5yearcoueshunter

Thanks everybody for the replys. I'm glad I finally got to show some pics of something. It was definately a mixed bag hunt. We also bagged a few Mearns and Gamble Quail. Thanks again for the compliments. Travis

Well I'm back from my Unit 22 hunt. It was a great hunt. There was 4 of us in our hunting party, and we ended up getting 2 bucks. It was myself, my dad, my uncle and our good friend Jim. I didn't get that elusive coues that has been evading me for 8 years now here in NM, but I did harvest a neat nontypical muley. It was my first muley for quite some time and I'm tickled to death with him. I was actually glassing for coues when I decided to go up top to a big flat then move across to another good glassing spot. Low and behold 3 muley bucks was standing at the edge of the flat at about 250 yards. I didn't hesitate as any muley on public land is a great trophy in my book. I ended up getting the best buck of the 3 and like I said am very happy with him. Our friend Jim was the other guy to get a buck. He got his first Coues buck! Infact he had never even seen a coues before this hunt. He got a nice 8 pointer (eastern count) with one shot at about 75 yards. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little envious. I had been trying to get the gray ghost for 8 years now and here Jim goes basically on his first coues hunt and gets one. Jim is a great friend and I am so happy he got his first coues. It was actually the first one our hunting party has ever bagged, so we were all really excited when we heard the news. Jim is having a great year. Ealier this year he got his first Bull elk, now a coues and in February he has an Oryx tag. He's definately having a wonderful year. I did a rough score on him and came up with 75. I have some picutures of my muley but haven't received Jim's pictures yet. I'm going to try to post my pics now. Please forgive me if it doesn't come out right. It's the first time I've tried doing this. As for anybody interested in this unit, it does hold a decent population of Coues, but the country is pretty thick, making glassing difficult. I am probably going to try my luck in some other unit next season if I'm lucky enough to draw a tag. Travis

Heres another one with both of us.

Well I finally got Jims pictures. I'll try to post them now.

Well guys I'm leaving early in the morning for my Unit 22 rifle hunt. I've been ready for a while now. I will be hunting for the full 5 days in search of my first Gray Ghost. I think after 7 years of hunting Coues in New Mexico with 2 heartbreaking misses this is going to be my year! Anyway, wish me luck and good luck to any of you with the late hunt in New Mexico, muley or whitetail. Travis

Wow, what a beautiful Buck! The picture is awesome as well. Congradulations! Travis

WOW that's an awesome buck! I'm thinking 113. Congrats! Seeing that buck really gets my blood pumpin. I can't wait for my rifle hunt in there. I just hope I can find a buck half that big.

So it was MY buck! JK That's great. There is definately some good Coues in that Unit, but hard hunting. Taking one with a Muzzleloader in there is definately a great acomplishment. Congrats to the hunter. Travis

That's an awesome buck and one heck of a picture. That grin from ear to ear tells the story. Congrats!!! Travis

By the way, Congrats to the youngster. That's a great buck. I don't think I've ever seen a buck in Velvet this late in the year. That's definately a first buck to be proud of. Travis

Tommy, was that Toad in 22 a muley or whitetail? I have the last rifle hunt in 22 this year and was just wondering if he shot MY buck. jk Can't wait to see the pics. Travis

Sorry about that Ben, you said Mule Deer right in the Thread title. Anyway, I sent you an email about your hunt. Travis

Ben, do you have a Mule Deer or Whitetail tag?

Congrats Tommy! Looks like a nice trophy. You'll have a lot of good meat. Bull, Cow? Length? If you don't mind me asking. Travis

Thanks for the Best Web Site EVER!!!! Happy Birthday Amanda. Travis

Wow, sounds like you've found yourself a good spot. Good luck.

Thanks, that's what I figured. It seems like to me the bigger bucks will rub first then the smaller. I was scouting unit 27 in New Mexico one time in late October and the big bucks were slick, but most of the smaller bucks still had the velvet. I thought that was kind of late, but maybe normal that far south. Travis

Beautiful Pics. So when do you think those guys will loose their Velvet? Travis

I agree with Shiras in that whitetails are generally more wary then mule deer. Mule deer that haven't been hunted are a little more tame than whitetails. I've noticed that with Coues deer and Eastern whitetails. Even a mule deer buck that hasn't been hunted all summer will be a little more "dumb" than a whitetail. It's just the difference in species and I think it derives from the fact that the mule deer relys more on their eyes than whitetail. If a mule deer can see you, they don't fear you as much because that is their primary defence against predators. A whitetail doesn't trust his eyesight as much as the other senses, so that makes him naturally more wary. But again, mule deer Does haven't been hunted for at least 20 years in New Mexico, so they have no reason to be scared of humans. But a big mule deer buck that has been pushed by hunters, is the hardest animal in the mountain to bag. At least in my opinion. Travis

All hunting depends on the situation. I have a buddy that never put in or went Antelope hunting in his life. He put in the first year and of course drew it. Then he went and killed an 18 inch buck right from the truck at 200 yards after driving around for 5 minutes. He says it was to easy to kill a B and C Antelope and he will never hunt them again. Then you have other people that wait for a decade to get drawn for a tag and hunt their tails off to get a buck that goes 14 inches. All I can say is when it comes to Mule deer, I've always had a tough hunt and I think they are a tremendous game animal. I still enjoy hunting Coues more, but I would never put down the Mule deer or the people that like to hunt Muleys by calling them "Carp Deer".

No not a real Carp, but I hear those Europeans love them. Travis

Shiras, you are talking about Does that haven't been hunted for 20 years in New Mexico and in Red River where there use to getting hand outs from people. A big Mule Deer buck on public land that's been hunted, is a totally different animal.

I might be talking fighting words, but I count Eastern Count. To me it makes the most sense and avoids confusion. If the point is an inch or over I count it. So instead of saying he's a 3 point and not knowing if the person is counting eye guards or not, I think just saying he's an 8 pointer makes everything easier. But I guess that's just my Hill Billy roots talkin! Travis

Unit 22 Coues or Muleys for November 12-16 Unit 52 Muzzleloader Bull Elk Oct 1 -5 The draw gods smiled on me this year. Travis

Kevin, you did miss it. JK I did actually get very lucky and called in and bagged a nice 18 1/2 pound Merriam Tom near Datil. It's my first Spring Turkey in about 5 years so I was very happy with my Tom. There is nothing like the thundering gobble of a big Merriam Tom in the high country of his native land of New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado. I get so mad when I watch these hunting shows where there hunting the Merriams in the river bottoms of Wyoming or Montana and act like thats where the Merriams are suppose to be. Anyway, good luck to all on the rest of the Spring Season. Travis