First Coues (pic heavy! Long Story!)

[BML]

This story actually starts last October during the rifle coues deer hunt. I was very fortunate enough to be able to harvest my biggest buck at the time on the second day of the hunt. He scored 71 and change. I realized after that hunt, that I was in an area that I knew with enough hard work the following summer I could have a great chance at killing a buck with my bow. The plan was set in motion back then and yesterday the plan came to fruition!

 

I started in June going in every Monday after work and setting up my trail cameras and then going in the following Friday to pick them up. Although I rarely ever see anyone in this area, it is still an area that is very easily accessible and at any time could see a lot of traffic so I tried not to keep my trail camera up over the weekends. Each trip in, I would see a TON of new deer sign at the tank, but never a single picture on my cameras. This went on for two solid months before I decided to move my camera(down to one since one broke on me) into a gnarly canyon with a spring in the bottom. My thought process was that I could have a better chance at killing a BIG buck off this spring. After about 20 or so days in the field scouting opening day was upon me. I had seen several small bucks and does, but nothing that really peeked my interest.

 

Here's the story of my hunt:

 

 

Day One:

 

Due to various schedule conflicts, I was only able to free up about 6 hours a day to hunt. Opening morning I was heading into the spring. Here's the view from the top looking down to where I was going.

 

 

Trust me, you don't want to take this trip every day!!

 

I actually wasn't planning on hunting this spring this year, but I still had my trail camera down there and I had already built a blind, so I figured what the heck. I have to get my camera anyway.

 

Here is a picture of the spring water.

 

 

Can you say deer sign??

 

 

I sat this spring for 6 solid hours and only had one doe come in. Unfortunately, I had this to look forward to on my way out. My truck was several hundred yard on the other side of the top!!

 

 

Day Two:

 

I couldn't hunt over the weekend, but I was back at it on Monday. I went to my #1 spot where I had spent so many days scouting over the summer. I set up a ground blind (Thanks TAM!!) and the wait began. About two hours into the wait, I see a very nice buck get up from a draw and start walking up the hill behind the tank. He made a huge half circle and spent 30 minutes before he decided that he wanted to come get a drink. He stepped into the open at 50 yards or so and immediately saw my blind. He did not like it either!! He still wanted to water, but he was very cautious with every step. I had all my distances pre-ranged so I was ready where ever he would go. He hung up at 60 yards for what seemed like an eternity. Normally, 60 yards is a chip shot for me, but this is the first time I have ever really hunted coues deer with my bow. I know how small they are and I know how tough they can be if you make a bad hit. I decided not to try to let one fly at 60 yards and he obliged by never coming all the way to water and turning around and leaving. As quickly as he showed up, he was gone. I was sick to my stomach figuring I had just passed on my only opportunity.

 

Day Three:

 

After day two's encounter with a nice buck, I decided that before I left I needed to move my blind and brush it in much better. I spent about an hour cutting a whole in some oak brush and really concealing my blind. I didn't know if I would ever get another chance, so I wanted to be sure if I did, it wouldn't be the blind that ruined it. Here is what the final result was.

 

 

 

I sat this tank for another 6 hours and only had one doe come in. There was some good news, though. She came in downwind of me and hung out a mere 20 yards from my blind for a solid 5 minutes and never once looked my direction. That really got my hopes up for sure!

 

 

 

 

 

........aaaah yes, the dreaded TO BE CONTINUED!!

[CouesWhitetail]

Good story....keep it coming. I know that feeling when you pass on a shot, but it's generally the right decision even if you are doubting it later!

 

Amanda

 

[BML]

Day Three:

 

This day started out with much optimism. I had learned a few things over the past few days of sitting and I also knew that it was supposed to be blazin' hot outside with little or no clouds. I knew that if there was ever a day for deer to water it would be this day. A couple hours after getting in my blind, I was surfing the web via my blackberry since I was so bored! Believe it or not, and this really is no joke, I was visiting the CWT.com family when something caught my eye. On the other side of the tank, there was a big cedar tree and something under it that wasn't there before. At first I thought it was one of the two squirrels that had been playing tricks on my mind over the last couple days. I threw up the binos and was shocked to see a deer standing under that tree!! I quickly grabbed my bow. I didn't know if it was a buck yet, but I wanted to be prepared just in case. He took two steps and it was very obvious that this was not only a buck but a very BIG buck!!

 

He started down to the water at a spot that I had pre-ranged at 42 yards. I have no idea how I kept my composure as this deer headed to the water. I was a wreck after my close encounter two days prior! This time was different, though, and I was ready. I drew back when he was just a few steps from the water. He was slightly quartering towards me when he put his head down to drink....I started with my 40 yard pin on his front hoof.....slowly I raised my pin up his leg until I reached the heart....his head was still down when I touched the release. THWOP!!!! The arrow struck true!! He jumped a little, took a few steps and then stopped behind a tree. I knocked another arrow just in case. He walked in between two trees and I could see he was hurt bad. He was all hunched over and his tail was stuck between his legs. He slowly walked off and I lost sight of him after about 20 yards.

 

 

 

 

........gotta go get my daughter....be back soon!!

[Mrs125coues]

This is killing me......hurry up...want to hear the rest and see the pic's.

 

 

[stanley]

More please!!!!! I love these kind of posts!!

 

S.

 

[daryl_s]

I like the story but you're killing me. I won't be able to get back on for a while. There better be some pics when I get back

[BML]

.........so after I lose sight of him, I start to come to the realization that not only did I just shoot a coues deer with my bow, but I shot the biggest deer of my life!! I am shaking like a leaf! I immediately check the clock and start to assess the situation. Since I was shooting through the screen in my blind, I never saw exactly where the arrow hit. The buck was slightly quartering to me, but not too much (so I thought). I decided to wait a full hour before getting out of the blind. After one hour, which seemed like 10 I went to where I hit the deer. NO BLOOD! Ok, so I start looking for my arrow. I search for 45 full minutes and could not find my (censored) arrow! Now I am freaking out. I knew I hit him good, but with no blood and no arrow I just didn't know what to do. I had to go back to my blind, pack it up and hike back to the truck to give myself time to calm down and think. About two hours later, I went back to find the trail where he left. I immediately found good blood, but then it stopped after only 40 yards. At this time, I had to force myself to STOP and just get out of there before going to look for him.

 

I called my brother and dad and told them the good news/bad news story. As I knew they would, they both said chill out and wait for us to get there. They both left work and headed up my way! In the meantime, I had 90 more minutes to wait for them to get there, so I went to the nearest town to eat lunch and refuel my brain a little. It was really what I needed because I had myself so worked up over the whole situation that I really wasn't thinking straight.

 

So, a little over 5 hours later we began aggressively searching for my buck. We picked up the blood trail again, but it was very sporadic. My brother is a tracking machine and he was having trouble as well. We were able to pick up a few tracks here and there as well. About 80 yards or so into the track job, we noticed that he was dragging one of his legs in the dirt. I never hit any of his legs, so I knew this meant he was hurting real bad. We lost the blood, but had a good idea where he was going, or so we thought!! We grid searched the entire mountain side for over an hour and nothing!! I was just sick thinking I was going to lose this deer. We decided to go back to the last blood and start over. We soon picked up one little tiny spot of blood and wouldn't you know it, he was going the completely opposite direction than we had been searching!!! Tricky little booger!!

 

We searched for another 30 minutes or so and by this time I am in full depression mode!! Then, while I was on my hands and knees looking for blood I hear my brother shout "I got blood!" I started his way and hear my dad shout "There's a lot of blood here!" My walk quickly turned into a run! I came around the corner and there was my brother holding my deer!!!!! WOOOOHOOOO BABY!!

 

After a few screams and shouts I finally was able to get my hands on him. I was amazed at just how beautiful he was. I had never taken a deer in velvet, or any deer in AZ with my bow for that matter.

 

 

The wait is over! Here he is:

 

 

 

 

This is by far my favorite!!

 

 

 

Most of you know by now how much I truly enjoy spending time in the woods with my dad and brother. They dropped EVERYTHING at a single phone call and drove 90 minutes to come help me. I never would have found my deer without them!

 

Rarely will you ever see a picture in my photo albums that doesn't have at least one of them with me. Most times they are both there. The same holds true with all of there photos. Hunting just isn't the same without them. We have had plenty of hunts where tags were filled and plenty more where they weren't! Either way, we always have a great time and that's what it's all about!!

 

One last parting shot for you as we were heading home. The pic says it all.

 

 

 

[standman]

Congrats on a great buck Blake.!!! Great story and great pictures!!!

 

Brian

[JACK]

Thats awsome! congrats now go back in there in oct and stick one of those bears you've been askin about!

[azryan]

Congrats Blake! That is an awesome buck, Way to stick with it just goes too show that hard work always pays off

 

I love the progression from your 1st buck too this buck

[CVLCADMAN]

That is a beautiful buck man! Congrats! Great story as well!

[cpugsie]

Nice Looking Buck! Congratulations!!!

[elkaholic]

hello- nice buck - great story- congradulations-- gary

[Eagle Eye]

Nice buck! You should try out the rage boardheads! I think you will like them. Lots of blood.

[Str8Shot]

Great Buck !!! and great Story