Unit 37 Coues

[Flatlander]

I took my 3 yr old with me this morning to chase Carp with my bow. It was the first time I have taken him out on an actual hunt and I wanted to break him in on some flat ground. Since he rode on my shoulders all day I was grateful that the hiking was easy. Well I hoped that we could just get us close enough to some deer for him to see and get excited. Sure enough as we walked up to our glassing spot there were 7 does and one little buck right were we usually sit, and the buck was a whitetail. My hunting buddy and I have hunted this area on the rifle hunt and both archery hunts for the last 10 years and this was the only coues we have ever seen down there. This particular spot is 30+ miles any direction to anything with what I would call a documented, sustained whitetail population. Anybody else ever seen one in a spot like this? Needless to say I was shocked, after we saw the buck it was almost like neither one of us wanted to say what we were thinking for fear of sounding ridiculous. This begs the question, where is the craziest place you have seen a coues?

[Pine Donkey]

I saw one standing in the open one time. That was crazy, those crafty little deer can hide behind a single blade of grass!

[Couzer]

I have a little honey hole in unit 1 that is far from unit 27 that holds some good WT bucks!

[SunDevil]

I have also seen them in unit 1

[Coach]

After decades of hunting these little deer, I have learned one important thing. They will be where they want to be, often not where you expect them to be.

[JMP]

gotta a cell phone pick of a Coues buck on Ellsworth Road from 2 winters ago.

[billrquimby]

The most unlikely place I've seen a whitetail in Arizona was about 25-30 years ago in 37B, on Black Mountain, off the Willow Springs Road north of Oracle, smack dab in what should be mule deer country.

 

As for whitetails in unit 1, there are a few along Hall, Rosey and Benny creeks just outside of Greer that we see sometimes, and I suppose they're as far downstream as South Fork.

 

Bill Quimby

[THOR]

fyi...i hope you were in 37b because 37a isnt open yet. i wish 37a was open, I want to chase some big mulies as well as the white tail that hid in those hills. i have seen whitetail in the Tortalitas as well as the Silverbells, Roscruge (sp) and the Tucson Mountains. i have seen them in black hills as well. good luck on your hunts. i have picked up a shed close to where Iron Wood Ridge Highschool is now about 10 years ago. That is just south of Tangerine.

[jeremiahjohnson]

Why do people post where they see big deer, then complain when there are 400 dudes posted up in "your" spots!!! Yes there aren't giants whiteys in 37, but with oracle state park is right across the road, and they walk over.. I've seen 10 or 12 bucks over there.. Freaked me out the first time I saw a whitey over there.

[azcoues]

I have seen 2 bucks before on the lower salt close to the bridge where the tubers go,and also a bighorn sheep ram,around the same spot,there has always been whitetail in the black mountain region in 37b ,they are also off the park link road in 37a,nd we have seen a couple in the white tanks as well,mingling with the mule deer.

[billrquimby]

I cannot even estimate the number of times I've crossed the Salt River Canyon, or the number of whitetails I've seen in that canyon or in the first few miles of the highway north of there.

 

Bill Quimby

[Tines]

I grew up and spent a lot of time in 37a. I've yet to see a wt in there. That's okay, I don't see a lot of things. There probably are a few in there. But like someone else mentioned, better check the regs to know what units are opened and those that aren't.

[Flatlander]

I guess everyone will have to take my word for it that I was engaged in a legal activity when this encounter occurred. I am familiar with the regs and have read them. I have driven past Black Mt. a few times and wondered if there was an established population of WT. I haven't ever glassed it but what I have seen looks pretty much like everywhere else they hang out. I knew there were a few hanging out up in the NE corner of 37b by Superior. AZcoues that really surprised me that you see them in the White Tanks. That's a long ways from where I would have expected them to be. Has anybody had luck finding them up high like in 4A or 5A? I have always expected to glass one up in Leonard canyon or some other nasty piece of real estate.

[yotebuster]

I've seen some big coues bucks in the 4's, quite a ways north in them I might add!

[GRONG]

Has anybody had luck finding them up high like in 4A or 5A? I have always expected to glass one up in Leonard canyon or some other nasty piece of real estate.

 

 

My biggest Coues shed is from 4a, 59" I've seen pics of bucks that live in a small community up on the rim off Hwy 87 too. I've always believed the biggest bucks in the state live in the pines....