First Coues Hunt Questions

[Keener22]

I'm looking for some advice on my first Coues tag. I hold a FAD tag for SW NM during the second rifle hunt, 11/12-11/16. I work in this unit, so I have pretty extensive knowledge of access, property lines, etc. I have identified an area that I can access that is surrounded by private. If this area doesn't get hit during the first few seasons this fall, I think it can be very productive. I have seen deer (both does and all age classes of bucks) both in person and on camera here, during all times of the year and day. This area isn't your typical Coronado NF terrain with thick oak brush. Think of it more as mesquite and yucca country, with mostly open and barren steep mountains with some cliffs mixed in.

I have identified where the deer are, and it seems like general consensus is that you can find them anywhere once you've identified where they hang out. I've hunted mulies before in Northern NM and WY but have no Coues experience at all, so I have some more specific questions to hopefully make my time scouting and hunting more efficient and effective.

Where should I be glassing to "target" specific areas? South facing when cold, north facing when hot? Is there a specific terrain angle or feature that the deer will prefer if and when available?

Clearly, Coues enjoy the cover from Oak brush. However, where and what is their preferred forage? How will this change throughout the season? As monsoon season subsides and things begin to dry, how important is finding/hunting water and will they frequent large sources or prefer small puddles and seeps? Will they travel far to reach this forage/water or can I expect them stay within a small radius?

How easily will hunting pressure push and move a mature Coues buck? How close will bucks be to does in the time of year I am hunting? Will they be in bachelor groups?

If I find these deer from now until my hunt, how will their behavior change from now until then (if no/little pressure is applied)? Can I expect them to move much or even tighten their home range?

I would appreciate any and all advice!

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

They will forage on mesquite leaves/bark, barrel cactus fruit, prickly pear cactus fruit, if there are mature oaks they will eat the acorns and leaves they can reach. I’ve also seen them munch on the patches of dry grass. They love the limestone in the canyons and drink that water daily, and lick the limestone almost like salt licks.

Weather and time of year will depend on where they are (north facing versus south) get to knobs or areas where you can glass both. Don’t ignore the afternoon lull! Stay on the glass.

If does aren’t cycling on an earlier hunt the bucks I’ve seen tend to be in groups. If they have been pressured hard they will either go up high to the tops of the peaks or slink down into the flats where the mule deer live (this pertains more to Arizona, not as familiar with NM).

One particular group of bucks I found were bouncing back and forth between the south and north sides of the top of a saddle. Coming out before first lite and bedding within 20-30 minutes of first shooting light. They waited to come out until almost dark and stayed way up at the tops.

This is the same for the deer that I find down in the flats. Hiding in the ocotillos and mesquites and getting real stealthy. Pressure has them on edge, and they are already very skittish little deer.

You’ll find them by catching movement and not always seeing a full bodied deer. Look for ear flickers, head shakes, and they tend to lick themselves a lot while lying down. They’ll use their back legs to itch their heads and ears, be on the lookout for that movement.

Rut hunt is a whole other ballgame but strategy can either be very similar or complete different.

If you are into herds that aren’t pressured (hard to find) they will be more comfortable. I’ve found that bucks in particular tend to live within the same little areas their entire lives. They will venture out for the rut but tend to come right back to “home”. If you are into bucks or a nice buck, don’t give up on them, even if you see them one day and then not see them for a couple days. They are so much harder to glass up than any other deer, they are most likely still in there. I’d say a fair number is they live in the same 650 yard square for just about their entire life.

Shoot me a PM anytime and I can provide more info.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Jay Scott has a ton of coues specific podcasts that can really shorten the learning curve, I’d check those out.

 

[Keener22]

They will forage on mesquite leaves/bark, barrel cactus fruit, prickly pear cactus fruit, if there are mature oaks they will eat the acorns and leaves they can reach. I’ve also seen them munch on the patches of dry grass. They love the limestone in the canyons and drink that water daily, and lick the limestone almost like salt licks.

Weather and time of year will depend on where they are (north facing versus south) get to knobs or areas where you can glass both. Don’t ignore the afternoon lull! Stay on the glass.

If does aren’t cycling on an earlier hunt the bucks I’ve seen tend to be in groups. If they have been pressured hard they will either go up high to the tops of the peaks or slink down into the flats where the mule deer live (this pertains more to Arizona, not as familiar with NM).

One particular group of bucks I found were bouncing back and forth between the south and north sides of the top of a saddle. Coming out before first lite and bedding within 20-30 minutes of first shooting light. They waited to come out until almost dark and stayed way up at the tops.

This is the same for the deer that I find down in the flats. Hiding in the ocotillos and mesquites and getting real stealthy. Pressure has them on edge, and they are already very skittish little deer.

You’ll find them by catching movement and not always seeing a full bodied deer. Look for ear flickers, head shakes, and they tend to lick themselves a lot while lying down. They’ll use their back legs to itch their heads and ears, be on the lookout for that movement.

Rut hunt is a whole other ballgame but strategy can either be very similar or complete different.

If you are into herds that aren’t pressured (hard to find) they will be more comfortable. I’ve found that bucks in particular tend to live within the same little areas their entire lives. They will venture out for the rut but tend to come right back to “home”. If you are into bucks or a nice buck, don’t give up on them, even if you see them one day and then not see them for a couple days. They are so much harder to glass up than any other deer, they are most likely still in there. I’d say a fair number is they live in the same 650 yard square for just about their entire life.

Shoot me a PM anytime and I can provide more info.

I tried to shoot you a pm to thank you for all the info but it won’t let me for some reason. Thank you, this will be a huge help and I can reference back to it when I’m stumped out there.

 

[Keener22]

Jay Scott has a ton of coues specific podcasts that can really shorten the learning curve, I’d check those out.

I recently found his podcast and Instagram and there is definitely a ton of good info he’s putting out

 

[trophyhill]

I'm looking for some advice on my first Coues tag. I hold a FAD tag for SW NM during the second rifle hunt, 11/12-11/16. I work in this unit, so I have pretty extensive knowledge of access, property lines, etc. I have identified an area that I can access that is surrounded by private. If this area doesn't get hit during the first few seasons this fall, I think it can be very productive. I have seen deer (both does and all age classes of bucks) both in person and on camera here, during all times of the year and day. This area isn't your typical Coronado NF terrain with thick oak brush. Think of it more as mesquite and yucca country, with mostly open and barren steep mountains with some cliffs mixed in.

I have identified where the deer are, and it seems like general consensus is that you can find them anywhere once you've identified where they hang out. I've hunted mulies before in Northern NM and WY but have no Coues experience at all, so I have some more specific questions to hopefully make my time scouting and hunting more efficient and effective.

Where should I be glassing to "target" specific areas? South facing when cold, north facing when hot? Is there a specific terrain angle or feature that the deer will prefer if and when available?

Clearly, Coues enjoy the cover from Oak brush. However, where and what is their preferred forage? How will this change throughout the season? As monsoon season subsides and things begin to dry, how important is finding/hunting water and will they frequent large sources or prefer small puddles and seeps? Will they travel far to reach this forage/water or can I expect them stay within a small radius?

How easily will hunting pressure push and move a mature Coues buck? How close will bucks be to does in the time of year I am hunting? Will they be in bachelor groups?

If I find these deer from now until my hunt, how will their behavior change from now until then (if no/little pressure is applied)? Can I expect them to move much or even tighten their home range?

I would appreciate any and all advice!

Did you kill one?

 

[Keener22]

Did you kill one?

Unfortunately I did not. I actually had located a nice Muley buck prior to the hunt so I focused on him. The unit I was in is very limited on Coues, and the access is really difficult.

I’ll be more focused on them going forward, and this spring I’ll be adding AZ to my application strategy.