Late season tour- Coues and Aoudad

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

The late season gods smiled on me this year, drew a late coues tag and a New Mexico aoudad tag. I should have a signal and will spend the next 10-12 days trying to fill these tags. I’ve hunted this coues unit before and did a write up if interested here:
https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/first-coues-lucky-100.173226/#post-1670856

Coues hunt will be first and then driving back through NM for the Aoudad. I drove my truck and trailer out earlier this week. The wife is coming with me on the coues hunt so get to camp in comfort. I’ve never hunted out of the travel trailer, hoping it won’t make me too soft.


We are supposed to fly out tonight but our flight has already been delayed 2 hrs and are now landing at 3am in Phoenix. I’m still hoping to be hunting in the morning…. We will see if we get out or cancelled. Season ends the 31st so really don’t want to loose a day.
The guy I met on the first hunt has turned into a good friend and hunting partner, he will be joining us when he can. More to come…

 

[FLATHEAD]

Roll with it, just let it happen and enjoy!!!

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Roll with it, just let it happen and enjoy!!!

Just enjoying the juggling show! Looking like everything might be canceled or booked for the next 3/4 days, might be driving another 22 hrs!

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Well they kept delaying us for about 4 hrs and then cancelled at 2am. We had to sleep in the airport, could not be rebooked until maybe Fri/Sat. We looked at different airports and flying to different cities, it was a mess, nothing available. Waited till the rental car place opened and got a vehicle. Unexpected and unwelcomed 24hr road trip after being awake for 24hr. Here is to hoping this tonka car gets us there. If all goes to plan I should be able to salvage 4 days of season.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Dangit man!!

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

Spent 12 years of my adult life in New Mexico. I'll wish you Good Fortune on the Aoudad/Barbary. But manage your expectations. If you are on Public.....seeing one will be a victory

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Spent 12 years of my adult life in New Mexico. I'll wish you Good Fortune on the Aoudad/Barbary. But manage your expectations. If you are on Public.....seeing one will be a victory

Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind. First time hunting them so don’t think any will get the pass.

 

[norcalrookie]

Safe travels, how is the road trip so far?


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[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Safe travels, how is the road trip so far?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So far so good. We made it about half way before stopping for some much needed sleep close to TX.
Another 12hrs today and should be hunting tomorrow morning!
I’m not going to lie, pretty bummed about losing 2 days on a tag like this but hearing everyone else’s stories in the airport definitely gave some perspective. A lot of families had been bounced around and waiting for days, spent all Christmas in airport, had no idea where their bags were, etc. The way airlines operate since Covid and treat their customers is borderline criminal.

 

[norcalrookie]

It is awful. I have multiple friends and family members that went through the same thing.

I will say that I’m not superstitious but I am a little stitious. Some adversity and struggle in a hunt always seems to be rewarded in some fashion.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

It is awful. I have multiple friends and family members that went through the same thing.

I will say that I’m not superstitious but I am a little stitious. Some adversity and struggle in a hunt always seems to be rewarded in some fashion.

Haha if that’s the case I’m over due! This season has been disaster after disaster, but I’m going to give it all I got.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Made camp. Hunt content commences tomorrow!

 

[FLATHEAD]

Best of Luck!!!

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Thought I’d post some general info on the hunt now. I’ll try to do a mid day and evening update every day of the hunt.

Goals:
I’ve hunted coues deer twice before with success. I’m not looking to kill any buck. I have a full freezer and the 30lbs of meat, while welcomed, would not make too much of a difference. I’m looking for THE buck and am prepared to eat the tag if I cannot find him.

Game plan:
Game plan has changed substantially with the delays. I was planning on hunting a day or two in areas I am familiar with and then checking 3-4 new areas. The unit is huge and coues deer densities are low, it’s not classic coues country and there is a ton of country that you’ll never find a deer in.
I am going to focus on one drainage that I know, really work it looking for doe groups and monitoring them hoping a big buck comes in. I’ll hunt sun up to sun down, focusing on S/SW slopes and flats in morning and evening and N/NE bedding mid day.
It appears I’ve brought the weather with me- rain, warmer temps and fog, so have to make sure the windows I have are looking in places I know deer are.

It wouldn’t take much to figure out what unit I’m in. I don’t think it’s some big secret or care if people know, just don’t want to name it for anyone that googles it looking for easy info. So if we could, keep the unit # out of posts. Thanks!

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Mid day 1:
It poured rain last night and this morning until about 9am. I expected little movement and so far haven’t seen any coues. Scattered rain showers now and overcast. There was about 5 minutes when the sun broke through and it was gorgeous, rainbow and all. I did glass up a group of javelinas, wish I had a tag but I never expect to draw this tag so never put in for them. It’s good to be hunting!

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Well day 1 is in the books. I thought I was going to get skunked but spotted one doe. She stood up from her bed about 200 yards away, repositioned and then disappeared.
Little to no movement today with the weather. Tomorrow is supposed to be similar but hoping with the rut getting closer something will be up and about.

 

[BBob]

They’ve been rutting here and there for a week or so.

 

[Billy Goat]

We're you booked on Southwest?


Huge mess there, you have had enough trials thru the year so far, good luck for this last little bit.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

We're you booked on Southwest?


Huge mess there, you have had enough trials thru the year so far, good luck for this last little bit.

Yup. I was glad we didn’t wait around and try to get another flight, seems like it only got worse.

Thanks man, I’m going to need it

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Your Aoudad/Barbary hunt is in a draw unit? If so you should at least see some if you have several days to really get after it on foot and behind the glass.

Good luck on both!