azdesertrat
Well-Known Member
may into early june results posted by mid july usualy
I Want To Hunt Coues For The 1st Time - What Should I Do First?
- Thread starter Rhino Hunter
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Rhino Hunter
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No worries...26. The more posts the merrier.
azdesertrat
Well-Known Member
with our draw sytem its says choices 1-5 but think of it more like two 1st choices two 2nd choices and one 3rd. so like first two choices if you put in a hard to draw unit and a high draw unit youll always draw the one with the higher draw rate
Plinker147
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If your want to go for a 1 and done type hunt I would advise save your money and go to Mexico. Coues hunting there is heads and tails better than the U.S. When I went I passed up 100 in Coues everyday looking for giants. In the US you will hunt hard and several years to get a 100+ in Coues.
If you are wanting DIY, plan in your head its going to take more than one trip to learn to hunt and get a quality deer. Its all about glassing and shooting. Quality glass is a must.
257. WBY is a great Coues gun, I've killed several with 25-06.
If you are wanting DIY, plan in your head its going to take more than one trip to learn to hunt and get a quality deer. Its all about glassing and shooting. Quality glass is a must.
257. WBY is a great Coues gun, I've killed several with 25-06.
Rhino Hunter
Well-Known Member
NICE!
Would you recommend your Mexican Outfitter? "Roughly" what would a hunt like that cost?
RH, the choice hunts here in Az are in December during the Coues rut. Coues are spreading further around Az, units I saw one or two in a week now seeing 3-5 a day when glassing. Your spotting scope will be your friend as well as that .257WBY. Good luck
Plinker147
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Around 5K, might find some for 4K. Lots of good outfitters just need to research. The one I went with doesn't outfit anymore.
Coues is the only deer we hunt unless we don't draw a tag and go archery mule deer. We saw right at 50 bucks during our hunt this year but did not find what we were looking for so we didn't take a shot. I recommend 15 x 50-56 binos (Swarovski/Leica) that can mount to a tripod. Most common cartridges will be fine but you need to know the ballistics and environmental factors because shots over 500 yardsnarenthennorm
Sorry I cut that off.
Are the norm. We spend more than we should on good glass but reliable success depends on it.
You will need a good amount of time to scout prior to the hunt or will spend too much unnecessary time glassing areas with lower/smaller buck populations. Once you locate the bucks they normally won't venture far from where you located them but may lay down in some brush the entire day and are basically invisible. You glass for hours looking for any movement (ear, rail or antler) in the grass or scrub oak. Nothing more satisfying then locating and taking that 110 or larger buck you located during preseason scouting. They are small so one person can pack one out but two hunters makes it much nicer. Coues bucks generally hang out on the upper 1/3 of the hill they are on but offen move down to the flats once the hunts start. Little or no chance to take one brushed-up in the flats. You will need a range finder that is rated to 1000 yards so it will reliably work out to 800. Normally you will see them moving just after the sun comes up or near sundown. Not much happening during mid-day but you can find them laying under juniper trees occasionally. Thy are generally found in higher desert elevations above about 5000 feet or in the pine forests. We always put in for the hunt we want as the first choice and one the has a normally high draw rate as 2nd choice. In az, you can put down 5 choice but after the first two choices are unsuccessful you go back into the draw; so basically you get two choices and a very slim chance at your 3 additional choices.
No better hunting than coues deer but it takes some practice a familiarity with hunting locations. Best of luck and enjoy
coues1
Active Member
Coues deer hunting is probably my favorite hunt. We have hunted and guided for them in AZ and Mexico for almost 20 years. Biggest difference between AZ and Mexico is the quality of bucks and hunting experience. AZ hunts can be a rat race sometimes due high tag numbers. There are some quality bucks to be had but you have to work for them. Early hunts in AZ (Oct/Nov) can be easy to draw but they typically have lots of tags. Temperatures can be hot so be prepared. Scouting is the key. December hunts have fewer tags with nicer temps but the draw odds are tough. Mexico hunts offer guaranteed tags and typically a better hunting experience. Mature bucks are more plentiful due to less hunting pressure. Any flat shooting caliber will be just fine. Most shots are 300-500 yards.
Pic is of my sons AZ coues buck from this year.
Darr Colburn
Colburn and Scott Outfitters
Pic is of my sons AZ coues buck from this year.
Darr Colburn
Colburn and Scott Outfitters
Rhino Hunter
Well-Known Member
JTB & coues1,
Thank you both for your detailed posts and sharing your experiences. It's truly appreciated!
Thank you both for your detailed posts and sharing your experiences. It's truly appreciated!
Lived and hunted in Tucson for Coues about 10 years ago, now in Michigan as well. Most everything you need to know has been covered already. A guide really isn't necessary depending on the quality of buck your looking for. I used to spend all year scouting but its not necessary, I enjoyed it. Drive up a mountain and pick a high point overlooking canyons and plan on spending time behind quality glass, morning and evening. If at all possible stretch your shooting capabilities out to 800 yards, (good luck finding a range that far in Michigan). You can stalk in closer on them but the further you can shoot the easier your hunt success may be. Best of luck, they're a fun hunt.
Buckfever34
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I saw a few last year while mule deer hunting in New Mexico....neat little skittish critters!
There is alot of good info in these posts. First step is deciding what type of hunt you are looking to have. Guided or unguided and what type of buck you are looking for. If you decide diy and need help navigating the game and fish info. I can help you with that.
