Long story buck.

[swcouesfanatic]

I want to give special thanks to Tim Coonen, Cody Nelson, Erin Bittner, Jay Scott, and Darr Colbrun for the commitment of their time, efforts, blood, sweat, and tears. It has taken me almost 20 years to shoot a good Coues buck like this one. I couldn't have done it without the team effort. Especially the brutal pack job that took us 4 hours to get out of that hole. Thanks you guys! Cody G

 

 

This story starts out during the early bear season of 2005. I was glassing/traversing a nasty mountain side in search of a big ole' bear. After glassing a few of my better spots off the mountain i moved to a bluff i had never gone out to hoping for a better vantage point. After sitting down and trying to warm up from the soaking i had just got and recover from the manzanita cuts and bruises from sliding around the wet hillside i glassed up 3 really nice bucks. Upon inspection, one proved to be better than the rest yet had a strange looking low mainbeam that was very abnormally wide. i watched them disappear over a hillside and marked it on my GPS. Did see a bear but so far out it was not worth my time. I then headed out thinking about how amazing that buck was.

 

Early archery hunt of '06 found me on that same Bluff overlooking a bowl, bow in hand tag in pocket. Again i glassed up the Wide low beamed buck, this time more extrordinary. After watching a bit i knew where he was headed, unfortuately it was friendly to my archery equipment and much of the stalk would be wrong. That year i glassed up this wide Buck quite often but always in absolute nasty places that offered no stalk. But i gained alot of knowledge about the buck and this year lost him as soon as he went hard horned. Always in one of two canyons but gone after the archery hunt.

 

Again in '07 this buck had captured my mind and i set out during the archery hunt again. I watched him over his normal moves and beddings and grew great respect for the buck that i could never get into arrow range with. He was strange in every aspect when it came to what i knew about these little ghosts. Always bedded in direct sunlight all day, always on south and south south/east facing slopes, previously torched cover and only low growth on his hills. This year he left his favorite canyon, although i did find him the same day i could not completely figure him out, Until again, come hard horned time he was no where to be seen. This year i tried furiously to find him. I contacted a buddy of my Boss whom had a tag and wanted to get out there and see if we could find him in the oct hunt. We spend countless days glassing both canyons and during the hunt turned up alot of bucks, some nice, but not him.

 

Now this year......it started off great, i located a hidden canyon.....not so much hidden just not viewable from everywere i had been, nor had i looked at maps. It was perfect, in between both canyons, small yet steep thick and nasty. And the same terrain he seemed to love...hey he even had a hill side that was sunny all day to bed on. The second day glassing it i found him. WOW!!!!! he was wider than ever, but from the safety of distance couldnt not tell much other than really wide and huge eye guards. From then on we, myself and Cody Goff...whom happened to have the tag again, spend every weekend and more switching off watchin him. it became apparent this was somewhat of a sanctuary canyon for him. We Watched him continuously since Late august and thought we lost him hard horned again until the week before the hunt, cody glassed him up. Same spot. Time was growing shorter and neither of us could sleep.

 

Thursday night we met on the mountain...he had glassed all day with no sign of what we now called the Bird dog buck......mostly because this was the most paranoid spastic buck i have ever watched. Constantly freezing, flagging, droppin in a hurry to the ground, watchin his back trail so often that i cant believe he had time to eat. And one time going into what looked identical to a deer on point for over 20 min without twitchin...... Friday i also had a girl and her father to help out so since codys buddys showed up that morning i decided to help her and listen on the radio to codys hunt.

 

3 hours in still nothing, then Cody heard a shot from the direction the buck comes from in the morning and also where two other hunters had gone into. Freaking out he climbed the Rock Bluff from HE!! to see. A bit into it Jay tells him over the radio to stop, just stop where ever he is. The Bird dog had kicked out down from him and was running across the canyon side. after some waiting and wondering the buck had bedded 500yds down but still huntable. It was decided that cross canyon would be the best opportunity so Cody made his was back around the Rock bluff to the opposite side of the canyon. They met up and Both stalked down a ridge and across open ground to a rock spine ranged at 375 from the bedded buck. after some waiting He had a shot. But right then the buck decided he was safe and stood, after a slight readjustment........BOOOOM!!!!!! it was over, the buck was down not a twitch or a kick. Good shot by Cody and congratulations again. I had about 2 miles and 2000 vert feet to get to em so i took off to see this magnificent buck i had watched so long. And it was worth the cuts and bruises it took to get down there.

 

The buck has not been scored but is at Mogollon Taxidermy right now, 17" wide and 5+ on his eye guards. His tines didnt grow in as good as previous years, probably because he was so old he had about 4 Teeth. Also was healthy as heck, had about an inch and a half of fat over most of his body. Two people have him guessed on the ground at close to 103 but no one had a tape.....both of us could care less it was alot of work that paid of and memories that will last forever.

 

Im gonna try to post the pics, there are also some more and a short description of the hunt and nasty pack out on Jayscottoutdoors.com in his blog about Codys hunt.

 

Pictures are a bit out of order but the velvet pic is about 2 months ago and the hard horn pic is about 2 weeks ago. Enjoy .....i know i did. -Tim

 

[coueschaser3]

Anytime Cody, your a great guy to hunt with and did a heck of a job on that buck. Anyone who would go into that hole knowin they might have to pull that much out would deserve that buck, but you especially, i dont think i could be any happier shootin him myself. Ive got plenty of time for a good buck and the smile on your face, constant thanks, and hands shakin hours after the shot was completely worth it. Look forward to hunting with ya more and maybe downin my bull together. GOOD JOB AGAIN!!! you deserve it, btw now that you got a cwt name ya gotta post pics when that mount is done its gonna be one sweeeeeeeet mount!

 

-Tim

[Simple Hunter]

I like that wide spread. I'd take that buck over a skinny spread with longer tines anyday. Good job.

[azpackhorse]

That is one of the coolest Coues bucks I have ever seen! Congrats!

[Coues 'n' Sheep]

 

 

Glad to see you joined up Cody... Now Bittner can give you crap like he does me... Congrats again!

[cramerhunts]

Awesome buck and great write up, that's what it's all about right there. Hard work with great results! A huge congrats to all.

 

Phil

[AllBoutHuntn]

What a spread on that buck. You guys did a great job putting in your time for this buck, congrats on a well deserved buck!!

[AZ RANGER]

Marvelous buck.

 

Congrats.

[Chef]

Much congrats on the buck!

 

Tim...great to finally see that buck hit the dirt.

It's much more rewarding knowing you have pics of him from past years I bet.

Let us know what the officil score is too. I know you said his points aren't all that long but

they doo look extra short with all that width. Kind of takes you for a loop when you first see him

and try and score from just the pic.

 

Congrats again guys!

 

Tim, now you just have a bull tag to fill!

[tommat]

Awesome story and buck! That is truley how to get the biguns.

[Coues Archer]

WOW!!! Great job. That buck has tremendous spread.

[tjhunt2]

Thanks for sharing and congrats to all who helped.

 

TJ

[newazhunter]

Dang that is one wide spread. Very impressive buck. Nice job.

[kcw]

Heck of a nice buck, very unique. congrats to the hunter

[bearbait]

Ehhhhh...I've seen bigger!!

 

But honestly, Nice shot Cody! Tim called me while he was running over mountains in minutes like a f'ing billy goat and could even spit any words out he was so excited, so I can only imagin how you felt cody! Good job son!!