Late season Desert Tactics?

[Jtelarkin08]

Just wanted to make a thread to discuss what you look for when hunting mule deer or Coues Deer in Jan? I’m headed to AZ and I have some areas picked out. Just want to start a discussion about how the deer behave.

I know they will be rutting. But what type of terrain do you prefer to hunt? What food source will the does be keying in on that time of year? Anything that will help me out when doing my e scouting?




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[Maverick940]

For e scouting, look for various habitat and terrain types, and likely looking honey holes near metropolitan centers and far removed from metropolitan centers.

But in all seriousness, they'll be in the rut (mule deer) and in pre-rut (Coues deer). So, you're apt to find them anywhere, doing just about anything, at any time of the day or night. You'll find them from the desert floor (mule deer) to well above 7,000 feet (Coues deer) and everywhere in between (Coues deer and mule deer).

Your post was rather vague and without some specifics, it's hard to provide specific answers, but the previous two paragraphs pretty much sum things up, in general.

You won't have problems finding deer, that's for sure. There's enough of them around. Just park somewhere and start looking. You'll find them.

 

[wannakillabigbull]

Good stuff by Maverick. I will add that water is a must. I had a spot I hit in 2016 and 2017 that had tons and tons of muleys during January. I never went a day without at least spotting a buck. I had a bunch of close calls the first year and then a tweaked knee cut the second year short. But then this past January was super dry and the creek that always had water in it the previous two years was bone dry. Almost no deer all year and I only saw a couple bucks in there all of January.

Find a spot that you're confident has water or pick out a handful of different spots so that the odds of at least one of them having water is good.

 

[Jtelarkin08]

For e scouting, look for various habitat and terrain types, and likely looking honey holes near metropolitan centers and far removed from metropolitan centers.

But in all seriousness, they'll be in the rut (mule deer) and in pre-rut (Coues deer). So, you're apt to find them anywhere, doing just about anything, at any time of the day or night. You'll find them from the desert floor (mule deer) to well above 7,000 feet (Coues deer) and everywhere in between (Coues deer and mule deer).

Your post was rather vague and without some specifics, it's hard to provide specific answers, but the previous two paragraphs pretty much sum things up, in general.

You won't have problems finding deer, that's for sure. There's enough of them around. Just park somewhere and start looking. You'll find them.

Lol. I have two areas picked out. Both are burns 3-4 miles from any road.

One is high and has pine on the south side that mule deer seem to come out of and Coues Deer bed in the burn.

The other is a plateau around 6000 ft that was burnt and is surrounded by pinion juniper canyons. It has 4-5 water holes marked all round it in the canyons but I haven actually been there yet.

Sound pretty good?

I’m guessing most of the time will be glassing and finding a buck worth going after?


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[Maverick940]

Lol. I have two areas picked out. Both are burns 3-4 miles from any road.

One is high and has pine on the south side that mule deer seem to come out of and Coues Deer bed in the burn.

The other is a plateau around 6000 ft that was burnt and is surrounded by pinion juniper canyons. It has 4-5 water holes marked all round it in the canyons but I haven actually been there yet.

Sound pretty good?

I’m guessing most of the time will be glassing and finding a buck worth going after?


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By what you wrote, sounds like you have the deer already patterned at those locations.

 

[Jtelarkin08]

By what you wrote, sounds like you have the deer already patterned at those locations.

Lol well I have a buddy that hunted the first spot last year and saw a ton of deer. The second spot I found on google earth and looks good but I have no clue if there are any deer there.

I am just kinda curious what the deer eat that time of year. And if they prefer south facing slopes? Are they in the canyons or on the ridges? I guess it’s probably different everywhere. I’ve just never hunted desert deer.


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[Maverick940]

Their diets somewhat vary from one unit to the next, depending on which sub-specie of mule deer and what particular localized group of Coues deer. Basically speaking, in mid winter, they tend to gravitate towards mahogany and "buck brush", but they will scrounge for nuts and beans, too. There's not much for cactus that their interested in, during mid winter. If it's cold-cold, they like south facing (who doesn't?!!) and especially if the snow is deep.

 

[Bubblehide]

Some cactus bloom that time of year, those Cows deer love those blooms.

 

[nexus]

Glass, glass, and more glass. Don't look for a deer figure, look for a rabbit. Look for detail and small movement, they are significantly harder to spot than mule deer.

 

[Maverick940]

Some cactus bloom that time of year, those Cows deer love those blooms.

And which cactus are those, that bloom in late November and early December? (lol)

 

[Jtelarkin08]

For glassing that desert country do you guys recommend 15s or a spotter Togo among with my 10x42s?


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[Maverick940]

In Arizona, I use a 20x56 binocular and a 10x42 binocular for glassing purposes, with a 20-60x spotting scope for trophy evaluation.

 

[Catahoula]

In all my years living in Arizona (30+) I’ve always been partial to using 10x42s or currently I use 8x42s along with my spotter in tow. I personally like using an 8x42 binocs for FOV purposes. Just an opinion.

 

[Maverick940]

In all my years living in Arizona (30+) I’ve always been partial to using 10x42s or currently I use 8x42s along with my spotter in tow. I personally like using an 8x42 binocs for FOV purposes. Just an opinion.

When I first started hunting Arizona in 1975, that's how I did it, too --- 10x50 binos and a 15-40x spotting scope. By the mid-to-late 1980's, I started using the larger stuff. Even still, I always carry my 10x42's around my neck, even though having the big binocs with me, as well. But I hear what you're saying.

 

[bohntr]

To the OP, honestly, you may be over-thinking things.......it appears you've found plenty of deer, which is the most important factor. It's the rut, find a group of does that have a mature buck and hunt him.......really that simple. Feeding patterns and certain slopes are often unreliable when the rut really cranks up, as bucks will push does in all types of places.

 

[Blackcow]

Barrel cactus bloom in spring, but the fruit is out over winter, early as November, late as March or so. Coues deer love em.

 

[Maverick940]

Barrel cactus bloom in spring, but the fruit is out over winter, early as November, late as March or so. Coues deer love em.

Only at certain elevations, though. (LOL)

 

[Blackcow]

Very true

 

[Darrin]

The 3 times I've hunted Az in Jan the deer were eating acorns and juniper berries. We would find them on hill sides in oak thickets. One year we counted 90 doe and no bucks in 3 days. Other year tons of bucks and doe. We couldn't get within 100 yrs bc of all the eyes.

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