MAVinWA

this Cibola NWR-AZ area being only 3 hours away has some appeal for this traveling archery hunter. Gave the go back and chase coues in mid January but no time for 16 hour roundtrip drive at my age for only a long weekend. reviewed Cibola website info but wondering if any one can share about their past experiences with Mule deer archery hunting in this wildlife area. PM is good too. Thank you

hunted 24B from 12/26-12/30 2 mature coues bucks, each following a single doe. Hot on their tails. hard to stalk when they're on the move like that. Watched one buck chase doe all the way down the ridge to creek bottom, over 1/2 mile!! passed on 2 small bucks within 30 yards, 2pt & 3pt, both with eye guards. And both grunting, moving with noses to ground. alas, my holiday season over. But a good hunt nonetheless.

along with other items already mentioned, I wear my clear lens shooting glasses to protect my eyes when hiking on trails in the dark.

nice write up and congrats. the feeling of making a good shot count never gets old.

this non-resident gave it a good go, hunting solo with spot & stalk over the holidays. Hunted/camped over 6 days, Man, it got cold overnight with temps in the teens but small wood stove and Buddy heater kept me warm in the Sawtooth tent. Had several good stalks on larger bucks, 2 trophy quality Coues bucks in particular. Didn't come together due to either high, swirly winds or does busting me. Relatives mentioned to harvest a buck for the freezer if chance came about. Over the last 5 years, I usually won't take a coues buck unless trophy caliber. But I told them if it came down to the last day.... Last day 12/31 in the late afternoon, coming down from my final high basin morning hunt and took a break. Slipped off my X2 pack and leaned against a large rock. Enjoying the AZ scenery, surroundings and accepting in my mind that overall a good hunt season for me since September in my 4 western USA hunts. Quiet, little to no wind now but no deer action in the last couple hours. Thoughts occurred to me that 1-day due to age; I wouldn't be making these hard hill climbs & hikes in this beautiful country, sigh. Guess I'd have one tag not filled for this year's hunt adventures. Hearing rocks roll, I spot a doe heading downhill in a hurry about 150 yards away and she disappears over the ridgeline. 10 Minutes later, I heard grunts and looked uphill to my right and see this little buck around 120 yards away. He was nose to the ground, trying to follow the doe's zig-zagging trail. Well with a $300 tag in my pocket and down to last hours, I'd give him a try. GPS-waypoint my position and left pack containing tripod, binocs & spot scope there as I head over to stalk. I moved quickly over to the ridgeline and looked into the saddle. Doe was 400 yards downhill. Suddenly hear grunt again and see the lil' buck slightly above me 80 yards away, heading downhill with a purpose. I gave a grunt on my call and he stopped, looking my way. I was concealed by a large bush, one of those thorny, grab your clothes kind. Gosh I hate those thorny bushes...bad for the Sitka camo! Buck took a couple steps downhill, behind some kind of cactus & a ocotillo. I grunted 2 soft grunts again and he turned, coming my way. Stopping, the buck briefly rubbed some bushes vigorously with his antlers. Ranged a rock at 55 yards, as the buck moved down trail to it and stopped, quartered away, looking downhill. Drew back my Creed XS, floated the single pin behind his shoulder and released. THWACK! a good sound to hear as the buck high kicks and takes off downhill, around a large chaparral bush and out of my sight. Feeling it was a good shot, I went back and gathered up my pack-gear. Waited 40 minutes and moved down the trail to the bucks last location at the shot. Seeing good blood immediately ahead, knowing I had a good hit. Finding the arrow, complete pass thru, the Slick Trick broadhead doing its job on a double lung shot. Followed the blood trail about 80 yards and the ravens are flying overhead, squawking. There he was, piled up in some brush down in the arroyo. My 2nd coues buck with a bow, albeit a small, young one. Arrow entered a touch high of center & 3 ribs back of its left shoulder, angled downward exiting thru the other side behind its right shoulder. Large entrance, exit holes and busted rib on each side were excellent performance by the 125gr Trick's blades. Oh this Coues fever, excited for 2016 holiday season and back to spotting, stalking those bigger bucks again.

Slick Tricks for me. Over the years, tried couple brands. Never have to adjust sight from field points to the Tricks. These fly like my field points and on target. but the Trick performance on game is what impresses me most.

Spott Father Hogg single, wrapped fiber. Hunt pin default at 30 yards.

so splitting hairs, technically yes there is no NE ID but here Friends and I often refer to NW or NE in the panhandle. both have decent elk hunting. Or NE of the Bitterroots/Clearwater river. ok, I'm done. No more posting for me.

The last 3 years, the impact of the wolves in ID had its effect and continues. I knew several hunters that quit going to ID. They now apply for the Montana non-res draw. One of the group still goes Idaho, but he has great access thru private land that borders wilderness. When the seasons start the elk usually increase in his hunt area, escaping public land pressure. And even he complains of how the numbers of elk have dwindled in the last 7 years! In the ID northeastern units toward Montana, you will deal with grizzlies. Yeah, the big dangerous don't give a crap for you kind of beast. I've hunted WY and CO, so my choice would be either. Apply for AZ each year, mostly just hopeful thoughts. So now I hunt my WA area and have good success. But elk season is restricted there to general season for spike bull only, cows and multi point bulls must be a draw tag. The elk get pressured greatly as archery starts in September, muzzleloader in October and rifle in late October/early November. You must choose one method, unless you draw the multi season tag ($1000+ for non resident) plus the elk tag itself, for a total of around 1600-1700 USD.

"Last night in a metro unit I made a bad shot on a 180" class deer..." was your hit back and low? looks like liver/abdomen hit. hope you have found that nice buck. Best wishes.

Usually hunt the holiday season the last 3 years while visiting relatives in Gilbert AZ. At this point in my life, late 50's, I finally have time to hunt more and in other states. But 2015 my holiday hunt cut short by my father's passing away on 12/30. Had to fly to Seattle for funeral services etc. Lost the man that was my best hunting partner & mentor. My dad didn't hunt the last 9 years with me because of health problems. so I lost the first 4 days of the January archery hunt. And wouldn't you know it, snow arrived in my chosen areas when I was gone. Cannot make it back for my original days this week, last day being Jan-8. "hunted"/or rather scouted unit 24B and Unit 24A for several days prior & after Xmas holiday. Located deer in each unit, some nice bucks watched from a distance. I took Xmas day off for family/relatives holiday observances in Gilbert AZ. I could make it back for a 4 day weekend Jan 15-18. but is it too late for good rut activity?

thanks for the quick feedback. Already have the required license & tag in my pocket. Strange, Wal Mart couldn't sell me the 2015 license package but Sportsman Warehouse-Mesa did on 12/26/14. non-res hunt lic $160 & OTC $300 deer tag: $460 (at least its good for the year, later maybe a long weekend Aug-Sept season and period around Xmas 2015) gas for RT trip from Oceanside to 24B: $250 misc other costs: $150 Total: $860...whew! Camping in the great AZ outdoors, spotting, stalking & sending an arrow downrange to a coues buck; priceless.

In WA state, a 3point or better rule was implemented for Eastern WA mule deer game units. People griped negatively something fierce, my group welcomed the new rule. now, 7 years later the quality and trophy level has markedly improved under less than ideal environment conditions for the mule deer herds. to the point where a late season draw only trophy buck tag is a sure thing.....but regular season a hunter has better chances at a good branch antlered mule deer buck than years ago. if you're going to have bigger bucks, the smaller ones need time to grow.

way to get it done; patience and perserverance. great write up and beauty pics too.

I will be hunting coues deer OTC archery in December 2012 and later in January 2013. Non-resident but I have a home in Gilbert AZ, but only car not SUV or 4x4....be a few more years then I'll have a vehicle for outdoor recreational use there. during scouting this past February, I rented a Ford Escape from the usual airport rental car companies. It was fine for my needs. Probably do this route for coming December holidays hunt. My focus is unit 24A or possibly north 23 in January. or is there another SUV rental company to use? aside from the usual car rental companies where this holiday rental is going to run me $600 incl fees for this time period/Ford Escape SUV. any suggestions appreciated, thank you. MAV in WA State

Mathews Switchback XT, 29.5"D, Amortech HD 5 pin, Anchor Sight Alignment instead of peep. practice out to 80 yards religiously. last year shot on 90's coues buck: 65 yards, downhill very little wind, lunged and heart tipped. The buck went 40 yards and collapsed. 90% of my shots on game: 45 yards and under, WA or AZ.

OMG....$595 on card! didn't expect that.

very nice. something for me to look forward to in the next season.

2nd that!

yes, have 2 LW Alpha hang ons and one Assault Climber. Of the treestands that I have used, love the Lonewolf. Shipped the climber to the Gilbert home, along with my Rhino xp-1 blind. Not much use for the blind here in WA, but I thought it would be good for sitting a water source in AZ.

Introduction for an aging bowhunter from the State of Washington here. But my health is good and I can still venture forth, in some cases a couple miles away from the vehicle and roads of the WA Cascades in pursuit of my hunting passions. So definitely not a road hunter. I will be primarily hunting solo, more of a DIY hunter,,,but perhaps I may meet a new AZ hunting partner someday. love this web site. I'm very interested in pursuing coues deer. Now have a 2nd home in Gilbert AZ as of Dec 27. So I'm starting my research with a focus on units 24B and 23 for the late 2012-2013 season. Maybe scout 24A too but later in the year. I'll be spending the months of December and January in pursuit of these deer as an extension to my "hunting obsession (wife's term of endearment)" here at my first home state. BTW: wife golfing while I'm huntin' my first field scouting trip will be in the current season, Jan 20-22 2012 then work at the Gilbert house for a day until returning to WA. Choosing not to hunt this weekend but rather focus on scouting overview here and there. Save the hunting until later this year as mentioned. I pursue elk, mule deer and blacktail deer here in WA state. After 45 years of hunting experience, I am now mostly trophy-quality hunting for deer as I've shot my share of smaller bucks. Elk in my state is either special trophy draw for bulls or general limitation to spikes (a great meat hunt). But my 2012-2013 focus for AZ hunting is coues deer. If anyone is willing to share a bit about the two units above, it would be appreciated. Private email is fine. In my research so far, the terrain is much different than western (wet-green) WA but similar in regards to the dryer side>eastern WA. I'm particularly interested in areas of ponderosa pine or ponderosa forests. Something about being fortunate while hunting in pine forests and I like treestand hunting. and reciprocal too, in that I'm willing to share information with anyone-AZ regarding interest in non-resident hunting here in WA State. Pic below is before I go up the tree. Western/wetside blacktail deer hunting. thank you, MAV.

I don't hunt 24B much, but, yes 23 (northern 2/3 of unit), 24A (Some in the northern part and quite a bit in the Pinals), and 22 (the northern half of the unit) have a lot of higher terrian that supports ponderosa pines, pinon pine, douglas fir, and juniper. You will not have any problem finding what you are looking for in these units. Brian Ahhh, thank you. Good info! this will help my first in the field scouting Jan.20-23 and area to focus on for future scouting this year.

yes, thank you. I have been referring to that azgfd site page since November. It has helped. Enjoyed reading about your 2010 October "puzzle rock" coues hunt too. does AZ in units 23, 24B, 24A have any such terrain with good stands of ponderosa pines? NOt looking for honey holes or specifics but generally North, south unit locations or drainages. Image below is of me & treestand hunting on the wetside of WA in 2011. Blacktail deer here are similar in nature to what I read about Coues deer, just different environments. We consider this deer to be one of the toughest to be successful on in these parts.

thank you. yes, I have good optics. Swarovski EL binocs and ATS spotting scope/tripod. an image of eastern WA (dryside) muley country...this 5 miles in off the FS road.

yes izquik72, thanks for the tip on accruing elk draw points for future AZ elk. Similar system here in WA for the good trophy bull tags. appreciate the nice welcomes for a new snow-wet bird from the northwest.