Coues Deer

[toad face]

Some people find these extremely refreshing and a good way to relax.

Maybe start there.
View attachment 411946

I’m not old enough yet

 

[INMT]

 

[Shangobango]

Well, the mail lady dropped off “Deer of the Southwest” by Jim Heffelfinger today. Excited as a kid at Christmas to get started on it this evening.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

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.

I have in front of me a book written by a man who surely was an expert on Cous deer. The book is the 1939 "Game in the Desert' written by Jack Oconnor.

Chapter 4 is "The Elf of the Brush country" The Arizona Whitetail. This was long before spotting scopes and long range rifles.

Were I ever to have a tag for these deer, I would do as Jack did. Go onto the edge of the brush near heavily used game trails with a pair of 6x30 binoculars and a rifle with a very low-powered scope

 

[Zellhouse]

Hunted one of the border units last December. Hadn't been in this particular unit since '99. Passed on the smaller 2-3 points during the 6 days & went home empty handed. Heard from others during the hunt that no one was seeing any respectable bucks. Glassed from vantage points in several parts of this unit. Scouting consisted of finding good vantage points & glassing during early morning & late afternoon. (Days spent scouting equaled days hunting). We knew what we were going into. Hope you are able to have better success.

 

[Elmacho]

Send me a PM with some of your details, Ill try to help ya out.

 

[Shangobango]

Figured I would post up some scouting pics. Made a quick trip, landed yesterday, fly home tomorrow afternoon. Main point of the trip is familiarization and ground truthing some access points, lay of the land, etc. I think that is mule deer scat but what do I know besides that it came from some kind of deer lol. The pellets seem too big for Coues, at least to my feeble brain. Doing another 3 miles or so in a different area tomorrow and then hauling butt to Phoenix to get on a plane.

 

[Shangobango]

Send me a PM with some of your details, Ill try to help ya out.

Haven’t been online in a while. Kinda got out of the habit. PM headed your way.

 

[Shangobango]

Hunted one of the border units last December. Hadn't been in this particular unit since '99. Passed on the smaller 2-3 points during the 6 days & went home empty handed. Heard from others during the hunt that no one was seeing any respectable bucks. Glassed from vantage points in several parts of this unit. Scouting consisted of finding good vantage points & glassing during early morning & late afternoon. (Days spent scouting equaled days hunting). We knew what we were going into. Hope you are able to have better success.

Appreciate it.

I am not going to be super picky but I doubt I will shoot one that isn’t a 4 unless he is obviously mature and just doesn’t have the headgear to show for it. Time will tell though.

I won’t be super disappointed if I go home empty handed. Kind of determined just to enjoy learning some new country and about Coues in general.

 

[rustednuts]

You’re too high of elevation for the area you are in. DM and I can give you some better spots to look in. In October the bucks home range will be less than a square mile. If you are seeing does you need to get into more rugged country. Deer will be active the first hour but keep glassing till lunch as you can catch them changing beds to stay in shade. Jay Scott has some great videos and stories on glassing for coues deer.

 

[Shangobango]

You’re too high of elevation for the area you are in. DM and I can give you some better spots to look in. In October the bucks home range will be less than a square mile. If you are seeing does you need to get into more rugged country. Deer will be active the first hour but keep glassing till lunch as you can catch them changing beds to stay in shade. Jay Scott has some great videos and stories on glassing for coues deer.

DM incoming.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

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?

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?

Did you fly out on Labor day, If so, how did it go?