coues addict Report post Posted July 19, 2004 Couesarcher I, personally think that you just haven`t located the bucks so far. I would try up on the ridge tops and in very open areas at this time of year. Bucks will probably hang together in small bachelor herds. They don`t like dinging their horns while they are in velvet. Try the very top of the mountains and rimrock ledges and I would think you will start finding the bucks. good Luck Coues Addict Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GRONG Report post Posted July 21, 2004 Believe me, just cause you're not finding any antlers doesn't mean they're not there. They are tough to find. I personally never look in the bottom of drainages specifically for sheds. I tend to walk the south facing slopes or if you've got some stands of oak on north and east facing slopes I walk those very and I do mean VERY SLOW. If there's some water holes in the area you might want to try placing a trail camera near one. The bucks are there somewhere. Josh Epperson Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
couesarcher Report post Posted July 21, 2004 Josh, there is a water tank filled by a spring that constantly fills the tank about a 1/2 mile south of were I have been looking. There are some tracks around the tank. There is an area that is quite open to the east that I'm going to look at next. I'm trying to get set up for the archery hunt in late Aug. Thanks for the advise. Terry Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GRONG Report post Posted July 21, 2004 Terry, If you do watch that tank and you haven't sat water for Coues before I'm telling you now it's an all day deal. Coues water during any and all times of the day. My first buck I killed with a bow was at noon and the second was at 10:30. In my experience I've seen them start coming around 8:30 and the latest in the mid afternoon. The highest activity always seemed to be from 9:30-2. Bring a book and something soft to sit on. If you have sat water before then you know all this already. Josh Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
caputwater Report post Posted August 19, 2004 (edited) Last week, I sat at my water hole and watched the same buck come in for water, three evenings in a row between 6:00-6:30 P.M.. Soon following a doe would come in, maybe five minutes later. The two deer didn't associate with each other. It would take the buck about 15 minutes to go approx 75 yards to get to the water. After a drink he would quickly get out of there. Since the rains Iv spotted him at least three times this week. He's within a 1/4 of a mile from the water hole, but not comming in. Have also been watching several other bucks. Two smaller bucks don't leave each others side. And the five more mature bucks also stick together. The doe are also there but keep their distance from the bucks. From what I have witnessed, in the last 15 years, at about this time of year, mature bucks run with muture bucks, younger bucks run with younger bucks, and doe most generally keep to themselves but also run with doe. Each heard of deer are always within two or three hundred yards of each other. During these hot summer months, the deer seem to bed extremely close to their water source. I almost forgot, this is the shed horn forum....Have never found shed horns located near where I see the deer in the summer. Edited January 1, 1970 by caputwater Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TREESTANDMAN Report post Posted August 19, 2004 Thats where the sheds should be. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
caputwater Report post Posted August 20, 2004 (edited) Not necissarily, the deer are rarely in that area during the time of year they shed their antlers. When referencing the area where I'm currently seeing the deer and have historically seen deer (this time of year), and if I look at a map, I'm seeing an area of about 200 acres. One square mile is 640 acres. Theoretically speaking, if coues whitetail are said to inhabit an area of approx 4 square miles, then thats 2560 acres. Thats a quite a bit of ground that these particular deer may have to shed their antlers. But, where does the four square miles begin? That 200 acres could be part of each of the four corners of four square miles, which would give you an area of 16 square miles or 10240 acres to shed their horns. So the deer in this location could be comming from a total of up to 10,240 acres. Realistically I don't believe thats practical in this given case, although I do believe that the deer do migrate to this area from each of their four square mile habitats to some extent. Maybe this should be posted under the Biology forum? Edited January 1, 1970 by caputwater Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TREESTANDMAN Report post Posted August 20, 2004 In the areas that I have been scouting, the spring/summer range holds the same bucks. It may very well vary depending on the area. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
caputwater Report post Posted August 20, 2004 Your right, and this type of analysis is critical for successful all open season deer hunts in your area. It will give you the comparative advantage over the novice in your area. ( although the novice do get lucky) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GRONG Report post Posted August 22, 2004 Wow, now that's some math I never thought of and won't try to boggle my mind with trying to figure out the center of that equation either. I just hike and "try" to focus as close and low to the ground as I can when I'm doing my shed hunting. I've walked into several eyelevel limbs this way too. Just keep on walking, enjoy the woods and don't sweat the technical stuff. I tried for the first several years of my shed hunting to figure out "why they do what they do" kind of stuff and it stressed me out. I really couldn't find out anything that consistant from year to year other than a few things basically relative to all deer. I wish they'd shed their antlers in the same area all the time and rut in the same places but sometimes they just don't. Unless they do and I just can't find them of course. I wish I could have some of that novice luck with me sometimes. Maybe this is my year for a biggin'!!!!!! Josh Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
az4life Report post Posted August 23, 2004 Hey Josh Looking at some of your shed collections, it looks like you already have found some Biggins.... Sounds like you are looking for a REALLY BIGGUN, and my money is on you to find it! Good Luck and pass on the pictures when you do find it! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silenthunter686 Report post Posted August 23, 2004 Hey Back Country I have a right side that i found last year It scores 53 3/8 It also came from 33. It looks alot like yours. Mine came from some where off the Catalina H.W. any chance? Rats or something started on the G2. I cut the part just onder the neral though. I guess that part is like finger prints on us. I don't have a camera I'm going to try to take a pic on my phone. and send it to my e-mail. I,m at work now so it would have to be later awsume shed you found. silenthunter686>>>---> Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gnoto Report post Posted September 1, 2004 BackCountry Any chance you want to go over to 36A and so some shed hunting. You keep the Sheds I will find the buck! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gnoto Report post Posted September 13, 2004 out on the west side Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gnoto Report post Posted September 13, 2004 so how do you join the tribe? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
