016

You're right, thanks and sorry for the miss info. About that season start date. My bad

warrior · Apr 30, 2016

Greatly appreciate the info.
Are optics going to make or break me? considering Kowa Highlanders.
Is Pattering a deer and hunting him in his bed my best chance?

gatheringsheds · Apr 30, 2016

Check out Hunting High Country Mule Deer by Mike Eastman. The tactics described in that book fully apply to your hunt in 43.

warrior · Apr 30, 2016

Finished reading it about a week ago. Read Robert Dennings, How to take the best buck of your life prior to that. Now Im 150 pages into David Longs, Public land Mulies The bottom line.

gatheringsheds · May 1, 2016

That's plenty of great reading! You should do well up there. I also applied for that tag.
David Long and Eastmans hunted up there and let the cat out of bag years ago. It's still an easy draw but because of them that unit (for residents) has gone from left over tags available to 2nd choise only available. Now I can't get either and have to apply as a first choise. No more preference point building for me! It's an example of how point creep even effects less desirable hunts in CO.
I shouldn't put all the blame on them though. Randy Ulmer and technology such as this very forum are also to blame.
Sorry about the rant. I wouldn't be surprised if there was an old thread on this site on the same topic I just described.
If I don't draw my elk tag for a different unit I'll be hunting up there and would love to thank you in person for your service to our great country. As a matter of fact if Clinton gets elected for president I might move up there with all my guns and drop out untill this country gets a proper leader!

warrior · May 1, 2016

Yeah Ive got two more books lined up but those have to do with elk. I purchased Roe hunting resources for elk research.

I am fairly new to the big game side of the house and as a waterfowl hunter I can relate to what you are saying about letting the cat out. It doesn't take long for word to spread anymore. My plan is to break the ice in a unit with quality deer numbers and quality game in the High Country. Then once I understand more from hands on experience as well as the knowledge from related readings I want to find a lesser odd ball unit (over looked) and travel deep and pull out some inches after a few years. There has to be one creature in every unit right ?!?!?!?!

If you end up not drawing and go up there please let me know.
I already want to disappear regardless of whos in office. HaHa

Coloradoboy · May 1, 2016

LAST EDITED ON May-02-16 AT 00:01AM (MST)[p]43 used to be a special place a decade or so ago... Sure not what it used to be after Eastmans and multiple others blew it up. Still a great place but expect to have company in a lot of basins and about a 1/3 of the deer there used to be. I used to hunt it religiously when I was younger when it was still under the radar per say, and essentially had it in my backyard. Havent hunted it for the last 4 years or so due to the increase in traffic. Best advice is to get in the best mountain shape of your life and head to the most remote basins you can find. Anything located around the head waters of the crystal River/lead king basin area will have people and a lot of the bucks will get blown out of there by the first weekend.

Coloradoboy

CHEATER5 · May 3, 2016

Pm sent!

Soj51hopeful · May 7, 2016

I hunted 43 a few years ago for cow elk. As far as optics go the kowas are bad ass but so is there price! The area has a little more vegetation than you may be expecting. I would invest in some lighter cheaper optics.