fish Report post Posted August 19, 2008 Im courious to know if coues deer will generaly maintian consitent daily habits. Obvisously they are motivationally driven by food and water, but when given an abundance of rain, will the deer maintain habits and stop at frequently used water holes reguardless of abundance of moisture, or will they scatter focusing more on food and not staying close to thier primary water sources. The unit I will be hunting this weekend has many water holes that I was going to scout, but perhaps I should stick to focusing on food sources while pursuing. Thanks in advance- what are your thoughts and expierence on this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bowsniper Report post Posted August 19, 2008 I have found that coues use established water holes as a last resort. If there has been recent rain, they tend to skip the water holes. Mark Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fish Report post Posted August 19, 2008 I have found that coues use established water holes as a last resort. If there has been recent rain, they tend to skip the water holes. Mark thats what i was thinking as well- i imagine they will be more food focused Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SEhunter Report post Posted August 19, 2008 I agree with Bowsniper. I see them drinking everywhere except at established water holes after it rains. Even when there has been no rain they find water other than tanks. I saw a couple of Coues pawing the ground in a wash and finding water about 4 inches down. Been hunting it ever since Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jonscaife Report post Posted August 20, 2008 your experiences are interesting. i had a camara on an established water hole for the last half of july and the begining of aug. and had deer coming in all the time despite there being plenty of rain in the area. not that you guys are wrong or anything, cause in all reality i think you guys are right and my pics were more of exception than a rule. but it was just an observation i made. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Huntn coues Report post Posted August 20, 2008 your experiences are interesting. i had a camara on an established water hole for the last half of july and the begining of aug. and had deer coming in all the time despite there being plenty of rain in the area. not that you guys are wrong or anything, cause in all reality i think you guys are right and my pics were more of exception than a rule. but it was just an observation i made. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mangum Report post Posted August 20, 2008 I agree with Jonscaife. I see plenty of couse coming into the water hole that I watch closely, and it has rained nearly everyday in the area. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bowsniper Report post Posted August 20, 2008 Well, there you have it. The answer is as clear as mud! Mark Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
audsley Report post Posted August 21, 2008 Serious omission in earlier posts. You guys who have seen "deer" still coming in to water holes even during the wet season didn't say whether they were desert mule deer, rocky mountain muleys or Coues. I don't know if there's a difference, but better fidelity on the data is always useful. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jonscaife Report post Posted August 21, 2008 Serious omission in earlier posts. You guys who have seen "deer" still coming in to water holes even during the wet season didn't say whether they were desert mule deer, rocky mountain muleys or Coues. I don't know if there's a difference, but better fidelity on the data is always useful. mine were coues Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gotcoues Report post Posted August 22, 2008 In my experience with my cams, the traffic slows down for sure during the wet season. I have one tank in particular I've been watching that still has decent traffic, but the general area has really good drainage. I think if they have to trip over natural water to get to the water hole, don't hold your breath while on stand. You'll surely pass out and dangle in your harness. Ha Ha Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azhuntnut Report post Posted August 28, 2008 I sat a stand this past weekend for three days and also sat in it three seperate days before the weekend. Within that time, not one deer came into water. The area I was in has been getting lots of rain and I finally figured they were staying down in a canyon about three quarters of a mile from the pond I was on. I know this is a good pond based on some very good info passed along to me. There were elk hitting it during the night time, but nothing else during the day. I plan on setting up a camera after the elk season to see if they start to come back in after the rains stop. David Share this post Link to post Share on other sites