My 36b Coues Hunt (long)

[lfootmatt]

I'm finally getting around to this.

 

First I have to thank many people for their assistance.

 

My wife for putting up with this year's hunting excesses.

My Dad for introducing me to hunting and fishing as a kid and teaching me to shoot well.

My boys for inspiring me to quit talking about hunting every year and get out there.

Milton for being a great cousin and his awesome weapons knowledge.

Rob and Craig for a great last day of the hunt, and their vast Coues hunting knowledge and skill. Without their help I'd most likely have settled for a spike or gotten nothing.

Vince for his general Coues knowledge and scouting assistance.

Brian for .300 SAUM loading assistance. 3 shot groups under 1" @ 200 yards(180 Grain Barnes TSX, 65.5 grains R22 compressed load, ~2875 fps).

Dave for the use of his outstanding Nikon glass and help glassing during the hunt.

Manny for the daily post hunt briefings on my way out each night.

Ron at the Rem. Custom Shop for building me a real shooter.

AZ G&F for finally drawing me a tag!!!

 

And thanks to everyone here for the information and assistance. Without the knowledge and stories posted here I'd never have been prepared to make my hunt a success!

 

 

Having already scheduled a Colorado Elk hunt for November 2005, I only put in for bonus points this year. At the last minute I decided to go for the Dec. 36b WT hunt. Thinking I'd never draw such a good tag. OOps. I got drawn!

 

That led me to explore this site further. What an eye opener. This isn?t some Missouri, 20 minute, deer stand hunt! This was going to be a lot harder than that.

 

I started scouting initially with little success in September. In November and December I had better success, mostly due to help from those more knowledgeable than myself.

 

I hunted as much as my vacation time would allow. The first day I saw 20+ deer, mostly groups of does and 4 spikes. The 2nd day, same general area, less does, couple of spikes and 1 forky. Nikon 12X50 SE glass did find 3 bedded deer including a fawn at 500 yards. 3rd day tried a close by, but new area that had great terrain. I Didn't see a single deer, and was very puzzled until I discovered a UDA highway through the bottom. They were coming over a saddle and dropping into the valley. I think the pressure through the saddle was pushing out the deer. The full moon and UDA traffic was keeping the deer moving at night, I bet.

 

4th day was Christmas Eve morning. Got in real early, setup on a bowl I was sure would hold bucks. I sat there half asleep in the dark waiting to glass until heavy movement in the brush startled me awake. Being in full cammo, behind a big rock surrounded with brush made me sure I wasn't seen. It Had to have been a person, javelina or deer to make that much noise. I glassed until 9:00AM then moved over to the other side of the hill. Immediately I glassed up 3 does and 2 spikes. Spikes reappeared 20 min later sparring and chasing 2 does. All 4 dropped into a draw. On the way out I dropped in also to see what the attraction was. Turned out to have running water in it along with 4 UDA camps with very fresh prints(human). Trash was everywhere. See attached pic.

 

I took the 30th off to try another new area that looked good on paper. My buddy Dave came along to help glass. After an embarrassing dead end hike to a sheer rock wall, we hustled back to the truck drove a little further in and found a saddle that gave us access to the bowl we were looking for. We glassed many does and a couple of spikes milling about, but no shooters. We then glassed a group of 4 does 1000+ yards out moving fast down hill. They stopped occasionally to eat but were mostly moving away. They stopped again and one was really tearing up a tree. Pulled out the big glass (18X70 Nikon Astrolux) to reveal a huge 2X2 raking the heck out of a tree. Then the 4 started sparring and chasing around. Turned out to be 2 spikes, a forky and the big 2X2. The 2X2 was a shooter with real thick, outside the ears main beams and just a single big tine on each side. It was too far to see if it had eye guards. We tried to get down closer but it didn't work, they were dropping down to a spring over a mile out. Still, it was exciting to see something worth shooting. We glassed until dark, saw a few more does and spikes, then hiked out.

 

Now I'm down the last day of the hunt and thinking I might get skunked just like my Elk hunt. That's where Rob and Craig came in and saved the day. Even though they didn't know me from Adam 6 months ago, they jumped in showed me how it's supposed to be done.

 

We got in early and deep, way further than I'd been going. We setup at the base of a big bowl with ridges on 3 sides to glass. I immediately spotted 3 or 4 does in the early dawn. Rob and Craig started seeing stuff also. Craig shortly spotted a really nice buck 800+ yards out. Craig dialed us onto it. With the 18X70's I could tell he was much bigger than anything else I'd seen. They agreed was 105+ inches. I lightened my pack up while they plotted out stalk. Craig stayed down and coordinated our movements as he watched through his 15X56 Swaros. Rob led the way, with me in tow.

 

Now I'm in pretty good shape, 6'4" 215lbs, I lift and run (admittedly not enough), and I've been out hunting hard. Even with my rapidly lightened pack, Rob was kicking my butt. We dropped into a wash, up 1 hill, down again, up the next (as fast as we could scramble) then slowed to get in position to glass. We got him in sight; I dropped my pack and prepared to shoot. We were 440 out, and I was only sighted in out to 400. Then he started to move toward us, closing the distance down to 400 quickly. I'm trying to get my breathing under control from the stalk while trying to find him in my scope. Just then Craig calls and tells us to hurry because 3 coyotes popped up 50 yards below the buck and the does were starting move. Then I find him in my scope, but all I got was a grey side moving through my line of vision. I know my limits and at 400 I'm not taking a moving shot, so I passed. The buck dropped into a notch so we got up and moved fast trying to get above him where we saw some nearby does heading. We got up there fast, 3/4 of the way up the mountain, all we found was a cut that ran up to a saddle at the top. The coyotes must have spooked him out. My new .204 will exact some revenge for that infraction!

 

Although disappointed, it was a great stalk with a lot of excitement and got me very close to taking a real trophy buck. About 1/2 way down Craig calls in with 2 more bucks, a fork and a nice 3X3. Once we got down and glassed up the 3X3 he was on the exact opposite side, and just as far out as the previous stalk. Being soaked through with sweat, I shed the cammo down to Royal Robbins and a t-shirt. It was getting hot now. They asked what I wanted to do. Last day of the hunt, it's a good 3X3, let?s go! On with the pack, up with the gu,n and off we went.

 

A bit slower this time since he bedded down and wasn't moving. We cut 2 canyons over for cover. Wind changed directions several times but still he didn't move. As we got closer to the top I knocked a big rock loose clattering down badly. Craig called because the buck was looking right at us. So we stop and held position waiting for the call. After a couple of minutes the buck laid his head back down. So off again, slower and quieter. Once just below the buck we cut over 1 saddle into the adjacent canyon and climbed up to a saddle that should put us right across from the buck. Rob crawled up below a mesquite tree using it for cover. He immediately glasses the buck, still bedded and only 200 yards out. I lose the pack and crawl up slowly, glass him up and get on the shooting sticks from poor sitting position. The whole time he?s looking right at us, I assume he was asleep. He was laying at a very shallow angle to us. I put it on his shoulder; tell Rob I?m taking the shot. Squeeze, I guess it went boom, I really didn?t hear or feel it. I chamber another round and immediately get back on the scope. Just as I?m getting back on, Rob says you shot just over him. I immediately find the dust cloud as Rob is saying that he?s up and standing broadside. Without hesitation, I dropped my point of aim just below his shoulder (now taking account for being over at 200, I?m zeroed at 250) and fire. Chamber the next round and on the scope again. When I fired we both jumped off the buck and couldn?t find him again. Then Rob says he dropped down, so I pan down and as I find him in the scope, Rob says he?s down. I asked ?should I hit him again? Rob replied, no he?s down, good shot. I watched him for a few seconds through the scope, he only kicked once and never moved again. I unloaded my weapon and let it soak in for a second.

 

Rob congratulated me on a great hunt; I thanked Rob and Craig, scarcely believing it was over. We hiked over and discovered that I hit the nice 3X3 buck in the shoulder and he fell immediately down the steep slope below where he had bedded. We gutted him there and found that my 2nd shot hit him in the shoulder, broke it, tore through the heart, and out the opposite shoulder breaking it. The only organ damaged was the heart and it was utterly destroyed. I don?t think the bullet ever even opened. We snapped a few pics and started down. Rob grabbed my pack and gun while I dragged him down as far as I could. Once down to the flatter area we got him on my shoulders and hoofed it out.

 

After congratulating each other we hurried out so I could make it to Dickman?s and get it cooled down. I called home to tell the wife and boys. They were excited. After seeing how excited and happy it made our boys, I think the wife was sold a bit on the hunting thing, even if she won?t admit it. She loaded up and headed for Dickman?s so the boys could see my buck. Once they got there the guys at Dickman?s were great and pulled my buck back out of the freezer for the boys and even took pictures of us with it. The boys (8, 5 and 14 months, who was asleep in the car with the wife) were so thrilled it is hard to express. I can?t wait to take them out with me.

 

 

Again, thanks to everyone who helped in anyway with such a great hunt! Most of all I have to thank God for gracing all of us with being in such a wonderful country that allows us to take advantage of His bounty!

 

On to the honey ?do-lists (until I get a scope on that .204)!

 

Thanks again,

 

Matt

[lfootmatt]

More pics.

[lfootmatt]

last pic

[Chef]

Congratulations!

 

Man that's a lot of trash in that one pic!

[DEERSLAM]

Great story and way to hang in there. Thanks for sharing your story and pics. That's a dandy buck, one to be proud of.

[azcouesandelk]

Great story man. Sounds like a well earned buck.

[COUESAZ]

I would know those drag marks anywere. Nice buck and great story. All that trash sure makes ya sick.

[BowhuntCoues]

Great story and nice buck, thanks.

[az4life]

Great story. Nice buck too!

Hunting is often more fun and productive with a little help from your friends!

[stanley]

Outstanding story Matt! Thanks much for sharing.

 

Big congrats on our deer as well!

 

S.

 

[cramerhunts]

Great story, great hunt, great buck! It is sure a shame to find beautiful places trashed like that.

[peloncillo]

Congrats on your sucessful hunt. Great story and pics. Something really needs to be done with the UDA situation.

[bchoitz]

Congratulations on a hard earned trophy! Way to hang in there!

 

BTW, it was a "lets just put in for a premium hunt and get the bonus points" that got me hooked.

 

I'm sure it won't be your last Coues hunt.

 

It's always nice to get freinds out to help you! 8 eyes are better than 2.

 

Bret C

[chilllcouesmaniac]

Congrats on your sucessful hunt. Great story and pics. Something really needs to be done with the UDA situation.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nice Buck Congrats!!CM

[DEERSLAM]

Congrats on your sucessful hunt. Great story and pics. Something really needs to be done with the UDA situation.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nice Buck Congrats!!CM

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

How is it we have two members- chillcouesmaniac and chilllcouesmaniac? Are you the same person?