Well, I finally drew it. I've been sitting down mapping out some places to scout this summer. I have a couple plans and ideas, but I'd love to hear more if anyone has any advice to offer. This year the muzzleloader and rifle hunts will be exactly the same time. Rifle is confined to the wilderness where MLers aren't. And we'll all be on top of the archers.

I know there is a lot of country up there, but what I really want to avoid is hunting over anyone else, or getting hunted over. I don't mind elbowing my way around the earth muffin hiker crowd. But I'm really hoping to avoid other hunters. Hat tip to the folks who fling sticks at muleys, I'm not nearly sneaky enough for that. I don't want to wreck anyone else's hunt, either.

Any experiences, tips, or advice from the peanut gallery would be much appreciated. I don't have much to offer back other than goodwill and some tips for 61, 62 and 30, where I usually hunt elk, bear, and birds. 30 has produced some nice bucks too, I have a couple on my wall, but I just wanted to hunt somewhere else if I was going to blow that many deer points.

I'm really hoping to get one still in the velvet. Big is always nice. But the chances at getting a CO buck with a rifle still in velvet come few and far between.

Lofty goals, I know. I'll probably be a lot less picky a few days into the season. But a fella has to start somewhere. Thanks!

sd

You will run into other hunters, that's a popular and easy to draw archery hunt. Do you have access to horses? PM me your digits and I can tell you a few spots where I've run into some good deer in the past

Thanks, will do. I don't have regular access to horses. But I was just about set on hiring them to pack my own small camp in and then out...after I settle on an area. I wasn't too excited about using them all season.

I would keep at least one with you as it makes it easier to check more basins and with all the archery hunters I there I've seen the deer really get moved around

I hunted the wilderness for three years back in the late 1980s, mostly for elk but one year I had a deer tag as well. Things may have changed, but there was just no way to get away from other hunters back then. I scored by learning to find places where hunters camping low pushed game up to me, where I had spent the night before in a bivy sack.

Wishing you good hunting and good luck!

"the earth muffin hiker crowd"

Now, that's quote worthy LOL! I wish I could help ya out, Dave, but I've not hunted that unit. Best of luck and let us know how you do... those high country mule deer can be a ton of fun (and also very frustrating).

ML deer/elk starts Sept 12-20 unit 43 same as early deer.

If you get back in a days hike and into another drainage from the ones at the access sites, you will have less company.
The velvet should still be on then. At least it has been twice for me then and there in 2001 and 2012.

The 14ers draw the muffin crowd you referred to.
The access sites draw the day ml and archery hunters.

I left/lost a hickory hunting, shooting, bear whacking walking stick in there somewhere below Capitol Peak. If you go in there, you for sure want to cross over into the next drainage. There are some cut throats in that lake that make a nice evening fish and meal.

It would be wise, while checking options, to look for someone to give you a ride in and out with horses.

Just my 2 cents.
Tim

I've hunted the early buck season twice in unit 44 Holy Cross Wilderness and last time had packer take me in. His license was for the Holy Cross and he knew area so that helped and he resupply every 4th day and I didn't keep any horses with me. I'd check and see who outfitting in unit 43.

Back in the 1970's I hunted unit 62 near Escalante canyon with a friend and his dad. We only saw a few forkhorns then. Have you seen good bucks in there on your elk hunts?

I've hunted 61 more than 62. Can't say that I remember any decent bucks in 62. Some nice ones in 61 though, I don't think they read the GMU boundary map! I would think they're in 61 somewhere.

I like that resupply idea. I'm leaning more towards horses with every scouting trip. That country has a lot of vertical!