bchoitz

They guys I work with call our coues deer a "Jackalope"! As for the hunting, I think with a bow, the Coues is harder to hunt, but the eastern whitetails are much easier due to their predictable patterns of behavior and movement. As for the bottomland dweller, my first taste of mule deer came at 10,500 feet in central Colorado. Hardly bottom dweller country. If it has antlers it's going to be fun to hunt it, and that is good enough for me. Now, why do you call a massive buck a "toad"? All in fun, Bret

Larry and Mike, Thank you, that was well put on both accounts. I like the idea of access points required by lease holders. On the flip side, we the people accessing these areas need to remember that the area we travel through to get to our public land is to be treated with respect or access may be denied in the future. My hat is off to the owners of the land north of the Nogales airport, and at three R canyon for allowing access at those points. Thank you. Bret

Ahh! The "Coues Fever". I got that about 5 years ago when the guy I had been hunting with had other plans for the fall hunt, and I had junior hunts to go on with my son. We decided to put in for the Sept Rifle Elk and the deer season with the least probability of getting drawn. We picked the December hunt in 35B.. only 50 tags. Well, we got the preference point for elk, and my son got his Jr. tag for deer, and by strange coincidence we got the December rifle tag in 35B. He didn't want to go, so I went alone for a couple weekends. Being a Colorado boy who had never hunted for whitetails before, I didn't know what to expect, but figured I'd go about it the same as with Mulies. So I hiked up the mountain and started looking around for deer. Well, they were there, and in the rut that year, but that morning they were on the NEXT hill over. Down and up I went, taking about an hour to get there (big hills). Well I did find the deer, but about the same time as I found the bucks fighting and chasing a couple does I also found a bunch more does. I knew they were deer because the only other time I'd seen so many white flags was at the french army training base. I did not tag a deer that year, but was intriuged by what I'd seen, and with all the Javalina I saw (even a group that had piglets that were within arms reach before I spooked them..) I started using that area for a javalina tag so I could watch those deer some more. I've been hooked ever since. The vulcan mind meld? Well, I want to think like the deer Sadly all I got was ...Hide...Sex...hide....sex....sex....hide...eat....hide...sex...sleep. WEll, I already knew that! Actually I was trying to balance the camera on three rocks, set the time delay (must be set for each shot...), then place the camera, push the button, hope the rocks don't fall, run down the hill, around the bush, up the hill, grab the deer, pose for the shot look natural... Oh yeah, and SMILE! Thanks for the feedback... It helps the fun to continue. Good luck to those who are out with their stick and string getting an early start on this years tag. Bret

Bummer about the unfilled tag, but I am sure you consider the hunt a success. Lots of time in the field and lots of deer and other critters to watch. Thanks for the story and the pictures. Bret

Mixed feelings on that one huh? On the one hand it's nice to have your business going well, but on the other it's a loss of field time for the sport you enjoy so much. Most of us can relate to the trade-off. Good luck with the Knife Bussiness and the re-modeling! And you can always go on those hunting trips with your friends and family, you just won't get "paid" for it. How about Knifeman? Sounds better than "remodeled"... But ARIZONA GUIDE is still OK with me. Bret

Congratulations on a successful hunt! I am sure the kids think your buck was awesome! Get the other one next year and really impress them! Way to go CRB.

Oh, you probably want to know how the second half of the hunt went? When I finally got to go hunting with my wife after so many years? She got the Flu on the 23rd, and that turned into a sinus infection by the 27th, and she is only now starting to feel better. I did consider carrying her up the hill, returning for the gun and tripod and bino's and then propping her up long enough to shoot, but she thought it would be better to stay home and get well. Life throws you some curves. At least there is always next year. Bret

Well?!?! - Were waiting to hear how it ends! I'm sure there is a deer in this somewhere! I am hoping it's a big one! Bret

Congatulations Steve and Jim! I was wondering how your hunt was going. That is a beautiful symetrical buck, and as you have said, that is not an easy unit to hike in. At 66, I hope I will still be able to hunt those hills as well. Bret God bless you all, and Happy new year!

Congratulations Amanda, it is a fine looking buck. Seems those other hunters wanted you to have him. Thanks for a wonderful continuing story, and a satisfied ending. Bret

I am a transplant from Colorado, and was not here when Az had 105K hunters in the field for deer, but I am curious about how many elk were in the state at that time, and if the increases in elk population have reduced the number of deer, particularly along the rim. I can only think of one reason why the number of permits available would go down, and that is because the harvest objectives are being met with the number of hunters in the field, or because the number of animals in the field is declining due to the increasing drought and loss of winter range. I do believe if the AZG&F could sell 105K deer permits instead of 40K deer permits and maintain the deer population, they would do so. Also, for any college students with hopes of becoming a wildlife manager in the future... I really hope all the hatred expressed by some of the people posting here does not deter you from a career that will provide you with low pay, long hours, potentially dangerous work, and some blatent and misdirected frustration from a group of people that you try to help and even consider yourself a part of. Know that there are some of us who will respect you in the field, and respect your choice of career. We know you are not choosing it for the money.. Bret

That rubber mallet is a good idea! Hit the pig on the head and then hit your shoulder as hard as you can. Hit it once for the 243, twice for the 270, and thre times for the magnums. With that dilemma, I'd take a psitol or the .30-30. The worst that can happen is you don't have a Javalina to clean and eat. Whatever you take, enjoy it. Bret

I'm sitting at home waiting! My wife still has a tag for the late hunt, and we planned to be out this week from the 26-28th, but that pseky flu epidemic has her laid up and hacking since the 23rd! Still, we are hopeful that she will be well enough to get out on Friday, but with my college aged daughter back off for school, we don't plan to stay overnight, so it will be a one-day trip with hopes and prayers. Az4Life, I'm pulling for you on this one., and everyone else who has not tagged out yet. Bret

Merry Christmas to all and may God bless you all. And my kids were up even sooner than I would be to go hunting.. Bret

Great Story! I'm so gald I didn't have a chance to read the forum while you were posting this. Those are two very nice bucks, congratulations. Bret

Thanks for the continuing story. Merry Christmas, and good luck with the rest of the hunt. I can't wait to get back out next week!

8 for 8! Great job, congratulations to all.

Nice Deer, looks like he has a pretty big body. Congratulations! Must have been really fun to watch the whole thing. Bret

I wondered what he ended up with. I hope he gets to use it soon!

Good job Matt! Glad you had the opportunity to be there for his deer as well as Craig's in 35B. Sounds like a perfect weekend for all of you. Bret

Awsome buck! Congratulations to Craig. Just a side note, I thought you were helping your brother in 36B for the first few days of this hunt? Good luck on the second half with your client. Bret

My sightings were very similar to lfootmatt's excellent report minus the UDA's. I was in 35B on the west side of the unit. Lots of moonlight. Glassed several groups of does, most still accompanied by fawns. Does were grouping in twos and threes with fawns, saw maybe 30 on Friday, and about that many again on Saturday. Ranges from 30 yards to 600 yards, but I saw nothing with a discernible antler. I was using 10x50 Nikon Bino's on a tripod. Sunday I moved farther south in the unit and saw 8 deer. Because of the area I did not take my tripod that morning, and it took me almost 5 minutes of intense scrutiny at 150 yards on one spike to pick out his antlers. He was probably smaller than Ernesrto's . He was followed by one of the first does I saw that was alone, and she had some marks from being harassed, so I was a little more optimistic. She was eventually followed over the top by a buck which I eventually shot. Those were the only two bucks I saw, and I hope the big ones are more active the week after Christmas when i go back with my wife for her deer. Bret

I was out in area 35B (rifle) and say very little indication of the rut starting. Mostly saw does with fawns, although some of them had started congegating in groups of two or three does with their fawns. I hope the activity picks up in the next week or so. Bret

beautiful deer, and great story, your perseverence paid off in the end. Bret

Thank you Coosfan, and everyone else who responded by PM. I think he will have a better chance with the help you have given. He is very successful hunter, and his kids have also been pretty successful, so I think he will at least find them. He has hunted elk in that unit alot, and has seen alot of MULE deer, and thought he was putting in for mulie hunt. He was a bit concerned when he noticed it was a Whitetail hunt they had. Bret