JACK Report post Posted January 11, 2012 I had some tag soup with my leftover Coues tag...but I wasn't to bummed because that meant I could go chase mulies after work in December...and I had yet to kill any deer with my bow in Arizona. I found a few good bucks... I was able to make a couple of stalks on this guy...Had him at 60 and 75 yards but never had a good shot. But I did watch him breed a doe and was able to get a little video and a few pictures of him...still better than work So after blowing a couple stalks and passing lots of little fellers..it was the end of the year before I knew it... December 31st...Me and my dad decided to go check out a new spot. As the the sun was rising up we found ourselves sitting in the wind...ugh...seems like I did that a lot in 2011. Right away I glassed up a few does and a little buck but nothing I wanted to go after. After a few hours we moved up the ridge a ways and looked into another basin. We sat there about an hour before I glassed up a nine does and a decent looking buck about a mile away. We watched them for a little while and the eventually feed out of sight. It was around ten o'clock and I figured they would probably be looking for a spot to bed down. We could see a road not far from were the deer were we just had to figure out how to get there... An hour later we were about four hundred yards from the last place we saw the deer. The wind was still blowing...and in my favor. We made our way up a wash and around the end of the mountain so we could see into the draw they fed into. I crawled up the bank and peeked over the edge and they were 150 yards away. Some were bedded a few were feeding...there was nothing I could with them...so we just watched them for an hour or so...eventually they all were up and began to feed away from us and into a bunch of little drainages. As soon as the last deer went out of sight I hurried as fast and quietly as I could...I closed the distance to 100 yards as they fed up out of a drainage...I waited as they fed into the next drainage and out of sight...I gained a few more yards...again they fed up out of a drainage. The buck was checking does and pushed them back into the drainage they just came out of...I gained some more but I was out of cover as I crept up to the edge of the drainage...I could almost see into the drainage when a doe fed out 50 yards away...I froze...I was in the wide open...she looked my way for a second and went back to feeding...I just stood motionless...a few minutes goes by and she lays down! 50 yards! Nothing but a little wash between me and her...Great...So I just stand there...pretty soon another doe and a fawn feed out...and guess what...they laid down as well...So now I have three deer between 50-60 yards and I am standing in the wide open with nowhere to go and nothing to hide behind...So I stand there...and stand there...and stand there...this part takes a while...I stand there in one spot...for TWO AND A HALF HOURS! I tried to kneel down a few times but the does would look over whenever I tried to move. All I could do was shift my weight from one leg to another to try and stay comfortable. And I never thought a pair of binos would weight 50 pounds after a few hours...but they do... So finally...a spike shows up and starts sniffing the does. They were having no part of that ...they get up and start to move off...and that's when the buck comes up out of the wash... He chases the spike off and stops where the closest doe was laying...52 yards...I was already at full draw...settled my pin and touched the trigger...watched my arrow disappear into his side...he runs into the drainage...as I am nocking another arrow he runs out and up to me about 10 yards...and about falls down when he sees me...then up the mountain and stops about 75 yards and I can see blood starting to flow...but dang it...it's a little far back...By now I am shaking pretty good...I try to shoot again and miss...he runs up and out of my sight. I look back at my dad and I can tell he can still see him...So I go get my arrow and it has good blood on it...maybe it wasn't as bad as I thought...I make my way back over to my dad as the buck goes over in to a draw...We discuss all that just happened...he informs me I am crazy for standing that long...I agree...we have a good laugh...We give the buck about an hour and make our way up to the last place we saw the buck and find blood. We get to looking around and there was really no place for him to go but into one little cut...I sneak up to the edge look down the cut...nothing...then I look up to my right and see horns sticking above the brush...so I back out, sneak around, draw, peek up and all I can see is his head and neck...and I got another arrow in him and it was all over...With only a few hours left in the season and the year I tagged my first Arizona buck with a bow! It was awesome! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
soccerstar2013 Report post Posted January 11, 2012 What a Beautiful Deer! Congratulations! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coues Archer Report post Posted January 11, 2012 Congrats on a great buck! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tjhunt2 Report post Posted January 11, 2012 What an awesome writeup and to share it with your Dad made it that much special. You certainly deserve that beautiful buck after waiting there 2 1/2 hrs before closing the deal. Congratulations on your first az buck and what a dandy he is. TJ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted January 11, 2012 Outstanding!! Wow, standing for 2.5 hrs in the wide open with deer that close! WOW! that's tough right there! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ADDICT Report post Posted January 11, 2012 Sweet buck and story! He's got great eye guards. Congrats. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pine Donkey Report post Posted January 11, 2012 Great buck, great story. Thanks for posting. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Elkaddict Report post Posted January 11, 2012 That is indeed a beautiful buck! Congrats! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stanley Report post Posted January 11, 2012 VERY cool!!!!!! Thanks for sharing with the site! S. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
COOSEFAN Report post Posted January 11, 2012 Jack, you defintitely earned that buck! Great story and congrats on a beauty of a buck! JIM> Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dbengraver Report post Posted January 12, 2012 Nice buck and great story congrats Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
papa Report post Posted January 12, 2012 Great buck! you sure earned it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
buckmaster21 Report post Posted January 12, 2012 Very nice buck congrats Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cvw789 Report post Posted January 12, 2012 Nice Buck Congrats Cole Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heat Report post Posted January 12, 2012 Very nice deer, story and pics! Thanks for sharing! Nick Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
