natureboyfloyd

I am a recurve and homemade bow shooter, and I as a result need to get close. ( i have missed six times this year, and I can tell you that I know my limitations again) Friends tell me I get more opportunities than most get in a life time; in three half years, two small deer, by still-hunting. Weak credentials, I admit... Yet, IMHO, Even at twenty five-twenty-fifteen yards, a deer can move fast enough to not be there when the arrow arrives (for me 150 fps...basically move your hand as you say "one mississi..." and see how far your hand can be from the start point). Even with a compound, think about where you can draw unseen. Yesterday, the doe saw me draw at 23 yards, and downhill from there. However, I had spotted this guy I have been after for over a year, and I kept moving from "window of opportunity" to another place where I could draw and shoot. What gave the chance was alot of the above advice: check the wind( constantly), try hunting crosswind, sound natural ( three steps at most, and breaking a twig means chilling a while), and ALWAYS LOOK OVER THE GRASS OR THE SMALL KNOLL AS YOU GO UP. You may be closer than you think to deer, just never seeing them leave. The two deer I killed where from following the capitalized advice. I would have killed yesterday, again ("woe, despair, and agony on me"), but I simply could not believe the deer and doe where there. They both were, along with a big one I have pursued two plus years now. Possible EXCUSE: My mind was on a friend's cancer, but I botched it regardless. Of all the advice I read online, the best came from a man who hunted with African bushman: never peer over bushes, peer through, run when needed, crawl if needed, and forget watches.

Guy I was with passed on a smaller bull, at 40 yds, and we soon enough (two + hours) found the females we assumed were with the larger bull we glassed earlier. We made ourselves comfortable, figuring the bull would come down with the cows in a few hours. However, a truck must have gone around a barrier, and pushed at least 45 elk towards us. They passed within 75-100 yards, but the speed of thier escape, and the literal shoulder- to-shoulder grouping of the thundering herd prohibited an ethical shot. Of course we followed on the tracks, but the same truck came up again: "See anything?" Healthy guys, just driving around. This occured in 3C, and given the criss-crossed-with-roads nature of the unit, anyone cutting around barriers is a bit weak.

For what it is worth, be ready at all times. Repeat, at all times. I am hunting with a friend, he has the bow, and I am tagless, carrying the big binos and the pack to haul out the venison. This weekend, we feel crowded on a high hill, and are ready to get off said hill (another story), and my friend puts his bow in the sling, and is reattaching the trigger. A guy is had walked right between us, to glass, managed to get to notch one by signaling us a buck we'd been off and on was basically right there. coming up quick. The buck was up in our laps fast...and my friend could not get the sling off in time... the mule deer walked 40 yards by us, by the rest of others, who missed. Had that trigger been on, and the sling off? (Had I had my recurve and tag and arrow....?) Floyd (Oh, and for me, sometimes I listen to my wife. Sounds like you guys have a god team.)

Talltines, you were only taking a trophy, right? With the recurve, that is tough I hear. I tagged out a few days ago, a spike with 44# recurve and homemade arrow. (after considerable good luck and some skill placing me in the 20 yd zone of the bigger ones earlier, and missing once I went after this guy and his friends in the steep stuff.) Had I held out for the big ones, or made time to get back there, I might be waking early to hunt,not scout for mulies. Way to hold to your goal. I admire that. Floyd

good job on the bolt action, working it fast and picking up the buck again.

I read the heading, went into the living room and told the Minister of Finances "I think someone may have got The Bruiser or Jed." The only other time I was nailed so was a heading on Trad Gang, something about Chicks shooting archery in too small bikini's.

Seems that when you find the water, you'll be on the deer. My two cents is to pack in the following categories: food, water, shelter, and tools. Water includes filter, iodine, rope for lowering a canteen into a hard to reach crevise. Shelter is bivy, shirt, socks, etc... For me, tools include spare bow string (mice ate part way into one, when I left it out last year around a Dec. fire as I slept. My compound buddie noticed into a stalk, and watched as I slipped off one and replaced it with another, already with nocking point.Simple tool-the bow). Spare flints and frizzen for you? You get the idea. Relax. We all see game when unpressured. At least I move more slowly, sensing more. Definitely post pics and a story. Sounds like a solid great time.

Yesterday, oh yesterday, on stalk #4 on my "trophy", one 4x4 sprinted to the other side, and saw me move one step...and you know the rest. Today, I "clocked out" for maybe 20 seconds....deer move out, and when they appear, no spike ( but I pass on thems anyhow). Point is this: I see more coyotes, lions, foxes, female mulies about to walk on me, fawns purposely bumping into mamma, crazy insects to ever give up this craziness called bow hunting. I use a recurve, so my hunt sort of starts where a compound (if you canshoot) ends. A madness all its own, the trad archery.I own my failed ambushes and stalks. Sure the wind moved once,like a little devil on my back (stalk # 3), but the rest are pilot errors. But, and a big but, I am learning one heck of alot, and when it happens, aka you connect, you'll love it. Like some one said, "Arizona offers a lot of hunting opportunities." The success rate for archery in Missouri is quite high; not so much here as evident by the paucity of posts --go girls. (You'll be there in December) Floyd, out I am ready to make blinds...

Oh, and since this is Mule Deer, a rancher in that unit along the river said that, yes, mulies are to be seen in the river area. good luck

In 2008, I killed my first deer along the San Pedro. I scouted, and hunted, the north part of the Dragoons...remember, my first year out, for what it is worth. I saw no bucks....but took a day off work, and killed a meaty spike in the bosque along the San Pedro, by 7:45 or so. 51 yds for the shot, paced out, along the river bank, as it is thick in areas. Next year, my wife and I are walking around, and she sees three bucks in the area where I would park my rig, so that is my two cents. If Aug is unsuccessful for bow, I may pick a left over WT tag, and I will hunt the bosque along the river, and the close hills.

My own stupid human trick related to this thread... I got a little nervous as well, and I did a great deal of scouting in the Little Tortolitas. Found mule deer, patterned and started on a blind. Of course, this unit 37A is closed to bow, but I somehow fixated on 37B as the unit closed for summer bow. Getting older... A friend reminded me, after I bragged about learnng about mulies w/in 10 yds of the blind,, one big coyote and a bobcat at 8feet twice. My wife came out and I told her we would see animals, and that bobcat dod not dissapoint. Gotta read that reg. book a little more often. Its all good?!?

A three point and decent, very aware, forkie at a spring in a copse of oaks below some saguaros and the all important cholla, and despite four opportunities to w/in 20 yards, I never got a shot. Similar stories: sparring, a little chasing, etc... To point out the obvious: at close range, these deer do not miss a thing.

Great looking rifle on a solid hunt. Wood stocks still just look right.

As bowhunting is intense, maybe a lessons learned for all us 99% of unsuccesful Fall hunters might help. I'll go first... First, jumping and arrow flight: As indicated earlier, I learned about the Coue's rapid response to sound from my recurve. Going back to the area, I glassed and stalked the deer again, and a swirling wind ended 4 plus hours of nitty gritty low crawling and attempting to circle in the cliffs. 27 yards, and poof! He seems quite fine, enough to bounds out of sight with friend over one of those low angled cliffs. I'll be back. I shot last evening, at 23 yrds, and believe the arrow flight allows enough time to bolt. I'll tape to the quiver "no release when busted" until it is burnt in my head. Nonetheless, I am thinking about shooting wood or aluminum, with 125 gr, for better penetration. Thus far, carbon with 100 gr Magnus Stinger Buzzcut...hard to sharpen. Another lesson: A doe kept going to a cliff area, and I thought the large puma hauled my three pointer there, but it was the fawn. At any rate, the hike up the cliff gave me a northward look from high at my area, and a large cedar (you know the type) just seemed right. That is where my prey lay. A new vantage. Never considered that slope before... It is amazing how many dead deer lay about in nooks, ledges, from this puma. Congratulations to all successful hunters. A buddy of mine, very successful, commented on the difficult nature of coues compared to Midwestern Timber deer. I concur fully.

CMC, thanks for the reply. Reading my post this morning, I see I mislead about the leading. I "lead" the deer even though he was stationary, as I thought he'd jump the string. He came out and then stopped. Yes, I think looking this evening is a good idea. Thanks again.

Mt Evans area. Why? Overgrowntrails, and big deer on a long walk through there every day. Litterally, herds one day of approximately 30. One man's idea.

Coues Buck Hunter, I spotted and stalked a three point, and the attendant yearling bucks busted me at 23 - 30 yards. The buck came out, I lead him @ 2 inches, let the arrow fly, and the impact drew blood in the rear leg! In other words, either I screwed the shot, or the buck simply moved faster than I thought it could. Strongly,I think the buck jumped the string. I carry a Red Wing recurve. I tracked the blood, after watching the animal move 80 yards, with binos,; going to put on my boots instead of walking the buck was a mistake. The first blood I found seemed clotted, and it tapered off with in 20 yards, fast. My arrow showed a little muscle, shallow penetration, and I looked @ 2hours. I figure the animal clotted up fine. At some point, I figured I was doing more harm than good, and left the area, happy to spot and stalk, and dissapointed at my low grade "buck fever." Critiques welcome. What would you do? I made mistakes, such as not realizing the attedent bucks were closer than bino compression says ( bino compression hurt a buddy and I's fisrt stalk on Sat.). Secondly, I knew better than to releaseon a coues that is aware. Floyd out Keep hunting, keep enjoying.

My dad always said that the second the truck engine is off, you step outside and you're hunting. Bet you are planning for January.

Standman, Awesome! Not only the deer, but with your dad....if the coffee was strong, well, you then had the most excellent hunt. Keep it up. As it seems you are. (I went out for a little today bowhunting, not closing the deal on my stalk; I've been in the Midwest, after my own dad's "Final Passage", as he was eventually beat by a seriously strong counter-attack by Mr. Cancer, and I can say emphatically, if your dad is there with you, a hunting or fishing buddy, you're blessed). Floyd

Looks as good as my photos of the coues I've scouted. Takes a lot of minute adjusting to get the phote, doesn't it?

I worked a job that required @ half the year walking outdoors; the Danners seemed to use less full leather, so I went to Vasque all leather, foreign made, Gore Tex Sundowner. My second pair is so tough I am wearing out the sole! A real big HOWEVER...Southern AZ is hot for my feet, and the Vasque are simply too warm for all but maybe November to mid January. Now, I wear Ariat work boots. Breathable, abit heavy in the heel, and weak in the toe----I applied fletching glue to a very thin spot I wore on the toe. Had to sew up two places, but just bought a second pair, for indoor casual work. That way, I can rotate easily when the first Ariat pair truly wear out. My job gives big off-time, and I wore the Ariats on a 12 day trip, at 65-70 miles, trail and cross country. The heel is alot heavier than most hiking boots, but I like the breathability vs. toughness compromise. One man's opinion.

I think it is 30 minutes before sunrise, and 30 minutes before sunset. Call AZFG. When rifle huning, I use the dove hunting pamphlet to really know the sunrise/sunset times; also, I figure that if I can not CLEARLY see my sights, well, time for another coffee, or time to unload the chamber and chill.

That is the hide from a Unit 30b spike. In the Missour Oazrks, I tanned some hides given by friends, usng some carbolic acid formula. That particular coues hide, and the little hide from the 1st year spike of 09, I tanned with Trapper Formula, out of the Las Vegas area. I am smoking it in Upper Ventana Canyon one really wet January day. I hate to waste things. I made a shoulder bag, large enough for some basic survival gear like iodine, exra ammo, and water bottles. That way, should I be away from the pack, I have enough gear to survive with some dignity. My next leather project is debateable: either "sneaky feet" mocassins, or a quiver.

I think the window, the time period, a solitary deer or group comes is variable. One tank, in they come at 3 pm, bsiness like, and the next day, 4:30 pm, but wandering around. So, one day, in and out, the next, a group of bucks loiters in the willows and cottonwoods. This summer, sitting water occupies much free time, from both a distance 100-150 yds, and closer. Big variable, am I stealthy enough? Another variable, the deer. I watched a forky move 150 yards from arising to sitting just 35 yards above water, and as I had to leave at 4:45, I stalked up close enough to be busted at 25 yards. Had I sat until dark, would the deer have given me an opportunity? I do not know. The key is utter and complete stealth, and luck. Sitting watching one group, even at 20 yards, doesn't mean the largest buck hasn't seen every move ( I glased upward, on a whim, and a large doe, 200 plus yards, arrogantly walked away. I always figure I am busted by several deer, bobcats, puma, every day). BTW, turkey, hummngbirds, a puma, all sorts of avian behavoir! Becoming a tree stump yields all manners of interesting animals. Great post.

Any scope worth the name is beyond my budget. And as of yet, I like the challenge of the marlin 30-30. (the trajectory beyond 230 yards is as much of a challenge as the iron sights)