Deer Hunting in Colorado GMU 43 - Garfield, Pitkin, Eagle, and Gunnison Counties

Hunting pressure does not generally cause herd movement, but they will move to lower elevation woodlands as snow accumulates. Archery and muzzleloader hunters should head to timberline.

GMU 43 - Garfield, Pitkin, Eagle, and Gunnison Counties

Scores


Scores
User Scores
Ease of Drawing
64
 
64
Success
57
 
57
Trophy Potential
86
 
86
Public Access
100
 
100
Ease of Terrain
68
 
68
Room to Breathe
11
 
11
Opportunity
15
 
15
Convenience
46
 
46
Ease of Effort
17
 
17
66
HuntScore

Access Notes


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Bounded on N by Colorado River; on E by Roaring Fork and Castle Creek; on S by divide between Roaring Fork-Crystal River drainages and East River-Muddy Creek drainages and McClure Pass; on W by Muddy Creek-Crystal River divide, divide between Roaring Fork-Crystal River drainages and Divide Creek-Baldy Creek drainages and S Canyon Creek.

About 40% of the area is wilderness (Hunter-Fryingpan, Maroon Bells, Raggeds, Collegiate Peaks) and vehicles are not allowed. These rugged areas offer increased hunting success, but require horseba... Create a free account to read the rest of this access note!

County

Garfield, Pitkin, Eagle, Gunnison

Size

746 Square Miles (477,214 Acres)

Land Ownership

26% Private, 74% Public, 65% USFS, 8% BLM, 37% Wilderness, 1% Other

Latitude/Longitude

39.2260, -107.1373

Amenities

There are 0 hospitals, 1 hotels, 29 campgrounds, and 1 grocery stores within a 20 mile radius.

Deer Notes


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This herd is concentrated in aspen and oakbrush habitats before the snow flies. Hunting pressure does not generally cause herd movement, but they will move to lower elevation woodlands as snow accu... Create a free account to read the rest of this deer hunting note!

HuntScore Tip

Public land and private land percentages can sometime be misleading. A unit may have 80% public land, but a particluar species may only occupy 20% on the entire area. And that 20% species distribution may lie 100% within private lands. Does that sound confusing? Just remember that there are always exceptions to the rule, and land ownership is just one piece of the puzzle.

Management Plan

Deer Management Plan

State Agency Website

Visit Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Businesses Serving Deer Hunters In GMU 43 - Garfield, Pitkin, Eagle, and Gunnison Counties


Advertise Your Business!

Category: Guide/Outfitter

: 555-555-5555

: [email protected]

: www.yourbusiness.com

About

Are you an outfitter, hunting guide, game processor or local hotel? Do you have landowner tags, lease land, or have an lodge? Advertise on HuntScore and reach hunters interested in this hunting unit! Send us an email at [email protected] to learn more. Read about advertising on huntscore here

Photos and Terrain Notes


This area encompasses the Roaring Fork, Frying Pan and Crystal River drainages. The lower elevations (6500ft) are primarily developed or agricultural. Timberline is around 11,500ft and there are 14... Create a free account to read the rest of this terrain note!

Deer Drawing Stats (2021)


Total Quota
1,180
Licenses Drawn
1,169
Licenses Surplus
11
Resident Quota
748
Nonresident Quota
371
Landowner Quota
282
Youth Quota
60
59.7%
Overall Unit
1st Choice Draw Odds
Choose a hunt below to take a deeper dive into quotas, drawing odds, drawing trends, and harvest data.
Stats Apply For Sex Manner Season Type Draw Odds HuntScore Notes
DF043O1M
F
M
O1
LL
47.6%
74 Permit Type B; License Valid for Units: 43, 47, 471;
DE043P2R
E
R
P2
LL
73.5%
78 Permit Type A; License Valid for Units: 43, 47, 471;
DE043P3R
E
R
P3
LL
100%
82 Permit Type A; License Valid for Units: 43, 47, 471;
DF043K1M
F
M
K1
LL
100%
80 Permit Type B; License Valid for Units: 43, 47, 471 - Youth only;
DF043K2R
F
R
K2
LL
66.7%
75 Permit Type B; License Valid for Units: 43, 47, 471 - Youth Only;
DF043K3R
F
R
K3
LL
100%
80 Permit Type B; License Valid for Units: 43, 47, 471 - Youth Only;
DM043O4R
M
R
O4
LL
22.9%
68 Permit Type A; License Valid for Units: 43, 47, 471;
DF043O2R
F
R
O2
LL
13.3%
66 Permit Type B; License Valid for Units: 43, 47, 471;
DF043O3R
F
R
O3
LL
37%
69 Permit Type B; License Valid for Units: 43, 47, 471;
DM043E1R
M
R
E1
LL
28.8%
70 That portion of GMU 43 within the Maroon Bells- Snowmass Wilderness area
DM043O1M
M
M
O1
LL
100%
88 Permit Type A; License Valid for Units: 43, 47, 471;
DM043O2R
M
R
O2
LL
73.1%
88 Permit Type A; License Valid for Units: 43, 47, 471;
DM043O3R
M
R
O3
LL
42.8%
80 Permit Type A; License Valid for Units: 43, 47, 471;
DE043O1A
E
A
O1
LL
80.4%
84 Permit Type A; License Valid for Units: 43, 47, 471;
HuntScore Tip: You are able to receive a refund for your license as long as the season has not started. You would have to fill out the License Refund Application or Preference Point Restoration form and return the license and carcass tag with the application to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Preference Points will be restored to the pre-draw level, and you will not receive a preference point for that year.

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Deer Harvest Stats (2021)


Total Hunters
830
Total Harvest
343
Harvest Male
294
Harvest Female
45
41%
Average Success
Manner Season Type Sex Deer Species Hunters Harvest Male Female Youth
A
A
LL
N/A N/A 132 28
15
13
0
ALL
ALL
LL
N/A N/A 830 343
294
45
0
M
M
LL
N/A N/A 132 26
26
0
0
R
EL
LL
N/A N/A 36 13
13
0
0
R
HR
LL
N/A N/A 36 13
13
0
0
R
O2
LL
N/A N/A 334 144
128
16
0
R
O4
LL
N/A N/A 22 14
14
0
0
R
R
LL
N/A N/A 566 289
253
32
0
HuntScore Tip: There are no altler point restrictions for deer, but antlers must be at least 5 inches long.

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Weather Insights


Weather can vary by elevation. See how weather varies by elevation within a unit by selecting an elevation range. Elevation ranges are based on weather stations in or near the unit. Not all weather elements are available within the unit.

Average Temps

Use temperature ranges to plan and prepare for your hunt. Large swings indicate a good layering system should be used. Be sure to make note of the extreme temperatures as these often pose the greatest risk to hunters. If you plan on hunting in higher elevation, as a rule of thumb, expect the tempture to decrease roughly 5° for every 1000' in elevation gain.

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  • Probability of other weather events (thunder, hail, etc...) by by month

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