Coues Deer

[Shangobango]

I am getting ready for my first Coues hunt this fall. Drew an October Coues tag in Arizona. I am devouring everything I can find on Coues as well as the area I will be hunting.

I didn’t see a very recent thread on Coues and have been through pretty much everything I can find on here.


Over half the fun is figuring it out so I really only have a general question. From what I have read and heard Coues is a glassing and scouting game first and foremost. My plan is to fly out on labor day weekend simply to drive and hike a bit to get a preliminary look at the area and narrow down a few general areas to concentrate come October and verify some potential water sources. For October, I will have 4 full days to scout and glass prior to the hunt as well as the entire length of the hunt. I wish I could do more but a fellow only has so much PTO and I also have a farm to think of.

Am I on the right track here?

 

[bigsky2]

Sounds like a solid plan to me.

 

[Lmartin5]

Following...good luck on the hunt!

 

[Bigjay73]

Depends on the terrain. Are you hunting high desert, or in the pines?

 

[Shangobango]

Depends on the terrain. Are you hunting high desert, or in the pines?

Haven’t decided. Leaning towards high desert just because I have spent almost zero time in that type of country and ai have spent a bit of time in the pines. Chaparral/Juniper 4000’-5500’ is what have mostly been looking at. Definitely want to check out some of the pine country just below the rim at some point too though. Almost have enough elk points to draw late rifle in the same area.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

I once lived near Tucson, Cous Deer and Cat-Claw country, They go together like peas and carrots. I was then teaching high school biology. The first year I had not met my residency requirement and after that I was up against ridiculous odds with no points.

Still prior to each season i did my scouting and hunt planning just for fun. I never used a spotting scope, just kept going around the catclaw maize and seeing where large deer tracks went in and out.

I had some nippers and followed the tracks/trails. to bedding sites. looked around to any high point outside where I could see in for a shot, and also cleared some internal trails for still hunting.

Every year I did a few "practice hunts" right after the season closed without a rifle and always, I could have taken a decent buck.

 

[BOHNTR]

Depending on the unit and elevation you’re at, Labor Day can/will still be hot. Find a good glassing location and sit there longer than you think you should. Let your eyes do most the walking.

Like most hunts, the first hour in the morning and the last hour of light will be good for Coues movement. Try and locate water sources in the area and continually check for sign. They will water in the middle of the day….10-2. Here in Arizona, you cannot use trail cameras for hunting purposes so no go there. Good luck and have fun. They’re a cool little deer to hunt. I bowhunt them often.

 

[antlerradar]

Not going to give any, pointers on this one. I have never been to coues country.
Good luck to you. Sounds like an adventure.

 

[Hammsolo]

Stoked for updates!

 

[jpc01101]

That sounds like a solid plan. Good chance you have one patterned and ready to go opening morning given that much scouting time. They don’t go far, small home range (at least when not rutting and they won’t be for your tag)

 

[glass eye]

I’m no coues expert but oftentimes I would find them near javelinas in the middle of ocotillo thickets.
My guess is that they use each other and the ocotillo thickets as protection against lions.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

Ocotillo leaves are a major food source for Arizona Cous deer and desert mule deer also called Burro-Deer because their ears are so big,,,they act as radiators to help cool their blood down. Javelina don't eat the Ocotillo much but like the shade and yes you are right, protection from lions too.

For decades I easily got tags for Desert Burro deer every year. Often when glassing I saw them in patches of Ocotillos.

My first rifle for such hunting was a Remington 722 in .257 Roberts. I then went to a .270 but settled on a 6.5x55 Swede in a model 70 Featherweight.

Hunting in those Sky Islands is "almost heaven.

At some point so many hunters wanted to do that and the drawings began. Slim chance to draw a tag now for either type of desert deer.

I really am glad i had so many of those hunts basically upon request.

 

[toad face]

They’re harder to see than mule deer. Other than that they’re not hard to hunt.

 

[Point Creep]

I’ve only heard it’s a big glassing game for coues deer. I sat water for elk in 23N last September. It’s also a good coues area. Both times I sat during day, real nice bucks came in. During the heat of the day. If I were headed that way, I’d glass early and late and sit in a blind during mid day.

 

[.270]

That's a pretty good plan, coues deer hunting is all about glassing — you have to find the little buggers first. A solid tripod and a glassing pad make a huge difference for long sessions. Most guys run 15x56s, but they aren’t mandatory. What is mandatory is good‑quality glass you can look through all day without getting smoked.

Coues are most active at first and last light, so being set up before sunrise is key. They’ll still move during the day, usually just to change beds or grab a quick snack, but they’re only up for a minute or two. That’s why you glass all day if you can. It’s still hot in October, so bring plenty of water and keep yourself covered.

In October the bucks are usually still running together, so if you find one, there’s a good chance more are nearby. The only hunt before October is the youth rifle hunt, so they haven’t had much pressure yet. If you find deer in September, odds are they’ll still be in the same general area — but relocating them can be a challenge. Coues don’t move far, they just move smart.

I’ve had bucks patterned for the youth hunt before — same general hillside, same pockets, watched them for a couple weeks leading up to the opener. Come opening day… gone. It took five days of grinding to glass them back up. Coues don’t move far, but they’ll shift just enough to make you feel like they vanished into thin air.