how long for your first coues?

[mattys281]

I started when I was 16 and shot my first at 19. now I can't stop! My life basically revolves around archery coues deer hunting. I would have to go through years of rehab to quit.

 

Not worth it, best to just stick with the hunting.

[Scooter]

I don't know how those guys back east sit in a stand and blinds all day. And to think about it I've never herd or seen a eastern spot and stalk hunt.

 

Used to do that all the time in Western New York. I've spent my fair share of time siiting in a treestand, but I've killed several deer glassing huge cut corn fields and stalking around the edges to get on the deer mostly with a shotgun (slug), and one big ol' doe with my Oneida Black Eagle back in the late 90's... It happens, but in the snow it's just easier to get on a well-used deer trail and sit up in a tree 25ft or so.

 

I have yet to put a Coues on the ground... 2 years and 4 shots so far, and all arrows went over the back because the deer jumped the string or in the dirt because I hit a branch.

[StickFlicker]

It took me several years of trying to take my first. Bowhunter4Life took pitty on me and gave me one of his spots to try and the jinx was broken!

[ccran]

Took me three years of bowhunting before I managed to stick a small fork horn coues from my treestand. I have not killed a coues since but man I give it heck. Have killed a few Mid- Western whitetail with my bow from treestands in Kansas.

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

This december will be my 3rd season, I hunt mulys mostly but dec we do one coues hunt. I have yet to fling an arrow but have stalked 3 times to about 50 yrds. Got busted ounce and let the other 2 go since I don't want a spike.

[joey lvr]

Thanks guys for everyone's stories. First thing I learned about hunting is to except disappointment. But I love the chase and just to see these coues!!

[mattys281]

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Thanks guys for everyone's stories. First thing I learned about hunting is to except disappointment. But I love the chase and just to see these coues!!

 

First off: Az is a rough, rough state to bowhunt in. According to Bowhunter magazine, we always have one of the lowest success rates for archery deer hunters & it's always in the single digits (4-6% range).

You guys that haven't killed yet just have to keep putting in the hours, but don't give up. My first muley I got took me 14 days. First coues = 9 days. Persistance is what gets it done.

 

Secondly: As I've already said, I firmly believe that if you really want to get it done your best odds are to find a saddle or basin that has some good trails & sit tight. I know a lot of guys prefer water holes too, but I don't care for the human company that often goes along with them. You may have to sit that same spot 3, 4, maybe 5 days in a row, but eventually something with antlers is coming through. Had I been patient/smart enough to have learned that little fact earlier on, I'd have killed a lot more deer by now.

 

Thirdly: Don't limit yourself to one method of hunting. If you're in open, broken terrain that lends itself to stalking, then by all means, try spotting & stalking. However, if you're in some of the thick, steep, nasty, rocky crap that I prefer, you should trade the tripod for a good paperback or video poker game & a buttpad. I tried for a couple years to spot & stalk in my favorite January spot, & even managed to get close a couple times, but I get far, far more close encounters now that I changed my tactics to ambush hunting. For me, the terrain & conditions dictate how I hunt, not my personal preferences or lack of patience.

 

At the end of it though, we don't hunt to kill, we hunt to live. Every time I go out & have does or fawns meander by completely unaware of my presence, or have humming birds buzz up to me & try to taste my orange fletchings, it's all worth while. If you carry a camera with you, you'll find that you come out of the hills successful much more often than not. I love taking pics almost as much as I do taking venison.

 

Fawn at 15 yards.

 

Momma at 9 yards.

 

[couesntime]

three for four since living here! To say Im excited about Janurary is a huge understatement. I probably average 90-100hrs of sitting for each deer. Good luck to all this year and next. I might try some spot n stalk or maybe some ambush to break things up and do something new!

[JOEDKILLA]

It took me 2 years of unsuccessful stalks before I got it done and have progressed from there. A coues buck has a way of humbling a spot n stalk hunter. I carry more patience than arrows in my quiver and treat and savor every stalk as if it were my last! Wish you the best of luck and hope you get it done!

[shylopolito]

I got my first coues with a bow when I was 16 so about a year it took me. My father took his first coues with a bow three days after I got mine, so it took him about 30 years for him to get one with his bow!

[trphyhntr]

/>

Thanks guys for everyone's stories. First thing I learned about hunting is to except disappointment. But I love the chase and just to see these coues!!

 

First off: Az is a rough, rough state to bowhunt in. According to Bowhunter magazine, we always have one of the lowest success rates for archery deer hunters & it's always in the single digits (4-6% range).

You guys that haven't killed yet just have to keep putting in the hours, but don't give up. My first muley I got took me 14 days. First coues = 9 days. Persistance is what gets it done.

 

Secondly: As I've already said, I firmly believe that if you really want to get it done your best odds are to find a saddle or basin that has some good trails & sit tight. I know a lot of guys prefer water holes too, but I don't care for the human company that often goes along with them. You may have to sit that same spot 3, 4, maybe 5 days in a row, but eventually something with antlers is coming through. Had I been patient/smart enough to have learned that little fact earlier on, I'd have killed a lot more deer by now.

 

Thirdly: Don't limit yourself to one method of hunting. If you're in open, broken terrain that lends itself to stalking, then by all means, try spotting & stalking. However, if you're in some of the thick, steep, nasty, rocky crap that I prefer, you should trade the tripod for a good paperback or video poker game & a buttpad. I tried for a couple years to spot & stalk in my favorite January spot, & even managed to get close a couple times, but I get far, far more close encounters now that I changed my tactics to ambush hunting. For me, the terrain & conditions dictate how I hunt, not my personal preferences or lack of patience.

 

At the end of it though, we don't hunt to kill, we hunt to live. Every time I go out & have does or fawns meander by completely unaware of my presence, or have humming birds buzz up to me & try to taste my orange fletchings, it's all worth while. If you carry a camera with you, you'll find that you come out of the hills successful much more often than not. I love taking pics almost as much as I do taking venison.

 

Fawn at 15 yards.

S6301829.JPG

 

Momma at 9 yards.

S6301833.JPG

 

S6301831.JPG

from a tree stand or ground blind mostly?

[Willyhunts2]

Chance the muleys around a lot in January but many many blown stalks on Coues. Still after my first.

[GJMauro12]

On my 3rd rifle coues tag I finally made it happen. I have tried one archery stalk on a coues (mainly because I start chasing muleys before I get to coues country) that still baffles me that the deer somehow busted me with good wind and bedded facing the opposite direction. He couldn't of heard me because I had stopped moving trying to decide which cover to move to next unless he could hear my heart beating.

[mattys281]

/>

Thanks guys for everyone's stories. First thing I learned about hunting is to except disappointment. But I love the chase and just to see these coues!!

 

First off: Az is a rough, rough state to bowhunt in. According to Bowhunter magazine, we always have one of the lowest success rates for archery deer hunters & it's always in the single digits (4-6% range).

You guys that haven't killed yet just have to keep putting in the hours, but don't give up. My first muley I got took me 14 days. First coues = 9 days. Persistance is what gets it done.

 

Secondly: As I've already said, I firmly believe that if you really want to get it done your best odds are to find a saddle or basin that has some good trails & sit tight. I know a lot of guys prefer water holes too, but I don't care for the human company that often goes along with them. You may have to sit that same spot 3, 4, maybe 5 days in a row, but eventually something with antlers is coming through. Had I been patient/smart enough to have learned that little fact earlier on, I'd have killed a lot more deer by now.

 

Thirdly: Don't limit yourself to one method of hunting. If you're in open, broken terrain that lends itself to stalking, then by all means, try spotting & stalking. However, if you're in some of the thick, steep, nasty, rocky crap that I prefer, you should trade the tripod for a good paperback or video poker game & a buttpad. I tried for a couple years to spot & stalk in my favorite January spot, & even managed to get close a couple times, but I get far, far more close encounters now that I changed my tactics to ambush hunting. For me, the terrain & conditions dictate how I hunt, not my personal preferences or lack of patience.

 

At the end of it though, we don't hunt to kill, we hunt to live. Every time I go out & have does or fawns meander by completely unaware of my presence, or have humming birds buzz up to me & try to taste my orange fletchings, it's all worth while. If you carry a camera with you, you'll find that you come out of the hills successful much more often than not. I love taking pics almost as much as I do taking venison.

 

Fawn at 15 yards.

S6301829.JPG

 

Momma at 9 yards.

S6301833.JPG

 

S6301831.JPG

from a tree stand or ground blind mostly?

Mostly from the ground, but that's due to a lack of trees. I love treestands when they're available.