2011 Coues Buck (pics)
BOHNTR
8/26/11 10:37am
Well, after 25+ consecutive years of chasing mule deer in August, I was prepared to hike into a wilderness in CO to make my annual quest. However, after a buddy of mine scouted the bowls I was going to hunt, he only saw a handful of bucks, with the biggest somewhere in the low 160’s. I wasn’t sure I wanted to back-pack in alone for 10 days with the opportunity to arrow a 160” class buck. Now don’t get me wrong, that’s a nice archery buck, but I have several in that class and if that’s the biggest in the bowls……well, it just didn’t get me pumped.
I’ve never dedicated a bowhunt for Coues deer and have always wanted to try for one. I’ve heard they are extremely difficult to get with a bow and arrow, so I decided to turn in my CO tag and chase some velvet clad Coues bucks since I already had a tag left over from my January hunt.
I contacted a buddy from Arizona (I know from P&Y) and he was up for my challenge. So Steven and I headed into the desert mountains of S/E Arizona in search of the gray ghost. I wasn’t going to be too picky on this hunt, as I really wanted to match wits with this specie of deer and get one. If I was to take a P&Y caliber buck (70") than it would just be icing on the cake.
The first few days were HOT (low 90's)……even at 5000’ elevation. I saw lots of deer a day (30-50) and a couple of dandies. What I didn’t realize, was these deer in this region don’t shed their velvet until late September, so they were still growing. With that in mind, I glassed up a GIANT buck late one evening that didn’t afford time for a stalk. This buck, once finished, may push the 120” mark, which is well above the B&C minimum of 110”. Here’s a photo of him taken through my spotting scope:
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After four days of chasing these deer and two blown stalks……one of which I missed a pretty good buck but arrowed a perfectly placed unseen oak tree twig :), I was ready for some “BOHNTR luck”. I must say, these deer are TOUGH to bowhunt in August. I’ve never seen a more alert, skittish, elusive, and living on springs, type of deer. They definitely tested my bowhunting wits several times. On Wednesday morning, this buck gave me a 24 yard opportunity, quartering away. At the shot, the buck spun quickly and the arrow entered the rear hind quarter, breaking his femur, entering his chest cavity, and stopping on his opposite side shoulder. He went about 100 yards and was down.
My long quest to take a Coues buck with my bow was over…..not a big one mind you (about 65” as is), but a nice representative that I’m happy with. He really had some growing to do, and Steven guessed he’d be about an 80” 4x4 (counting browtines) once completed……either way, a beautiful deer in my opinion. Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading.
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Packing him out:
http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd3/BOHNTR/P1030273.jpg " alt="" />
I’ve never dedicated a bowhunt for Coues deer and have always wanted to try for one. I’ve heard they are extremely difficult to get with a bow and arrow, so I decided to turn in my CO tag and chase some velvet clad Coues bucks since I already had a tag left over from my January hunt.
I contacted a buddy from Arizona (I know from P&Y) and he was up for my challenge. So Steven and I headed into the desert mountains of S/E Arizona in search of the gray ghost. I wasn’t going to be too picky on this hunt, as I really wanted to match wits with this specie of deer and get one. If I was to take a P&Y caliber buck (70") than it would just be icing on the cake.
The first few days were HOT (low 90's)……even at 5000’ elevation. I saw lots of deer a day (30-50) and a couple of dandies. What I didn’t realize, was these deer in this region don’t shed their velvet until late September, so they were still growing. With that in mind, I glassed up a GIANT buck late one evening that didn’t afford time for a stalk. This buck, once finished, may push the 120” mark, which is well above the B&C minimum of 110”. Here’s a photo of him taken through my spotting scope:
After four days of chasing these deer and two blown stalks……one of which I missed a pretty good buck but arrowed a perfectly placed unseen oak tree twig :), I was ready for some “BOHNTR luck”. I must say, these deer are TOUGH to bowhunt in August. I’ve never seen a more alert, skittish, elusive, and living on springs, type of deer. They definitely tested my bowhunting wits several times. On Wednesday morning, this buck gave me a 24 yard opportunity, quartering away. At the shot, the buck spun quickly and the arrow entered the rear hind quarter, breaking his femur, entering his chest cavity, and stopping on his opposite side shoulder. He went about 100 yards and was down.
My long quest to take a Coues buck with my bow was over…..not a big one mind you (about 65” as is), but a nice representative that I’m happy with. He really had some growing to do, and Steven guessed he’d be about an 80” 4x4 (counting browtines) once completed……either way, a beautiful deer in my opinion. Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading.
Packing him out:
16,715
Quite the accomplishment for sure with your bow, if anyone can you do it...clearly you can.
Any other Mule Deer hunts lined up, got to admit I was excited to hear the CO report. Maybe next year.
2 stalks in 4 days, it sounds like you pick your stalks very carefully. Smart, instead of ramblin around wasting energy. I need to take notes for my next hunt.
It isn't really that they take so long to grow, it's that they start so much later than elk and mule deer. I commonly see Coues bucks still wearing their antlers in late May. Since they shed so late, they start growing later and shed velvet later. Their rut is also later, usually peaking in the first or second weekend in January in most of their territory.
Marvin
You can only kill one deer per year in Arizona, so if you kill a deer in January, you may not enter the drawing for an additional deer tag for the Fall season. You can, however, apply for a deer bonus point only.
Lastly, let's say you buy an AO tag in January and are NOT successful. You can enter the drawing and conceivably draw a coveted tag and go on that hunt. However, if you kill a deer with your drawn tag, your archery only tag is no longer good, as your one allotted deer has been taken for the calendar year.
Hope that makes sense.......