talltines

Way to go man! That is one heck of a nice buck. Thank God it all pull together for you, usually those branch reflections don't result in the recovery of a monster coues like that toad!

Ha! Man Gino with the year starting out the way it is you better be buying your Powerball tickets everyday! Congrats to your bride for sticking a huge rat. Way cool!!

Too awesome seeing both those studs side by side.

Congrats Jason on downing the widowmaker! Very sweet buck.

Have any of you noticed any relationship with the full moon and rutting activity? Back in my home state of MN the hard rut has been associated with the Nov. Full moon, we call it the rutting moon. I was wondering if any of you long time resident coues hunters have noticed any heated activity around this Jan. full moon? I'm heading back up into my tree Tuesday in 24A in hopes that the rutting activity has increased since last week. I'm a data collecting fool and curious as to your observations on coues and the moon phases. Thanks all...

Sounds familiar. A lot of breeding can be done under the brite moon. I'm hoping these coues get love drunk and happy hazarldy roam without sleep in search of the next hot doe, or buck that wants to rumble.

I'm with you on the "Let em' go so they can grow" mentality!

I'm hoping you're on to something with the rut thing. The bucks have been real scarce so far for me. Seeing many does with fawns keeps my hopes up that the best is yet to come. The squirrels in Arizona are quite inquisitive to say the least. I've had them within a foot... Literally!

I'm having a hard time determining what's going on right now in 24A. I watched 14 doe, 6 fawns, and 3 bucks in the last two days walk underneath my stand and the bucks were cruising solo. 10 days ago I watched a young buck chasing a doe around. I'm thinking the warm weather has most rutting activity taking place in the dark. Hoping for a cold front soon. I'll be back at it next Tuesday. Sure wish the snow could have stuck around.

Great buck and great story from a great guy! Way to go Coues n Sheep...

Well with my first archery coues whitetail season winding down I can say I gave it my all and will be eating tag soup for 2011. My season started with an amazing high when I tossed an arrow in a sweet "9" point buck in January that would have made book for sure outside of the fact that I never was able to recover the brute. Throughout the year I was able to catch a couple nice bucks on the trailcam but was never blessed with an opportunity for redemption with the stick an string. All I can do is keep at it in 2012 if time allows. I'm definitely a life long fan of chasing these little gems in the snow capped mountains for sure. A big thanks to "coues&sheep" for trying to help me locate my buck in January. This site is a phenomenal tool for newbie coues hunters such as myself.

I was in Milaca, MN. I used to own and operate Rum River Whitetails. Collected and sold whitetail urine for attractant scent. Needless to say it wasn't lucrative enough to keep pursuing. I had a blast learning the ins and outs of the deer scent industry and of course the up and personal contact with the actual deer.

I raised whitetail for 10 years in Minnesota and also have been an avid trialcammer for 20 years. By looking at the hair on the rump end of the does you can pretty much determine if they've been bred recently. Of course daily observation is key here as there are other reasons for the rump hair being disturbed (fighting, pecking order type play), but if you have been watching the deer closely via trailcams, or physically viewing them you'll be able to determine by the activity of the deer and the disturbed rump hair. When the doe came back from being chased by the 6 pointer I could obviously conclude that she wasn't bred. Believe me, you'll know by the rump hair if you pay attention. The bucks hoofs will ruff up the hide good when breeding. My opinion after many years of witnessing whitetail behavior.

Wow! What a stud buck! Lucky hunter for sure...

I just spent the last couple weeks in 24A and can tell you that the rut is not happening as of lately. I sat in a treestand for many hours and had multiple does with fawns in tow. In all the hours sitting I witnessed a smaller 6 pointer chase a doe away from a group of 3 does and 2 fawns. The following day I had the same does and fawns back in minus the doe that was chased. It wasn't ten minutes and the doe that was chased the following day was back in with the group with no buck in tow. By the looks of her backside she wasn't bred. I think the young buck was premature with chasing her and abandoned mission was he realized the time wasn't right. My $.02 on the rut in my area is it has yet to begin. It can only get better in the next few weeks.

No one said it was easy man. I'm eating tag soup for my 1st coues season myself, but will never throw in the towel. The deer are a challange for sure, although I know in due time it will all come together if I keep on keeping on. I guess I just absolutely love hunting deer with the bow and a harvest will be a bonus. I hope you come to your senses and get back out there. BTW, I'm a trophy hunter so no harvest seasons are going to be a common thing with the stick and string method. :-)

I need some fast input on Burris Signature Select 10x50 Binoculars... Anyone have any positive or negative feedback? Camofire.com is blowing them out at $ 310. Deal will expire SOON! Thanks, Talltines

When I shot this guy yesterday I thought I hit him in the heart because his heart area got real red and blood was pouring out as he ran off. I waited in my deerstand for about 15 mins and decided to go grab my arrow and look at the blood trail bright in the snow where I smacked him. I was so excited to see a real good blood trail and prematurely pursued the trail too soon. After about 100 yards of good blood a couple spots where he stopped had a lot of blood, I came across the spot where he would of layed and died (nice big blood patch in the snow), but I bumped him and he bolted down the ridge. that is when I decided to pull out and let him go lay down again and bleed out over night. My girlfriend and myself picked up his trail this morning and followed with good blood for quite a distance up and down a couple ridges. he was bleeding less and less as we walked until he crossed a running creek from the snow melting... I found his tracks on the other side of the water, but the side of the mountain was not covered in snow and lost his tracks as he ascended up to a peak into thick junipers. I spent some time pacing and fanning out from the last blood, but nothin happenin' no blood or tracks. started over at last blood a couple times and had to throw in the towel! Sad day for me and a happy day for the coyotes and or lions. I will be back out and trying again soon. Can't win em all, but I thought I had this one in the bag with all the snow to help in tracking. My lesson learned from this whole ordeal is to get in better shape, because climbing around in the snow at 7000' can really be brutal... Lol! No really.... my lesson is that after a archery shot on a whitetail no matter how well placed you think it was, always give them a couple hours to lay down and bleed out. I just lost a stud 9 pointer with nice width and length due to my over confidence in the shot and pushing the deer out of his death bed. Thanks, Talltines

Sweet! Looks like you were really enjoying yourself... That's what it's all about man!!! Congrats.

Very nice guys! Your father smoked a monster!! That is one big "coues"... Thanks much for sharing.

Absolutely awesome! Congrats and thanks for sharing. Sweet buck!

Thanks! Hope the ravens are of help...

Congrats on that sweet coues and WOW 11 coues with the bow is amazing!!

I would appreciate that if I am unsuccessful tomorrow. Thanks a million!

Good advise from fatfootdoc about the ravens. It will not go to waste but still hard to swollow your pride. It's all part of archery hunting and sooner or later it all happens to the best of us. Hope you find him! TJ How many days until the ravens would find it? and how many days will they eat on it? This is great advice. Thanks!