Hunting Coues on Horseback

[bookcliffs]

I would post some pics but my computor crashed and I lost a lot of my photos. Arizona is a greaat state to hunt a horseback. I have hunted 27, 28, and 32 for coues from a horse. All of the places mentioned are high quality area's and you can get away from the crouds with a horse or mule. Other units I have hunted with horses are 5a, 5b, 6, 9, and of course the 12's and 13's. Most of my pack hunts are scheduled for 7 to 10 days and I don't plan on coming out until I run out of food or the hunt is over. We even did a pack hunt last year on a leftover coues tag and filled half our tags but it wasn't for lack of deer. Send me a PM if you want to, I am most familure with unit 1 and 27. My string is down at this time, to 6 animals and half of them are green so packing will be a challenge this year. If I can recover some photos I will post them.

 

DCM

 

I think we'll put in for 27 because I like the country and hunting next to the NM border is pretty remote. Bill and I trailer 5 mules so we try to get by with 3 pack animals. We've also put in for elk in wilderness areas in Utah and Colorado. photos attached. I just came on this article about the guide that got shot in NM back in 2002. From: The Chatanoogan.com

 

 

Two Hunters Face Criminal Charges for Accidental Shootings

posted October 22, 2002

 

In Reserve, New Mexico a hunter from Selma, Alabama hunter has been charged in the fatal shooting of a professional outfitter in his elk-hunting party.

 

60-year-old Willard Brent Camp of Selma, faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the October 15th death of 27-year-old Michael Najar, a New Mexico hunting guide.

 

Camp was released on a 25-thousand dollar bond after his arraignment last Thursday.

 

Catron County Sheriff Cliff Snyder said Najar was killed in the mountains north of Reserve, New Mexico.

 

Snyder said Camp shot an elk twice from a range of several hundred yards across Deep Canyon. Najar and two other members of the hunting party hiked to the opposite side of the canyon to find the elk. Camp, who suffers from health problems, stayed behind.

 

Snyder said Najar grabbed the elk horns and was looking at the animal when Camp fired once, hitting Najar in the head.

[Snapshot]

I guess it was in N.M. That explains why I couldn't find anything about it in my research.

 

Bookcliffs,

 

Enjoy your hunt in there. Beautiful,rugged,and remote country. Be safe, and be sure to tell us about your hunt this fall!

[nmmuleman]

Unit 27 is made for that type of hunting. A local guy here recently passed away, but spent a lot of time in that unit packing in far from roads and he killed some amazing bucks, year-after-year. He found huge bulls and huge sheds, but always had something bigger staked out for next year. The areas he hunted, and his techniques aren't really a secret - he was just willing to work way harder and endure much more cold and isolation than most hunters want to deal with.

 

I don't know of a more "roadless" area in AZ than 27. The Blue River Wilderness Area probably has more game than any other areas in the state. Huge trophy potential, but as mentioned before, the wolves are taking a toll. There are good reasons this area has been considered as a possible site for re-introducing grizzly bears in AZ. Most of it is more-or-less inaccessible to humans except by horseback or pack trails, and let's face it. Aside from the boy scout troop here and there sticking to known trails, and a few die hards, most people don't venture that deep. It's true wilderness, and if you get hurt, you are a long way from anything.

 

For what it's worth, if you want to pack in there with mules and want someone to tag along, shoot me a PM. I've never hunted off horseback or mules but I've always wanted to.

 

 

Thanks for the great information on 27. I've packed in for elk and set up camp east of Bear Mountain in years past. I think it was about about a 3 to 4 hour mule ride providing you had no wrecks. There was an old corral and a nice spring there and I'm thinking if we hunted south of that area it might be good country for coues. That would put it about 10 miles east of Strayhorse and a couple miles west of the NM border. That country had a pretty good elk herd and a lot of bear and I'm thinking far enough away except for hunters on horseback or some crazed young-buck that has a strong back and a good set of legs. Horseback is stickly transportation. They're noisy enough to push game before you see them or you can't get off fast enough to get set up for a shot before they're out of sight. Patience and glassing is the same. Thanks for you help.