2013 S. Az Coues Hunt

[dalbo]

I'm all packed up and ready to head down south at 0-dark-30. The hunt started this morning, it was a struggle to make it through work today. I plan to stay down there till the end of the hunt on Thursday.

I'll try to post some updates and pics from the field if I get a chance.

 

[pointingdogsrule]

good luck

good luck to all
the dog

 

[chuckyd313]

Good luck dalbo south of globe the day you get back chasing the same thing.

 

[big28hunter]

Best of luck! Save one for me I'll be hunting them for the first time 11-8-13. Good huntin'

 

[dalbo]

Thanks everyone for wishing me luck, I can always use it.

Updates from the field didn't work out since I was in a dead zone. So here's the rundown.

I had a later start than I wanted Saturday morning and didn't find a good campsite until almost 10am. It was pretty warm so I decided to get camp setup instead of hunting that morning.

The original spot I wanted to camp was occupied and there were three other big camps right around that intersection. It messed up my plan-A for hunting the big steep ridge behind that area. I ended up about a mile down the road and planned on hunting other spots until those guys left later in the week.

Saturday afternoon I climbed a hill behind camp and settled behind the binos to glass a huge canyon. I spotted one buck bee lining down the ridge on the opposite side about 3/4 miles away. I lost sight of him due to trees below me, I repositioned to small bench further down the hill but was unable to pick him up again.

Later that night I thought I was going to have to shoot my way out of my tent. Just after 10 I'd settled into my sleeping bag and I heard something moving outside the tent, I listened closer and heard another rustle and began fighting to get out of my sleeping bag to grab my pistol and flashlight. At that point all hell broke loose, it sounded like 20 illegals were running up the 2-track next to my tent. My heart was beating out of my chest. All of a sudden I realized what was really going on.

It wasn't illegals, it was the three horses I'd seen wandering around next to the ranch up the road. I guess I spooked them when I was getting out of my bag, boy do they make a racket when they run up a rocky road.

Too bad you can't un-crap your pants (figuratively), it took a while to fall back to sleep after that.

Sunday morning I still hunted the thicker area in front of camp that consists of shallow grassy draws that end in small broken canyons. I glassed up one spike and a group of does. I passed on the buck in hopes I could keep him in my back pocket for later in the hunt. That afternoon I found a better access route into the big canyon behind camp. there's an old mining road that drops in there. It's not fit for anything but walking or maybe a quad. It sure beat trying to bushwack in and out of there from camp in the dark.

I found a dirt tank down in the bottom so I watched that till dark and had a few does come in to drink but no bucks. I also spotted a windmill about a mile down canyon so I made a mental note of it for later in the hunt.

My brother came in that night, he had one day to help me out before he had to go back to work. Monday morning I took him to the area I killed my deer last year. It was really busy compared to last year, lots of camps and people around. We did see a few groups of does and one button buck. I decided to try back there later in the week once the crowds thinned out.

Monday afternoon we left camp early to make our way into the canyon and check out the windmill area. It was pretty early, a little after 2pm I was looking at tracks in the mud and checking out the windmill and trough. My brother grabbed me and said there's a buck right there on the hill. I found the buck in my binos and could see through the brush that he was bigger than a fork horn. It didn't take me long to make up my mind as he probably wasn't going to stick around much longer. I threw my gun up and made a good shot with the 257 Wby. The buck scrambled about 10 yards and piled up.

I'm glad my brother was with me, I probably wouldn't have gotten a shot if he hadn't spotted the buck, I got to show him the boneless cleaning method and I was especially glad he was there to pack my rifle and some of the meat for me. Even carrying a small coues buck up and out of that canyon was no joke.

I was back home and had my meat dropped off at the processor by Tuesday afternoon.

Plan-A didn't work out but it turned out to be a great hunt.

 

[Summitthunting]

Looks like a great hunt, the horse story is hilarious.

 

[dalbo]

Here are a few more pics from the hunt.

The horse is one of the culprits from Saturday night. The other two belong to the ranch and are in really good shape. I think this poor guy was a drug hauler and just pals around with the two from the ranch. Lots of times once the drug runners drop their loads they just turn the horses loose.

Here is a lucky mule shoe (I think) that I found next to camp.

The walking stick is a master of camouflage... unless it's on a tent.

 

[big28hunter]

Congrats on a beautiful trophy! Awesome.

 

[Monteman11]

Great stuff! Planning to give this hunt a go myself next year in one of the southern units!

 

[noharleyyet]

Nice ghost trophy story. Like the pics.

 

[mtlion]

Awesome. Coues is high on my bucket list, you're lucky they are so accessible for you.

 

[sbhooper]

That is a decent Couse deer. Many people don't realize how small they are and that a 3x3 is the standard antler configuration.

There is nothing like hunting the Coues deer. That was some of the more fun hunting that I have done.

Good job.

 

[big28hunter]

That is a decent Couse deer. Many people don't realize how small they are and that a 3x3 is the standard antler configuration.

There is nothing like hunting the Coues deer. That was some of the more fun hunting that I have done.

Good job.

I'd take one like that any day of the week.

 

[1_pointer]

Congrats! Looks like some very neat country to hunt for a very neat critter!

 

[dalbo]

Here is the skull from this year's hunt, sorry about the crappy cell pic. Anyway it came out pretty good.

 

[pointingdogsrule]

Great story and great hunt.

good luck to all
the dog

 

[sbhooper]

Good job on the skull.

 

[big28hunter]

Sure did! Very nice.

 

[Devil Diver Down]

Nice Coues buck! Glad your bro was there to spot him for you.

I've been working a similar buck in my archery pigalina unit and have been within 100 yards of him 3 times, inside 30 once when he busted out of his bedding spot but I couldn't put a shot on him. I'm pretty sure it's the same buck I saw last year when I was getting bested by swine in the same unit, same result. I can't decide whether I want to kill him bad enough to apply for a rifle tag in that unit, though.

 

[dalbo]

Thanks guys.

DDD a buck like that spot and stalk with archery gear would be a true trophy in my book.
Good luck if you are going to chase him the last few days of the season.

How much bigger do you think he will grow by the upcoming rifle season.