AZ Coues

[Bighorn191]

Just got back from my first ever Coues hunt. The hunt took place in a more northern unit in AZ (sshhhh, don't want anyone to know which one cuz I want to go back asap). What a blast to hunt this tiny deer! Only saw maybe 1-2 bucks a day and glassed the living heck out of the country with my 15x56 Swaro's. Saw 2 mountain lions bedded in a draw one day, enjoying the sun - was wishing I had a tag cuz I was gonna stretch the barrel on my .257. Saw lots of Javelina, mule deer, saguaro, ochotillo, and quite a few Coues does.

Anyway, for all you guys who never thought you would be want to hunt a Coues, you should try it - it's a lot like sheep hunting. Very rough country and there's a few setups a day where you glass from. Tons of glassing so you gotta be willing to sit for several hours in one place and you gotta have good optics.

These deer are beautiful beyond compare - tiny faces with long eyelashes, gorgeous gray color, very incredible looking deer!

Merry Christmas everyone...

 

[AZ402]

Beautiful buck and a cool lion pic! Congrats!!

 

[HUNTMAN]

Thats a great deer. Congrats . Now go buy a lion tag and test out that 257.

 

[buck23]

Great lookin buck,congrats.Hunted Arizona once myself,saw plenty of lion tracks but no hide.Neat place to hunt.

 

[rmyoung1]

Congrats! That's a beautiful Coues buck (and the picture of the lion is awesome). I have been thinking about burning my AZ points on a Coues deer since the limited mule deer tags are pretty much out of my reach. That sounds like fun.

 

[redline410]

Beautiful buck Bighorn big time congratulations. and the lion picture- ridiculously cool.....

 

[Oak]

Great buck!

The only time I hunted Coues I glassed up a lion as well. Would maybe be worth having a tag in hand for anyone deer hunting down there.

 

[greatbasin]

Ya, that's on my short list...good job, congrats!

 

[AZ Ron]

Congrats on a great buck! Good job spotting the lion too!

Ron

 

[elk_hunter]

Outstanding! Sounds like you had a blast! Fantastic buck too!

 

[huntbux]

Great pic of the lion, and a beautiful buck. Congrats

 

[Big luke1981]

Great buck, Congrats.

 

[Big Fin]

That is very cool. Congrats on a great buck. I have only seen one lion while out hunting and thought that was a special treat. Would be cool to see two of them in one hunt.

You guys are putting that hunt very high up my list. I have some AZ deer points. It would be warmer in AZ in December than it is in MT. It would lessen the schedule cramping of fitting everything into Sep-Nov. And, it just looks like a ton of fun. Yup, that needs to happen soon.

Got an AZ friend who has been hounding me to do this hunt for years. Thinking that since the AK hnut for the year will be moose, the Sitka Blacktail is moving further down the list and the AZ Coues is moving up the list.

 

[highmountian]

Big buck, plus a lion. Congrats on the trip, it looks like it was a blast.

 

[AZ Ron]

You guys are putting that hunt very high up my list. I have some AZ deer points. It would be warmer in AZ in December than it is in MT. It would lessen the schedule cramping of fitting everything into Sep-Nov. And, it just looks like a ton of fun. Yup, that needs to happen soon.

Not trying to hijack this thread, but Randy there is no reason to burn any points and spread your season out a little more by doing a Dec or Jan archery deer hunt. You could do coues and/or mule deer in many units and the archery hunt is over the counter.

Then again, maybe you shouldn't. AZ might get busier in Dec and Jan once people saw the opportunity that is here...

If you did use points on a Dec rifle coues hunt it would be a heck of a hunt!

Ron

 

[fishing4sanity]

For the little I know about coues deer that looks like a great buck, plus seeing 2 cougars, congrats!

 

[Bighorn191]

I know that once guys start realizing that they will never draw a Strip tag for mule deer without max points in AZ, the Coues hunts become a very viable option. I never really had the Strip in my mind because I live in one of the best mule deer states in the west. The Coues deer attraction should be for the hunt itself - they do not have big antlers at all - even a giant Coues will be pale to the biggest mulie or whitetail. But the hunt itself is awesome - very challenging! Coues hunting is a very different experience and one that should be tried to round out the types of country you can hunt in the western US. I hope to hunt Coues again and I don't think I'll be going to Chihuahua to do it - just the good o'l USA.

 

[Big Fin]

Not trying to hijack this thread, but Randy there is no reason to burn any points and spread your season out a little more by doing a Dec or Jan archery deer hunt. You could do coues and/or mule deer in many units and the archery hunt is over the counter.

Then again, maybe you shouldn't. AZ might get busier in Dec and Jan once people saw the opportunity that is here...

If you did use points on a Dec rifle coues hunt it would be a heck of a hunt!

Ron

You are right, Ron. But for me, I am limited to the number of archeyr hunts I can do. Just the way we have agreed to do things with sponsors. So, if I do AZ deer, it will be rifle and most likely Coues deer. Still some of those tags can be had as left overs, just not the rut hunts.

Burned my AZ deer points in 2007 to hunt 13A. So, that was one shot in life to hunt the Strip. Was worth every bit of it.

If I were to shoot a Coues like BIghorn or, AZ402 shot, I would be doing cartwheels and monkey flips.

 

[Caleb_The_Carnivore]

that is aweome... way cool

 

[hardwoods]

Congrats on a beautiful buck!! Not many people get a chance to see a cougar in the wild - let alone 2!!