gotcoues

Thanks for all the kind words. D and I have a lot of good memories made out in the field for sure already and I can only imagine a whole lot more to come. WGP Wild Game Processing in Tucson

My wife Colleen drew her first deer tag, ended up getting our third choice for a unit we all haven't spent lots of time in. She applied with our friend Erika and she was able to take a nice coues buck last year which was her first deer. For Colleens birthday earlier this year I bought her a Ruger American Rifle in .243 and we went to the range several times in preparation for the hunt. The long wait finally ended and the two of us and our friends, Nelson and his wife Erika were headed South. Friday morning came and went, we glassed up quite a few does and saw some hunters here and there. We had seen bucks the week prior and were pretty disappointed in the lack of bone for the morning. We checked access to a place I had seen from a distance and we decided to make the walk for the afternoon hunt. After a little over an hour walk, we were sitting on a knoll looking at some pretty promising country. Erika glassed up a couple bucks around 4:30 and opted to pass for something bigger. Colleens goals for this hunt were a branch antlered buck and this guy fit the bill just fine. We tried to hustle to close the distance as shooting light was not on our side. We got to about 275 yards and relocated the bucks but the terrain was too thick to get a shot off the bi-pod. As we moved in to a better spot, I see a split trunk oak with a nice v shape and a good height to rest the gun. Unfortunately, two does that we didnt even see spooked out and sent the bucks packing. Colleen got to see the flag and I let her know that meant game over! At last light, Nelson glassed up four more bucks but it was just too late to do anything. Long walk back in the dark, but we knew we had a spot to fall back on if needed. On Day two, we decided to drive roads and glass relatively close to truck. We saw some great country, glassed up does and pigs throughout the day and Colleen was able to pick out a lone coatimundi way out there, probably 800-1000 yards. Nelson is wanting to put one in the trophy room, but he was headed up and away, so we stayed on the glass and let him move on. The ladies did great behind the glass, they glassed just as hard as Nelson and I and were constantly locating does. We all took a mid-day nap and the ladies walked off to glass off the ridge while we were still napping lol. At that point, the guides knew they needed to step it up! Only one buck was spotted on day two, Erika and Nelson put a long stalk on him but he stayed out of range at around 600 yards. They were stuck out on a rock bluff with nowhere to go. The buck did a few teaser walks and appeared to commit coming their way, but it just didnt happen. On the drive home Saturday night, we decided we needed to walk back in to the area from Friday night and had high hopes of taking two bucks out of there. Day three started with us meeting at 5:15 and heading down in one vehicle again. We got to our parking spot just a little late, it was kind of nice not having to do all the walking in the dark. We were glassing from our knoll by about 7:30. The morning was slow, I decided to walk over the ridge to check a different area and quickly spotted a buck. Soon after we were all four checking him out and we made a plan to cut the distance. There was a nice peninsula about 150 yards away that stuck out quite a ways into the wash and the buck was directly across. We had some trouble finding the perfect spot, all the while trying not to get busted. After several attempts at finding a suitable shooting platform, we finally got to the edge of a rock cliff, leaving a wide open field of view for the shot. She had the buck in the scope for several minutes, but he just wouldnt hold still and be at the right angle. He was walking either straight downhill or stopping broadside in the brush, it very frustrating for Colleen. As he moved through the brush, I told Colleen to get ready and I would stop him in a clearing he was almost at. Worked like a charm, I gave a loud erp and he froze in his tracks. Boom, 229 yards and the buck was down in his tracks without so much as a leg kick! After the celebration, we all agreed Erika and Andrew should get back to glassing and Colleen and I headed down to take pics and break down the buck. We were hoping to get two bucks down and we were only half way there! Colleens first deer! It took us forever to get everything done and packed up! We were laughing, talking, and just having a good time. Then reality set in as we were walking back up the ridge and I realized my pack was around a hundred pounds. Our packs were so overstuffed we had no choice but to eat lunch because we couldn't find a pocket to stuff it in. We finally got back to Nelson and Erika and they surprised us when they said they had some bucks bedded in a small draw. Although he couldnt see them, there was no way out with rock bluffs above so we all made a plan for them to move out to a point they could shoot into the draw and try and relocate the bucks. We hung the meat in the shade and got set up and off they went. It was just after noon and we were confident the plan was good. As they were getting into position, Colleen and I were laughing, she said she felt like a peeping tom because we watching them so much through the binos. It took a while, but Nelson was able to glass up the bedded bucks tucked in some grass. They were 275 yards with no good shot at the vitals. They decided to be patient and let the buck stand for a better shot and the wait began. Back at our glassing knoll, Colleen and I heard a few noises and I told her to keep an eye out for javis, thinking they might be somewhere close. After a while we went over and checked on the meat hanging in the tree to make sure it was still in the shade and we found a big surprise! The javelina had snuck into less than 30 yards from us and left a massive turd right by the deer head! We were laughing hysterically and unbelievably, never did get to see them. Finally, at around 4 the little buck was up feeding and Erika got back in the rifle. We were watching and waiting in suspense. Nelson called me and told me where the little buck was feeding to and said I should be able to see him soon. Sure enough, he came over the top into plain view. Soon after just in time for the shot I caught a glimpse of the buck she was going to shoot and immediately the loud crack rang out. She made a perfect shoulder shot and we watched the buck tumble down the hill a bit and expire. Erika had just put her second coues buck on the ground! Colleen was bummed, she had just swung over to see the little buck after hours of watching Erika, waiting to see her shoot through the binos and she ended up missing it all. Erika's second coues buck! Our packs were overflowing so we decided to rearrange the packs and start heading out while Erika and Nelson moved over to take pictures and break down her buck. Talk about a heavy pack out for all of us! We made it back to the truck right after dark, which is about when they finally started walking out. They made good time and I know they put down the hustle on the way out. We couldnt have asked for a better hunt. We had an awesome time hunting with Nelson and Erika, both the ladies tagged out on good bucks, perfect weather and we were in some beautiful country the whole time. Colleen is already asking whats next! One last funny before the hunt was officially over, we got raided by BP while we were waiting in the truck for Nelson and Erika. They surrounded us and snuck up from all sides! Turned out they were looking for drug runners because of some suspicious activity spotted, people with large packs on their backs. US!!!! It was a good laugh for sure. We had a quick conversation and they headed back off into the darkness. I told them to be safe and we gave some thought to reflect how these guys and gals put their lives on the line for us and for that we should all be grateful. My daughter Ashley has the same hunt in a different unit. This Friday, Saturday and Sunday is Father/Daughter time! To be continued.......

Straight up monster coues bow kill and by a young man no less. Can't fix stupid! Why try.........

Just about time for popcorn!

I've already purchased 2014 archery & lion at the Tucson office. I have to go in for the family license deal anyway before the javelina draw to get our licenses. I can see how that could be an inconvenience for someone w/o a local office for sure.

The antlers are skull capped and were stolen from her Dad's house in Oracle, AZ. They are offering a reward for the anyone who brings these back. Please ask around, share the pics and spread the word! Contact Robert at 520-730-1268

TTT Added contact and reward info

Get out the salt shaker and text me a number.......... How big was he Frank!? Congrats on your buck!

Bow too short, must bend elbow to compensate. Bow too long, must straighten arm and stretch resulting in higher probability of sweet strawberry arm syndrome. This is a no brainer for most, seldom for others.... With that being said, good form will prevent SSAS with a bow that fits correctly

I have one I will let go for $60. I'm located in NW Tucson but will be all over town today for work. The kids have used it with good success, but we haven't used it lately.

I wonder how long it will take with people sitting on large tracts of land will follow suit on this practice. Can you only access the property to hunt the native game if you pay the guide fee? How many acres is in the high fence? Definitely an interesting business.

What a great deal! Big congrats to Clay and Kohl on some fantastic bucks and to you Dad as well!

Solid last day buck is hard to come by. Way to stick it out and drop the hammer! And kudos to you for the "brotherly love" on Bill's buck, he was overdue!!! What an awesome yr this is turning out to be. I'll have to start putting together the 2014 order of Canyon Gear, I believe it is undeniable lol Congrats again Steve!

My buddy Nelson and I along with my good friend Harvey have done an excessive amount of scouting this season and have managed to put some quality deer on video during our outings. Harvey has the second hunt, while Nelson and I had the first. We had each picked out bucks to hunt and decided to split up and we agreed after one buck hit the dirt, we would help each other fill their tag. Nelson had his sights on a buck he glassed up in velvet while we were out. We got him on video once in velvet and once hard horned right before the opener. Nelson also checked in on this buck a couple times out on his own as well. We decided anything over 100 was deserving of a name and Nelson went with Chris on his buck. Opening morning Nelson went in early with Harvey and another friend of ours Hank to try and find Chris quick and get on him. We certainly weren't the only one who knew about him and he knew it. After the war zone commenced shortly after daybreak, Chris was no where to be found. They watched as three bucks were shot up in close proximity to where they were glassing. They had the bucks early, but we had these guys on video as well and they were not what was on the menu. Nelson got really lucky and picked Chris up right as he was bedding down. A plan was made and the stalk was on! Nelson and Harvey snuck into about 430 yards, proceeded to get all set up and dialed in and the wait began for Chris to stand up. Not ten minutes later, shots rang out from other hunters shooting at Chris. With no idea where these guys were at, all they could do is glass and try to figure out what happened. Chris didn't come out of the brush and the first assumption was that he was dead. They waited around for a few minutes and then Nelson started putting all his gear away with a few choice words from what I understand. Harvey stayed in the glass, miraculously Chris steps out unharmed and Harvey told Nelson to get behind the gun. Nelson asked Harvey if he was hit and the reply was he looks clean. Nelson fires once dropping Chris in his tracks from a spinal hit. A follow up shot clipped the heart and put him to bed for good. The bummer part of the deal is it turned out it was one of his very good friends on the other ridge. His wife was on her first deer hunt and it was just a bad deal for everyone involved. Chris ended up taping out at 100 1/4". Nelson has informed members of Team Coues Killas he is going 110 or tag soup next yr! Can't wait....... Video footage of Chris in velvet Try to switch the quality to 1080HD if you can, you might need to let the video load and then switch the setting. The low quality version sucks My hunt started with my son Dillon and I packing in a spike camp the Saturday prior to the hunt leaving the truck at 3am. We left our tent, sleeping bags, jackets, almost 4 gallons of water in camp. I also stashed our binos and tripods very well before heading back home for the excruciating wait for opening day. It was a brutal endeavor taking almost 4 hours to reach base camp location. My pack weighed in at 85lbs and his right at 40. The elevation change for this climb was around 2500'. While up there we were able to get some really good video of Twister and we stayed the night and came home on Sunday. I really enjoyed being in the middle of nowhere with my boy. It was a special deal indeed. Video footage of Twister from that day Try to switch the quality to 1080HD if you can, you might need to let the video load and then switch the setting. The low quality version sucks Opening morning found us leaving the truck at 2am, the war party included my good friend Tracy and my son Dillon. We got to base camp in about 3.5 hrs, reshuffled our packs, grabbed the binos and headed for our glassing spot. The morning was slow, with only dinks and does spotted. Late in the morning I caught a glimpse of the funky buck that runs with Twister. He is an old timer with bad attitude toward the other bucks. His rack is in the downhill slide now, but his body size is impressive to say the least with a noticeably bigger body than Twister. They were far, really far and way up high. Not the least bit of what I had hoped for. The weekend before, I could of taken the shot from where we glass. We waited to see if they would come down, but instead they topped over into what I assumed was a bedding area. I told Tracy and D to take a nap and I would stand watch in the binos. After a couple hours pass, I got restless and came up with a really bad plan to stalk in on Twister and get set up for the evening which included a death march to nastiest side of the canyon. I wanted to be able to see him even if he stayed back in the bedding area even though it was a fool’s errand to go that way. Tracy came up with a much better plan and it was time to make a move. We figure patience would be better, headed to the much easier side of the bowl and hoped he would top back over to our favor in the evening. They stayed behind keeping watch and for the next hour and half I moved into position. I found an older set of sheds from "my back up buck" that I also have on video in the area. After I was in position, Tracy and D made their way over. After a while I told Tracy I needed to get some shut eye, I was whooped and ready go down willing or not. Not long into my siesta, I was rudely awaken by Tracy. "J, get up! Get in the gun, he's out." With a lack of grace, I move over to my binos and cannot pick him up. I'm way to far right and by the time I get him in the glass, he tops back over into the bedding area. WE ARE PISSED, cannot believe what just happened. As the wait begins again, I was faced with a tough decision to let my back up buck DKJ walk as he stepped out less than 300 yards away from where we set up. DKJ is a tank 4x4 with great symmetry, probably scoring 110 or better. My plan was to hold out for Twister until Tues morning and then he would be fair game. Easier said than done! Tracy thought I was a nut job for this absurd call and in my head, I was questioning my plan as well. Fortunately, it didn't take too long and he came right back over to feed. We had talked about the shot many times during the wait. With our wind meters and strelok we determined I needed to give him 5" of wind if he came back out. I ranged him at 477 and rolled the dialed to 475. It took me a few minutes to get the gun solid to the point of making Tracy nervous. This was going to be my longest shot to date and my biggest buck, in no way shape or form was I gonna screw this up. My spotters and I were ready and Tracy told me he would call out the shot. I settled in and slowly squeezed off the round. SILENCE ensued…….. I finally look over at T and he said I think you shot high. Immediately after that,, my boy says no, YOU HIT EM. Twister starts to get the wobbles and turns to show Tracy the exit wound. Tracy immediately went crazy telling me I smoked him, center punched the vitals BABY! We were jumping for joy, high fiving and hugging. I had just smoked a giant coues buck! He fell within 20 yards of where he made his last stand. It was 4:30 and we knew he was going to very tough to get to. We hauled butt to the bottom of the canyon and left everything we didn't need by a giant boulder, took gps cords of our stuff and started to head up the other side. I guess when you are in the middle of nowhere, you can leave a kings ransom in gear laying around. As we were closing in on the buck, I took the nastiest fall of my hunting career. I managed to pull a boulder on top me climbing up some rocks. Sent me flying backwards into the biggest desert broom I could find and the boulder proceeded to run me over putting the hurt on my leg and foot. It snapped one of my walking sticks clean in half. After a well-deserved freak out where I called the mountain every name in the book, we managed to make it to Twister right before dark. We took a lot of pictures, but struggled with the group pics because we left our tripods at the bottom. What an ordeal, it took us until 12:30am to get back to our spike camp. Blood, sweat and tears are painted all over this hunt. Tracy taped him out while I packed camp Saturday morning. I had put Twister at 115, maybe better, all the while hoping for 120. He taped out at 122&1/4 with 19" plus main beams and 29 &1/4" of mass. I scored him again today and came up with 124 &1/8, but I tend to be a typical white guy and add a couple inches to my measurements. Our buddy Harvey met us on the journey out to help take some weight off our shoulders and bring a cooler full of ice and drinks so we could get the meat and cape on ice when we hit the trucks. This is by far my best accomplishment as a hunter, my passion for coues deer is second to none and I can’t wait to do it all over again. I couldn’t have pulled this off without my son Dillon and Tracy’s help, for which I am very grateful they were there to be a part of this. Also, my wife Colleen is very understanding and supportive of my addiction. I will love her always for letting me be who I am.

Great buck, he's a no brainer for sure!

Contact Anthony Beretta the Archery Manager at Sportsmans in Tucson. They are looking to hire immediately for a part time position. Must have experience working with archery equipment.

Dec tag from 09' Unit 29 Only Dec tag I've been able to draw. We hunted pretty hard and this guy was the biggest after 4 days of glassing. We were in the mid 40s for a buck count when my buddy Harvey glassed this guy up. We moved in for a better look and the rest is history. He was hanging out with 4 or 5 ladies.

Definitely not prepared to read this story this morning. I am very sorry for the loss of your nephew and such a tragic loss for your whole extended family. It brought tears to read this story. That's a great deer and hopefully it will be a step to find a way to cope with loss of his son and somehow move on. I can't even imagine how painful this must be. God Bless and may Big Guns, Gunner rest in piece.

I really like Elkaholics response. I for one had/have issues with both of my sons wanting trophies. By the time they started hunting, there was already quite a few animals on the wall and there older sister had whacked a nice 4x muley on her first hunt so I think they put undo pressure on themselves. I wish we would have focused more on just having fun rather than let them worry about how big an animal was. I seem to remember a lot of comments like "is he big enough for the wall" after I would glass up a buck or group of bucks. My oldest son (16) really isn't even that interested in hunting anymore and I believe it has to do with too much work in the field and not enough results. He is more of a gamer and less of an athletic guy even though I try and try. My younger son has taken a small deer with a rifle and a bow and I believe he would like to start trophy hunting and maybe letting a buck walk if he is small on his next hunt. Whatever there choices may be, I'm going to make sure to concentrate on having fun and letting them decide how they want it to go.

I looked at this post earlier today and was hoping for previous years pictures by the time I got home. Darn it!

WGP, Jonathon Croci is my vote. Been going there for a long, long time. Good guy and great service. Just picked up another deer yesterday.

That is a lot of big coues bucks to squeeze into one week! According to Obama, that is a few too many! Congrats on such great bucks and I can only imagine, a lot of hard work!

Way to stick it out! Nice buck

Big Congrats to your wife and you! I'm so glad that pink camo does actually work lol. My wife is going on her very first deer hunt for the late Nov and she has the same shirt picked out for the hunt!!!!

I sent you over a pm, did you get it?