spot and stalk

[desertdeer]

for two weekends now I have tried to close the distance on those little deer. I can get within 70 or so yards, but something always seems to go wrong. The wind, make too much noise or they just slip away. But I would not have it any other way. Spot and stalking coues deer is the most fun I could ever have. I guess if I really want to shot one I could always sit water or set a stand up. Anyone else having success tryin to run and gun these deer?

[4Falls]

Yeah, sitting in a blind or treestand is an easy way to kill a coues deer. All you have to do is stay log about 14-16 hours a day in the comfort of a ground blind or from the relaxed perch of a treestand, without moving or even blinking to frequently. Not fall asleep while listening to the wind blow gently thru the pines. Pray that something, a bird or dare I ask a squirrel would just come down to to the water to get a drink just so you have something to look at besides a pool or murky water or an very inanimate chunk of salt. Yep. Piece of cake.

[SilentButDeadly]

Congratulations you just found a Gray Ghost! Please observe the following instructions:

 

1.) Wait until he beds down.

2.) Memorize EVERY SINGLE DETAIL down to the last rock, stick, shrub, bush, tree, cactus where he is bedded. Close your eyes, imagine walking in, open, see if you got it right, repeat.

3.) Figure out a way that you can get in on him without seeing him (or more likely the case, him seeing you).

4.) Go home (or back to camp), eat something, take a shower, shoot your bow a couple of times to make sure it is dialed-in, put on your freshly washed and hung dry scentlok clothes.

5.) Come back, relocate him to make sure he hasn't moved.

6.) If the wind isn't favorable don't even think about putting a stalk on him, scentloks don't work.

7.) If the wind is favorable, take off your shoes, put on at least 2 pairs of heavy socks and start moving in as quiet as you possibly can.

8.) TAKE YOUR TIME, a good stalk can take anywhere from 2-6 hours, no need to rush it at this point, you know where he is, its the middle of the day, he ain't going anywhere.

9.) As you get within 100 yards, start glassing THROUGH the bushes with your binos, look for antler tips, eyes, ears, tail. Take a couple of steps, repeat, repeat, repeat.

10.) When you are within 40 yards get to a place you can take a shot on him where you can draw down without him seeing you.

11.) Draw, stand up, step out.

12.) Try and remember everything Randy Ulmer ever taught you in 5 seconds.

13.) Knock another arrow. Try and get another shot off before he gets away.

14.) Sit down, curse, then cry that you screwed it up, again.

15.) Go look for your arrow(s).

16.) Blood! Holy $%*^ you hit him!

17.) Follow blood trail to deer

18.) Cry some more, over the body of beautiful creature you just laid to rest!

 

[COOSEFAN]

for two weekends now I have tried to close the distance on those little deer. I can get within 70 or so yards, but something always seems to go wrong. The wind, make too much noise or they just slip away. But I would not have it any other way. Spot and stalking coues deer is the most fun I could ever have. I guess if I really want to shot one I could always sit water or set a stand up. Anyone else having success tryin to run and gun these deer?

 

Welcome to the site Desertdeer, and best of luck to you on your quest for a spot n stalk Coues! I do have to say though, you are probably not aware of how much effort most guys put into their water or stand set-ups, and your post will only start an argument. Yes, there are guys who have just sat down on a tank and shot a monster buck, but the majority of successful water or stand hunters put more time and energy into their set-ups than most spot n stalkers ever will! That being said, I have tried for many years to kill a spot n stalk archery Coues without success, it has been the hardest thing for me to accomplish! I also have never sat a tank or stand but that is only because I have never had the time to devote to doing it right with all the scouting and patience involved with that tactic. In my mind spot n stalk and sitting are just "apples and oranges"..... just different styles but still lots of effort, knowledge and skill needed for both.

 

Let's not let this get ugly folks

[COOSEFAN]

Congratulations you just found a Gray Ghost! Please observe the following instructions:

 

1.) Wait until he beds down.

2.) Memorize EVERY SINGLE DETAIL down to the last rock, stick, shrub, bush, tree, cactus where he is bedded. Close your eyes, imagine walking in, open, see if you got it right, repeat.

3.) Figure out a way that you can get in on him without seeing him (or more likely the case, him seeing you).

4.) Go home (or back to camp), eat something, take a shower, shoot your bow a couple of times to make sure it is dialed-in, put on your freshly washed and hung dry scentlok clothes.

5.) Come back, relocate him to make sure he hasn't moved.

6.) If the wind isn't favorable don't even think about putting a stalk on him, scentloks don't work.

7.) If the wind is favorable, take off your shoes, put on at least 2 pairs of heavy socks and start moving in as quiet as you possibly can.

8.) TAKE YOUR TIME, a good stalk can take anywhere from 2-6 hours, no need to rush it at this point, you know where he is, its the middle of the day, he ain't going anywhere.

9.) As you get within 100 yards, start glassing THROUGH the bushes with your binos, look for antler tips, eyes, ears, tail. Take a couple of steps, repeat, repeat, repeat.

10.) When you are within 40 yards get to a place you can take a shot on him where you can draw down without him seeing you.

11.) Draw, stand up, step out.

12.) Try and remember everything Randy Ulmer ever taught you in 5 seconds.

13.) Knock another arrow. Try and get another shot off before he gets away.

14.) Sit down, curse, then cry that you screwed it up, again.

15.) Go look for your arrow(s).

16.) Blood! Holy $%*^ you hit him!

17.) Follow blood trail to deer

18.) Cry some more, over the body of beautiful creature you just laid to rest!

 

That's awesome Tyson!!! That is what it takes for sure......I can't wait to finally experience #16 thru #18

[CouesWhitetail]

Congratulations you just found a Gray Ghost! Please observe the following instructions:

 

1.) Wait until he beds down.

2.) Memorize EVERY SINGLE DETAIL down to the last rock, stick, shrub, bush, tree, cactus where he is bedded. Close your eyes, imagine walking in, open, see if you got it right, repeat.

3.) Figure out a way that you can get in on him without seeing him (or more likely the case, him seeing you).

4.) Go home (or back to camp), eat something, take a shower, shoot your bow a couple of times to make sure it is dialed-in, put on your freshly washed and hung dry scentlok clothes.

5.) Come back, relocate him to make sure he hasn't moved.

6.) If the wind isn't favorable don't even think about putting a stalk on him, scentloks don't work.

7.) If the wind is favorable, take off your shoes, put on at least 2 pairs of heavy socks and start moving in as quiet as you possibly can.

8.) TAKE YOUR TIME, a good stalk can take anywhere from 2-6 hours, no need to rush it at this point, you know where he is, its the middle of the day, he ain't going anywhere.

9.) As you get within 100 yards, start glassing THROUGH the bushes with your binos, look for antler tips, eyes, ears, tail. Take a couple of steps, repeat, repeat, repeat.

10.) When you are within 40 yards get to a place you can take a shot on him where you can draw down without him seeing you.

11.) Draw, stand up, step out.

12.) Try and remember everything Randy Ulmer ever taught you in 5 seconds.

13.) Knock another arrow. Try and get another shot off before he gets away.

14.) Sit down, curse, then cry that you screwed it up, again.

15.) Go look for your arrow(s).

16.) Blood! Holy $%*^ you hit him!

17.) Follow blood trail to deer

18.) Cry some more, over the body of beautiful creature you just laid to rest!

 

 

 

Very Good Tyson!

 

Desertdeer....just keep at it. Every time you will get better at it and eventually you will get one! You probably already saw the post of the monster buck Jody Beck got with her bow, spot and stalk at 45 yards. It can be done!

 

 

 

Amanda

 

[firefighter166]

Yeah, sitting in a blind or treestand is an easy way to kill a coues deer. All you have to do is stay log about 14-16 hours a day in the comfort of a ground blind or from the relaxed perch of a treestand, without moving or even blinking to frequently. Not fall asleep while listening to the wind blow gently thru the pines. Pray that something, a bird or dare I ask a squirrel would just come down to to the water to get a drink just so you have something to look at besides a pool or murky water or an very inanimate chunk of salt. Yep. Piece of cake.

+1

[coueschaser3]

Dont get discouraged, i first started chasin the ghosts when i was way young and knew nothin about them. i was actually lookin for muleys....i have not gone after muleys since. Nor have i bagged one with a bow. but they run through my head everyday all day and i cant get enough of em. I chase em and come home empty handed at least once a week when the hunt is on and enjoy every second of it. and Ive tried sittin Its JUST AS HARD!!! i cant do it, every twig crackin shoots my adrenaline up. Back out tommorrow well see how many times i get busted. Good luck. and follow those steps one day it will work.

[BowNut]

Spot and Stalk Rocks!!

I made it out late today. I had been to this area twice and have had trouble finding deer there. My buddy tells me "They are there" . Well I get there at about 11:00 and hike in its HOT Dang Hot!! By noon I'm set up and glassing. By 12:05 I got three nice bucks bedded under a tree 442 yards(I ranged it) away. Wind is great blowing hard in my face I slap on some face paint and its time to roll. I pick a tree I want to work my way to about 100 yards from the bucks so I can get a better look at them. Its now 1:45 I'm at my tree/bush and I can't see the deer! There GONE! I didn't see them leave they had to be there. I start to work slowly around the down hill side of the tree because they were higher then it and the wind changed some. Oh Crap there they are bedded 80 yards in front of me I was looking at the wrong trees! So I slide back behind my tree and go the other way. There is two trees between me and them and if I can get there its less then a 50 yard shot. I get about 10 feet from were I want to be and I can see the velvet rack of one of the buck over the top of the tree. Its ON just a few more steps and I can post my pics on CW.com. One buck stands up then another all I need is for one to walk to the right 2 steps and I got the shot! The third buck jumps up and all three run the wrong way and over the hill they go. Three of the biggest bucks I have ever put a stalk on GONE. It was the best day I have had this year hunting it was Awesome! Still have no idea what happened but I'm sure they must have winded me. Can't wait to get out and do it again.

 

Little do they know I got a Oct. rifle tag there and a 270win. 140gr. Accubond with one of there names on it!

[desertdeer]

Well another weekend with some opportunities but again no deer. It was an enjoyable yet hot Sunday down south. I had glasses up a few small bucks in the morning but nothing I wanted to go after. In the afternoon I did find a nice mature buck and the stalk was on. I had glassed him up from about 700 yards or so, on the other side of this canyon. I slipped down and back around to get the wind in my favor but it ment that I had to climb up the mountain. Anyway, I got to the same hill he was on. By this time he was up feeding away from me. I kept closing the distance on him. I got to about 90 yards and waited for him to drop into a little cut so I could sneak up on top of him. When I got to the top of where he last was I could not find him. I tried to glass him up but he was gone. Oh well. It was fun just to see him and get within almost shooting range.

 

I did not mean to offend anyone by suggesting stalking is harder. Everyone has their preferred method of hunting. I just think when you use water, a staple for their survival, in the hottest part of the year it does put the odds in the hunters favor. I prefer to spot and stalk. Hunting over water and attractants is legal so it’s hard to say that’s it unsporting. We all have a choice how we hunt. I don't see any reason why a hunted would need to defend their tactic if they did not believe in it.

 

Congratulations to all the successful archers in their harvest during the first part of the season.

[IHunt2live]

Just keep at it. It will happen. Like mentioned before I think its realy hard to get in on them unless they remain in one spot, their bed. Not going to say that its not posible to stalk up on feeding deer. I've goten into bowrange before on feeding deer but its much more difficult, especialy when you have to lose sight of them to get into position.

I will say that this was the first year I tried those, sneeke feet, or safari sneakers (which I have) and they help out a ton. I just can't bring myself to taking off my shoes while walking around in the desert.

Good luck

[Snapshot]

I know what you mean. Years ago I learned the hardway about taking off the boots for a stalk. I had to pry a cholla pod out of my foot with my knife.

[firstcoueswas80]

Brent that sounds fantastic!!!

 

 

On the 4 bucks that I stalked a couple of weeks ago, I think that I should have waited for them to get up. All 4 were bedded and they had every angle covered. I think if I would have waited at 90 yards for them to get up and feed, I could have closed in 30-40 more yards and been in a excellant position for the shot.

[Guest 300ultramag.]

ttt

[Snapshot]

Brent that sounds fantastic!!!

 

 

On the 4 bucks that I stalked a couple of weeks ago, I think that I should have waited for them to get up. All 4 were bedded and they had every angle covered. I think if I would have waited at 90 yards for them to get up and feed, I could have closed in 30-40 more yards and been in a excellant position for the shot.

 

 

Yeah, its a tough mother trying to sneak up on a group of bedded bucks, I have been busted beofre tryin that one.