36B 11/4 Coues Hunt

[kazpilot25]

Thursday:

We leave work at 10am, pack the truck and head down to 36B to scout out a couple areas before opening morning comes. We get out there and hike down in to an area we have been checking out, see 1 doe and a fawn. We don't see any bucks but we see deer so that's a good sign that they're in there. We hike out after sunset and begin to plan for the morning. We decide that a friend and I going to stay in one specific area and send my dad and brother over to another area on the other side of the unit.

 

Friday:

My friend and I make our way to a nice little glassing spot that overlooks a big cut and several rolling hills. Set up the Vortex binoculars and start glassing the area right before sunrise. About 15 minutes later I spot about 4 deer eating on a hillside about 500 yards in to the area. One spike, 2 doe, and a fawn. We decide to wait them out since it was just a spike and see where they bed down. That turned out to be a bad idea because they crest the top of the hill and vanish into the morning sunrise. After about 2 hours of glassing we decide to make our way in to the area and get a better view of the areas back side where the deer disappeared to as well as some hills surrounding a tank down in there. After getting to our glassing hill down in the area we set up again. After about another 2 hours, right at 11:00am we see about 8 deer jogging across a hill to the north. We get them in the binos to see that it's just a bunch of doe and a fawn. Then out of nowhere a monster 4x4 buck comes running full speed across the bottom of the same hill at about 400 yards. I'm guessing they were all spooked by someone a little further to the northeast. We had our scope sights set on the monster buck but he never slowed his pace and quickly disappeared into the cut at the bottom of the hill. Bummer. Come sunset we are setup in the same spot glassing the area and glass up another 6 doe and 2 fawn, no more bucks though.

 

Once we get out of the area we make a call to my brother and dad to see if they had any luck on the other side of the unit. As the story goes, they start glassing the area from a nice hill into a canyon at sunrise. About an hour later my brother hikes onto a hill across the canyon, spots 2 bucks on the adjacent hill. He quickly sets up his rifle on his shooting sticks sights in on the larger of the two bucks and shoots one off from about 300 yards (measured it on google earth ). He hits him in the high neck and he drops instantly. SUCCESS! It was a nice 2x3 and he was so excited and it made the entire hunt well worth it! I just wish I could've been there with him.

 

Saturday:

We drive back out to our original spot as we had seen plenty of deer, and just hoped we would glass up the monster buck again or maybe some others as well. About a half mile from our spot driving down the road we spot 3 3x3 bucks grazing on a hill side. We stop and watch them for a minute and make a plan of attack. We park, quickly grab our gear and head out. We hike in about a mile, following them and getting into position to make a shot. At about 350 yards one of the bucks turns broadside to us and I'm on the glass spotting for my friend who takes the shot. Hits the buck in the upper middle of his back, the other 2 bucks immediately run off. The hit buck freezes, and we're just waiting for him to drop, about 3 seconds later he turns and runs over the backside of the hill. We think he can't get to far as he was definitely hit with a solid 150 gr. 30-06 round. We hike up to the hill where we last saw him and fully expect to see him on the other side, no luck. So for the next 10 hours we hike and hike and hike and hike glassing, searching, and having no luck. While searching we glass up 2 other doe and 1 spike down in a cut but didn't have a shot at the spike. Come sunset we're losing confidence that we will ever find the buck and decide to take a hike into the area and glass from a high hill. We decided to hike the north side of the hills in and crest the hill at the top and glass down the south side and the north facing hills to the south. The plan worked to perfection and as I crest the hill near a tree I hear a doe, so I slow down and start to setup under the tree. As soon as I look up thee are 2 doe and a 2x3 buck headed right for me up the hill at about a hundred yards. I grab my gun and put the sights on the jogging buck headed my way. As I raise my gun, they notice me and turn to the north/northwest and pick up the speed of their jog a bit. I squeeze one off at the buck just before he goes out of view on the run, high. dangit! He freaks, turns right to me and runs full speed in my direction. I reload my rifle and pull it up to my shoulder, as I look through the scope I see a blur as the buck runs in front of me at about 5 yards. So I turn and run up the hill in pursuit. I see hime run and crest the next hill and make a b-line straight for the cut and disappeared before I could get another good shot at him. Blew my chance. So we sit and glass for another hour, then hike through the area in an attempt to find the buck shot earlier that morning. Still no luck! The sun sets and we can't find the buck. We go back to the spot he was shot and don't even see a blood trail, no spots of blood anywhere. Nothing. We assume it must've been a clean through and through, but then again, with that size bullet on that size deer, we can't imagine it got too far.

 

Sunday:

We had to get back to Phoenix early Sunday but we wanted to give it one last chance at finding that downed buck. So we head out Sunday morning into the area he was shot. We hike around for about 4 hours in the same area, meticulously scouring the area in and around where he was shot but still couldn't find him. It's that time that we have to go and couldn't be more disappointed. Not only did we shoot the guy and lose him, but he may still be out there suffering somewhere.

 

It is such an awful feeling taking that shot and knowing that you hit him but not being able to find the deer. After about 16 hours of searching for the deer we had shot Saturday morning, it was time to pack up and go home. If anyone down in 36B sees a nice 3x3 downed with a shot in the upper part of his middle back please let me know. We are going to try and head out again this week for a day or two and find him again. This was the first deer my friend has ever shot so I would really like for hime to have that rack.

 

All and all it was a successful hunt. 1 out of 4 is not too bad. Should've been 3 out of 4 but what can you do? I've fallen in love with coues deer hunting and unit 36B. I will more than likely be back next year to try again. Also, I now know why they are called grey ghost's. These little coues deer disappear like magicians!

 

Any estimates on the score of this buck?

[soccerstar2013]

Congrats to your brother for shooting a fine buck! Even though he was the only one that tagged out sounds like you guys had fun at that is what matters! My Dad and I were lucky enough to take a pretty nice deer out of 36b this year on this same hunt I love the area there are just to many people! I'm going back on the 25th for my hunt and i was just curious were that stalk tank was at were you saw a good number of bucks! PM if you want but I understand if you don't want to share but I have a couple good spots of my own that I would exchange!

[ADDICT]

Cool buck! Love those beams!

[Mathews]

Im gonna say right at 85"

[lucky2hunt]

Congrats to your brother, that's a cool deer. I love how the beams almost touch. sorry about the missed opportunities and the wounded deer, sounds like you guys gave it a heck of a effort!

[Pine Donkey]

That deer sure wraps. You should call him snoop dog.

[kazpilot25]

Thanks guys. The rack is pretty cool with the wrap the way it is. I like snoop dog but my brother has already named him Kevin Couesdale. ha.

[Tommygun]

I love the character. What a great first deer. Did you see any sign of illegals down there? How about border patrol?

[Ernesto C]

I believe the other buck you just hit muscle. Right between the spine and the lungs of the buck there is nothing but muscle so my guess will be that buck will be ok.

I do congratulate you becuase you give a 100% effort to locate that buck. You searched hard for it and that my friend is what a good hunter suppose to do, so again, very good job.

 

Congratulations on your buck and thanks for sharing your adventure with us.

 

Ernesto C

[kazpilot25]

Tommygun: In the area we were hunting we didn't see too much sign of illegals, we saw some trash in the ravines and deep cuts but otherwise, nothing. As far as border patrol, they are all over down there. We saw them parked, driving, and also some scope trucks throughout the day. Was I ever worried once for my safety while down there? No. Well at least not from illegals. ha. A couple times we hiked down in to an area pretty far and after sitting for a couple hours glassing we heard several gun shots from all around us within a short time frame. Got a little scary as we were fully camo but it was fun none the less.

 

Ernesto: Thanks! We really did try to find that buck ALL DAY. Also, my buddy who shot it decided he wasn't going to take another shot at another deer if he had the chance just in case we found the first. I'm pretty sure it was a clean through and through shot. With no blood or any trail, also the way he took off, he just didn't seem to be too affected by it.

[roninflag]

nice . much bigger than my 6"X6".