az_shooter Report post Posted December 29, 2012 The December archery season started out with my friend and I hunting for desert muleys in southern AZ. My buddy is a huge mule deer fan while I haven't spent much time hunting them, I spend my hunting time going for CWT. So I took his word on where we should hunt and what bucks we should look for. On the very first day we were able to locate a couple nice shooter bucks and tried our luck at putting a stock on them. Needless to say we weren't able to capitalize on the deer and opening day ended with a long truck ride home talking about what we did right and what we should have done different. We were only able to hunt about once or twice a week due to work and the holidays coming up soon. So after the first two weeks we still haven't been able to put an arrow through any bucks but have been seeing good deer every time out. So we set out the day before Christmas to go back and try and find a buck we put a stock on the week before. We ended up finding him and from about 950 yards I took a picture of him through my sworos with my phone before we tried to make a move on him (picture below). So we decided to head down a wash and get around on him and let him come to us. We almost had got into position when a doe busted us and the buck soon realized something wasn't right and high tailed it out of the area. After having no luck chasing mule deer we decided to change our plan and try some luck at getting a coues deer. I have never successfully hunted coues with a bow but thought we would try anyways. After spending a day scouting an area I thought might be good we quickly found an area that was loaded with deer sign and seeing a few bucks we knew were in a great spot. We made a plan to come back in a few days and hunt the area hard and hopefully bag a nice buck. My friend was able to hunt the next day but I wasn't which is why we planned to go back in a few days, but my buddy decided to go out without me and try his luck. Sure enough I get a call from my friend saying he found a buck and stuck one the day before we were supposed to go out. I was pumped so I quickly drove home and changed and headed out to help him blood trail and pack his deer out. By the time I got out to the spot and hiked into him he had already discovered he had made a non fatal shot but was injured bad. We decided to pursue him and try and get another arrow through him. We knew where he was bedded and had a good route into him but unfortunately that didn't work out. The buck stood up and walked on us and made a big circle around close to where he originally shot him. After tracking him for about an hour we found ourselves right on top of him but not in a good shooting spot. Suddenly the buck stood up 20 yards from us and my friend quickly drew back, leaned around the tree and let it fly. We knew it was a good hit this time and gave him some time before we headed after him. We found him about 30 yards from where he stuck him and we were pumped. This was the first successful archery hunt I have ever been on and my friends first coues whitetail ever. The pictures aren't that good quality because I took them with my phone. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coues Archer Report post Posted December 29, 2012 Congrats to your friend! Nice first buck Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Willyhunts2 Report post Posted December 29, 2012 I would have to say that's a ruttin muley by te size of his neck. Congrats to your friend on his buck! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
randyolson Report post Posted December 29, 2012 Congrats on that first buck to your friend! Way to stick with it!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paul navarre Report post Posted December 29, 2012 the first coues buck is always the one remembered the most Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesWhitetail Report post Posted December 29, 2012 Congratulations to you and your friend! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tjhunt2 Report post Posted December 29, 2012 Congratulations to your friend and now it's your turn to stick one. Good luck and thanks for sharing. TJ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bowhuntaz1 Report post Posted December 30, 2012 Congrats. Kinda looks like a hybrid to me. The long nose and the funky antlers. Still any animal with a bow is a good trophy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trophyhnter Report post Posted December 30, 2012 Great buck! I love coues hunting but Im a sucker for a giant muley also! Love the archery dec/jan hunting when you can hunt both and in the same general area if you know where to look! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
az_shooter Report post Posted December 31, 2012 Thanks all, we're heading back out on the first of the year to try and get my first bow kill, I'm extremely pumped and ready to get one down! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cramerhunts Report post Posted January 1, 2013 Congratulations to your buddy and good luck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
200"mulie Report post Posted January 5, 2013 congrats neat buck too ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
