unit 43 elk?

[carpenter]

any info on unit 43 colo elk? Never been elk hunting before, this is my first elk hunt.

[KentuckyWolf]

Nope. 74/75, 15, and now 12 this year. Wish I could help, but good luck. I posted a question on unit 12  a few days ago and got very little "constructive" advise/insight.

[Pete McMiller]

Never hunted 43 but have driven through it.  from the road it all looked real steep.  I do know a couple of guys who hunt it during rifle season and they go high - 10-11,000 ft.  That would be my advice for bow also - go high. My advice is to get your maps now and start looking for where you want to hunt.  If you are not familiar with topos, a little hint.  When the lines are really close on 40 ft contours its more like a cliff.  Good luck, you are going to have a blast and will learn a ton about the mountains and elk.

[Lil Red]

Hunted 45 it's steep. Always hunted up stayed at 9200 ft.

[ShadeMt]

I have hunted in 43 twice in the Maroon Bells wilderness area but have spent more time next door in unit 47.  As mentioned above it is typically a steep, high elevation area but the terrain and vegetation varies a great deal in this unit.  It is certainly not the easiest terrain in Colorado but with some effort it can be done.  Certain areas in 43 get a lot of hiking traffic but they stay on the trails and are not an issue.    

Feel free to send me a PM and hopefully I can get you headed in the right direction.

[carpenter]

Thanks for the replies! I guess I had better start working out a little longer.

[STEVE R.]

yes, but hunt it before the muzzleloader season.

[ShadeMt]

Here is a picture from unit 43.  This should provide some motivation for training.


 

[carpenter]

OH MY GOSH!

[Pete McMiller]

Hahahaha, That's a familiar refrain.  That's one of those places on your map where the contour lines are pretty close together.

[NancyVTAS]

Steep but that limits most , Iwill look at my maps and get back with you. I live 30 miles from there> Dick

[ShadeMt]

The above photo is from the wilderness area which is south of Carbondale and along the east side of Route 133.  There is also a lot of national forest land on the west side of Rt 133 which is not as high of elevation or quite as steep.  

Are you planning to get packed in on horseback or hiking in from the trailhead?

[Keith Zimmerman]

I've hunted 53, 54, 48, 551, 511, and a few others.  I have no experience in 12 or 43.  But they all test you:)

[carpenter]

I am planing on hiking in and staying high as my lungs will let me. Thank you all for the information,I am looking forward to this as it is my first elk hunt.I have done a lot of studying,been working hard on conditioning,If I get a elk fine,if not fine,this a once in life time experience for me,I will not be in a rush to do any thing but enjoy. carpenter

[ShadeMt]

Carpenter,
I will send you an email with some suggestions on possible areas to check out.

[Pete McMiller]

Carpenter,

For the first couple of days it may not be your lungs that will be the limiting factor.  Sure, your lungs will feel like they are ready to turn inside out trying to get enough air - every 50 yards, but you may be an individual who is prone to altitude sickness.  We typically camp at about 9000 ft. for two+ weeks.  Some years I get a mild case that includes lethargy and headache for 36-48 hours.  After that I'm fine.  One of the interesting and amazing things about thin air is that you can be totally out of breath and can't walk another step - then stop for a rest and wait for 1 minute and you are totally recovered.

Good luck, once you make one trip to the mountains after elk you will be counting the days until the next time.