Mulies or Coues in AZ??????

[Blackcats06]

I was just watching Randy's Kaibab hunt on Amazon Prime yesterday and the above seems really true. Honestly I saw the title of the episode and I thought I was going to see a monster taken by either Randy or his buddy. Now, Randy could have filled his tag with a buck if he wanted, but they didn't see a single buck that either of them considered a shooter. And they were hunting a "glory tag" as Randy called it.

After hunting the Kaibab a few times and believing I know where they hunted, they certainly didn't hunt where the majority of the deer are during that hunt. I believe they hunted where they did to get away from the number of hunters, which is understandable. I had the hunt they did in 2009 and saw 3-5 bucks every day bigger than the biggest they show in that video. I believe they were on the early hunt, which is not the glory tag compared the late hunt.

To answer the original question, I would pick up left over coues tags and hunt them until you decide if you like hunting them or not. Even the late coues tags are not in the rut, the main rut is more like Jan 12. So if you compare the late kaibab which is in the rut to a late coues that is not in the rut I'll take the kaibab every time.

 

[junior88]

PM sent

 

[Flatrock]

Thanks for the input fellas and the PMs. I might not do the December coues hunt and instead burn my points on a mule deer hunt in the next few years. Then after that, I'd try and hunt coues every few years. I still don't think it's worth it to hold out for the late 12 or 13 tags. What a massive disappointment that would be if I never even drew.

 

[AZBridger]

Use your points on a good muley tag. Coues tags can readily be drawn. Late december coues hunts are cool and all but honestly, other than less pressure and a longer season, they really aren’t any better. A lot of seasoned coues hunters, including myself, prefer the early hunts because the bucks are still in their summer routine and much easier to pattern. Also, by the time thelate December hunt rolls around, those deer have been hunted for 2 months straight. Keep applying for mule deer and if the coues itch is really bugging you, you can usually pick up a leftover rifle tag.

 

[okie archer]

Okie, if you look at coues deer by just their antler size then I can see why you won't get excited from your Oklahoma whitetail. To put in some perspective a 70" coues deer is a Pope and Young buck while it takes 125" for a whitetail to make book. The size of the antlers or the deer doesn't make coues deer hunting addicting, it is the challenge of the hunt. Finding this little elusive deer in the desert is challenging enough, they don't call them the grey ghost for nothing, and then being able to close to distance to seal the deal is pretty rewarding. I think you just have to try it to understand how much fun it is to hunt these grey ghost.

Im not knocking anyone for hunting Couse deer, by all means hunt whatever animal flips your switch. I was just expressing my personal opinion and what hunting Couse deer would be like from my perspective. I drew a 6a Az early archery tag in 2016. I stumbled into what I guess would be a very nice Couse buck. For fun I stalked to within about 80 yards of the buck before he left. Still from my perspective all I really saw was a dink whitetail. But the n again it doesn't do much for me but if it does for others so be it.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Javelina and Coues/Muleys in Jan OTC...Go getm'!
Just dodge the Snowbirds on ATC/ATV's
Too many to count!