Critique my experience

[timelinex]

I am new to hunting overall and don't really know any good hunters (I didn't grow up here in AZ). So all my hunting knowledge is from reading online and personal experience from the last few years of effort. I'm actually not limiting myself to Coues, but any antlered deer works.

I've bow-hunted deer on flat ground, walking and stalking. Supposedly this style of hunting deer is much harder. But I knew they passed through the particular area from non-hunting experience, so it was just a game of finding exactly where they were that day and then learning how to get close enough. I was relatively successful in the past season after nearly 100 miles (over entire season) of hiking around and learning haha

I know there is an early season (that ends today!) in game units I'm unfamiliar with, so I decided to try out the more conventional glassing from a mountain. Only one way to learn! I was able to go 4 times for 6+ hour days (starting at right before sunset). I was so disappointed. I wasn't expecting to get a deer, but I was hoping to at least spot one! I saw nothing but occasional cows (of the moo'ing variety!).

Based on reading I did the following places:

1. West of 17n off bloody basin rd

2. East of 17n across from Sunset Point, glassing into the canyon and opposite mountains. Twice

3. West of Horseshoe Lake. I got a tip from a friend that he heard the canyon in that area should hold deer. I rode my dirt bike off from the bartlet road, Then turned left on a trail close to Horseshoe. I took the dirt bike in as far as I could into the canyons, then hiked 3 miles or so that day. So it's not for lack of trying, considering it's with my 35lb bow pack in 105 degree weather! Nothing! I did find it hard to find great glassing spots. I glassed 3 or 4 different areas but it was never from a very tall peak. I could usually only get to halfway up a mountain. Even in those spots, I had to do some really sketchy steep climbing with loose ground. Walking through a lot of the canyon land habitat, I couldn't find any signs of deer except one area. I found 2 piles of scat. Which means deer have been there, but it wasn't abundant so I don't think it's a great sign either.

I wasn't expecting much from the first 2 locations since they were easy to get to and glass from, so I figured that meant most people would have already ravaged them. But I was really hopeful for the third. 

Am I doing something wrong, looking in the wrong locations, or is it just that hard to find one this time of year?

[oz31p]

If you didn’t see a single doe, yes you’re in the wrong area. 
 

what part of the state do you live in?

[timelinex]

Just now, oz31p said:

If you didn’t see a single doe, yes you’re in the wrong area. 
 

what part of the state do you live in?

Phoenix area

[oz31p]

Just now, timelinex said:

Phoenix area

I’ll send you a pm

[Allforelk]

Welcome to the site. You are putting in work and it will pay off. Sounds like you have good info coming in, so please keep at it and keep us posted. 

[timelinex]

Will do! Hopefully next season will be more fruitful.

[Mike26]

find some spots off a main highway with some good elevation change, walk 100-300 yards and start glassing.

[bigbuckfever]

Are you using a tripod for the binos?  If not, you're doing it the hard way.  You will never regret buying a decent tripod and a decent set of binos, like 15x60's.  Get out to a good glassing spot at first light where you can actually see the ground (look for the yellow grass on the hillside).  Be patient and have fun.

[Jazz]

I'll shoot ya a PM. 

[timelinex]

On 9/13/2024 at 2:58 PM, bigbuckfever said:

Are you using a tripod for the binos?  If not, you're doing it the hard way.  You will never regret buying a decent tripod and a decent set of binos, like 15x60's.  Get out to a good glassing spot at first light where you can actually see the ground (look for the yellow grass on the hillside).  Be patient and have fun.

The first time I used my 20-60 spotter on a tripod and 8x bino's freehand. Switching off. My experience so far is while it's nice to sometimes ZOOM IN with that spotting scope, it is SO MUCH more fatigueing on the eyes to use compared to the bino's. So much so that I sprung for buying 15x bino's. I took all 3 on my last hunt and ended up not even taking out the spotter. The 15x bino's were very comfortable to use. If I had found something and needed help identifying it, maybe that is when the spotter would have helped. But I'm unsure if it's worth the weight when packing it all in.

The combo of 8x for general scanning and 15x to do a little more grid scanning seemed like a good combo. But what do I know....since I'm the one complaining about not being successful at it haha

[CatfishKev]

15s and a tripod are gold.  It's also important to be set up ready to go at gray light / first light especially when it's warm out.  Also glass until its dark.  Don't be heading back to the truck until you can't glass anymore.  Lots of animals don't start moving until it's almost dark.  There's a lot less deer overall where you are at compared to the southern coues units.  Maybe take a weekend camping trip sometime down south in a deer rich environment just to hone your glassing skills.  I'm sure oz31p offered you some good suggestions as well.  If you ever make it down towards Sierra Vista hit me up.  I can point you to some spots where you will definitely find deer.  They won't be honey holes but you will find deer.

[oz31p]

43 minutes ago, CatfishKev said:

15s and a tripod are gold.  It's also important to be set up ready to go at gray light / first light especially when it's warm out.  Also glass until its dark.  Don't be heading back to the truck until you can't glass anymore.  Lots of animals don't start moving until it's almost dark.  There's a lot less deer overall where you are at compared to the southern coues units.  Maybe take a weekend camping trip sometime down south in a deer rich environment just to hone your glassing skills.  I'm sure oz31p offered you some good suggestions as well.  If you ever make it down towards Sierra Vista hit me up.  I can point you to some spots where you will definitely find deer.  They won't be honey holes but you will find deer.

I got him for center az, not ready to give up my s az spot just yet!

[Nickp3d]

Sounds like you are doing everything correctly. Right now the deer are usually going back to bed in the shade in really thick stuff right when the sun comes up in central AZ. If its over 85 degrees out I usually only glass until about 8am and dont get back on the hill until 5pm. If you are committed use spotter and look into any shady spot you can find in the afternoon.

I also make sure this time of year wherever I am glassing has a view of a water source.

[timelinex]

Thanks everyone. It sound like a part of my issue was just not looking for long enough. I did talk to oz31p and he gave me some pointers and a few other spots to check out next time. He was nice enough to offer to meet up during quail season to get some quail and talk shop. So I'll probably take him up on it!

[oz31p]

3 hours ago, timelinex said:

Thanks everyone. It sound like a part of my issue was just not looking for long enough. I did talk to oz31p and he gave me some pointers and a few other spots to check out next time. He was nice enough to offer to meet up during quail season to get some quail and talk shop. So I'll probably take him up on it!

And we can go glass a morning or 2