Hermosillo coues bow hunt

[paul navarre]

I have been invited to hunt 80 miles SE of Hermosillo for coues deer and stay at a "ranch" and do a do it yourself hunt for 6 days. Mostly from blinds over water. I was told there is a two deer limit but not really sure. The hunt will start on Jan 28 2013.

 

While I have been successful in hunting coues deer in southern AZ I have never been in Mexico and to this area.

 

My questions are,

 

1. can the meat be important back into the US and if so, what inspections need to be made and paperwork and if so, does this meat have to be frozen? I hear of the hides needing to be tick free and frozen but nothing about bring the meat back across.

 

2. Has anyone hunted around Hermosillo or even in this SE area?

 

3. While the "threat level" is medium for personal harm, ie, highjacking, etc. is there much to be really worried about. I understand traveling during the day is recommended. We will have someone meet us in Hermosillo and take us to the ranch.

 

Any help would be appreciated. Paul

[SunDevil]

that time of year you can expect most of the bucks to be busted up. I would not be that concerned about traveling during the day from Nogales down to Hermosillo. No one that I know has ever had a problem bringing deer meat back to the US from MX. good luck and let us know how it turns out.

[elkiny]

Hello, I have hunted in Sonora several times and I've not had a problem thus far, actually heading down again in mid january to an area close to where you described. Frozen 24 hours, then thawed to come back across, tick free. Here is the number just to be certain.

(602) 392-4440 x 190 or (602) 392-4440 x4.

[Coues Sniper]

1. Yes, meat can be taken back into the US. It does not have to be frozen. It's actually easier to get your meat across than your antlers.

2. Yes I have. This will likely be in the flats, and sitting water can be very productive. I've sat tanks near Hermosillo and seen over 100 deer a day. Some days, I have sat a tank and there was at least one deer there the entire day. Most of the deer will come between 9:00 and 3:00 for whatever reason. 9:00 seems to be the magic time in the am, it's like someone flips a switch and a parade beings. It has been dry lately which will help. If it rains it could ruin your trip. Small deer will come to water out of habit or to be "social", but mature deer will avoid it. Things have been slow the last couple years, but this is where MONSTERS are killed. Flats areas are hard to hunt, so older age class deer are more common. Mass and character are prominent.

3. I've never felt threatened while travelng to Hermosillo. It's a main highway the whole way so the likelyhood of something happening is low. Having the rancher travel with you to the ranch is a big help, and once to the ranch you should be home free.

 

Also, "most of the bucks being busted" as stated by devil is a gross exaggeration. They should be rutting during that period as they rut much later, and some will be broke, but it's not that bad. Put it this way - I've yet to see a deer down there that I would have shot but didn't because he was broke and I've spent plenty of time down there. PM me who you are hunting with if you'd like and I might have more insight.

 

Good luck on your hunt.

[SunDevil]

Sniper is definetly entitled to his opinion. I know several people who passed on quality bucks in MX because they were broken. I also know people who target the earlier part of Jan to hunt in MX in hopes of avoiding broken antler problems. I know when I have been down there the last week of Jan I saw more broken bucks than intact bucks.

[Coues Sniper]

Paul,

 

Sundevil and I don't agree often, so take that into consideration with his response. Some years are worse than others, but I've never seen it as bad as what he describes in a dozen or more trips to ranches in that area - SE of Hermosillo. I certainly wouldn't let the fear of broken bucks deter you from going.

[SunDevil]

Seriously Kevin? Any disagreements you or I have WILL NOT influence or effect information I provide to other people on here.

 

The simple facts are that in general, due to higher buck to doe ratios in MX, bucks in MX tend to be broke up more than in AZ (and in AZ more than NM). Also, the likelihood of encountering broken bucks during the end of Jan is greater than the beginning of Jan. I would speculate that 99% of the coues hunting community would agree with me on these two statements.

 

Deer densities also are a factor in this and densities vary significantly from ranch to ranch in MX but in general, ranches with higher deer densities will have a higher probability of broken antlers than ranches with lower deer densities.

 

If you have not experienced this than that is great for you but it is still soemthing that Paul needs to be made aware of and take into consideration during the decision making process that he is going through.

 

Paul, if you are going to a ranch with low deer density and will only be seeing < 10 bucks a day than you probably will be ok but if you are going to a ranch with high deer density (say > 20 bucks a day) than you will probably encounter bucks with broken antlers.

[paul navarre]

Thanks guys. I surely have been in simular situatons and will take what I get with great gusto. Should be a great experiece anyway in a strange country/land. All of this info provided is greatly appreciated and I will look forward to a good hunt.

 

Just thought I would post the Kansas wt I killed on Oct 25 of this year. Just another wt just slightly larger than the coues for sure.

 

Again, thanks and i will keep all posted concerning this hunt.

 

Paul

[Coues Sniper]

Will he see broken bucks? Likely. More broken bucks later in the year? Yes. "Expect most of the bucks to be busted up" and "more broken bucks than intact bucks"? Not in any of my experience down there in the area he is describing. My comments are in the (perceived) exaggeration of your statements. At any rate, done arguing with you - again. Sorry for the hijack on the thread Paul.

[SunDevil]

Kevin - I think our disagreements in the past have influenced YOUR grossly, exaggerated perceptions of my statements, perceptions that probably would not be made by other individuals on this forum. I guess I will have to be more careful in my choice of words in order to avoid being nit-picked to death by you.

 

Additionally, I think if you would go back and read the comments of this thread you would find that you are the one that started this disagreemment (arguement, if that is what you would like to call it).

 

Finally, your insinuation that I would provide false or inaccurate information to someone on this forum simply because you and I do not see eye to eye on things is insulting!

 

I appreciate your willingness to quit arguing with me - again.

[elkiny]

I agree with Coues Sniper, I have not seen too many bucks that had busted up antlers. It does make sense however that the later you hunt the higher likliehood of this happening would increase. I think you will be fine. Good luck and post your pics.

[paul navarre]

thank you gentlemen. Yes I will post story and pics. Paul

[AZbowhntr]

The biggest buck I saw last year in Mexico was broken. I had the safety off and was ready to shoot him at less than 150 yds when he turned his head and showed me his broken main beam. With that said, that was the only broken buck that I can remember seeing besides a buck I shot that did a back flip and landed in a rock pile. We were hunting several hours east of Hermisillo.

[paul navarre]

I have returned safely and with success.

 

1. no problems crossing or returning with the proper paperwork, ie, Photo ID and Passport (no guns or ammo made it even easier) and it only took 5 minutes to enter Mexico at Nogolas. We went through the Truck check.

 

2. Met our outfitter counterpart in Hermocello and received our Hunt Contracts, tags, and US Fish and Wildlife paperwork.

 

3. Followed a nonEnglish speaking ranch hand to hunting ranch 90 miles SE and then 20 miles on a bulldozed gravel road.

 

4. Accomodations were much better than expected as the US outfitter did not seem to know all of the facts about this ranch and hunt. That was disappointing but all in all the casa turned out ok, with hot water showers, three bed rooms with beds and mattresses, flush toilet, kitchen with sink and gas top burners. Drinkable water.

 

5. THis was a DIY hunt BUT the outfitter did not provide any maps of the ranch or of the water holes. THe nonspeaking ranchhand was suppost to know the best places to hunt, but he did not. Thank goodness, the previous hunters were still there and provided us with good info and even left one blind for us to use. We had brought two blinds but the US outfitter told us there were blinds already set up. Not true at all.

 

6. My partner killed in 4x4 buck (PY 88) within the first 3 hours. I came to the same blind/water hole, in the afternoon and spent the next three days sizing up the bucks. Only saw one over 100 in and missed him at 25 at 25 yards, and killed my buck a mid 80s coues on the forth day.

 

7. I made a euro skull mount so boiled and correctly prepaired it for its return to the US.

 

8. Kevin, wanted to do a shoulder mount so he caped his (frozen the hide 24 hours prior to crosseing) and processed the skull cap properly of its return. We iced the meat correctly.

 

9. On return, it only took 5 minutes to return through Mex check point and 20 minutes with US Fish and Wildlife.

 

10. Good hunt, good accomodatons, good deer but not many over 100 were sighted. Maybe two but then we only hunted 5% of the 40,000 acres. The previoius rifle hunters had two tags but only filled on for camp meat as then did not see a 115 plus buck to shoot. WE both had high hopes of killing a 100 plus buck or at least seeing a few more. As I said, I missed on so that was my opportunity. My fault but was satisified with the 85 iner and all of the action at this waterhole.

 

11. The only disappointing thing about this hunt was the lack of accurate info from the us outfitter and his Mexican counterpart. I will not recommend him to anyone. Even when asked, he provided us with minimal info, surely not enough to satisfy me even for a DIY hunt.

[paul navarre]

12. of the 15 bucks I saw only one had a broken antler. Hunt was Jan 28 - Feb 3.

 

Trying to download and add buck picture.

 

Paul