macknnc Report post Posted May 1, 2014 So...lets say, God smiles..everything comes together just perfectly...etc and etc and I can come west in 2015 to try to get Coues off my bucket list...So lets base all this on that.. now keeping in mind that this would be an unguided hunt, and quite probably my only shot at getting a Coues..Arizona or New Mexico? Let's start there and we'll work from there... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flatlander Report post Posted May 1, 2014 AZ that isn't even a question. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Couestracker Report post Posted May 1, 2014 What is the question?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
macknnc Report post Posted May 1, 2014 Okay..that is actually more or less what I expected..but why? the population densities seem pretty close, within their given ranges, the rack of the NM bucks are comparable... Not arguing..as I said..I did expect AZ would be be the choice...but is it THAT much better than NM? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Couestracker Report post Posted May 1, 2014 I hunt both states for deer, usually mule deer in NM, but have my 3rd wt hunt there this year. Have yet to see a wt buck in NM. I know, personal problem, but there are far more places in AZ to go and find/hunt wt than in NM. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flatlander Report post Posted May 1, 2014 And tag availability. If you are planning for a specific year in AZ there are a number of units where you can count on getting a tag without fail every single year. Those hunts have plenty of deer and success rates around 30%. In NM if you get very far from the Burro Mountains you are rolling the dice, and getting a unit 23 NM tag is no sure thing. AZ for DIY public land hunting. If it's a representative buck and a Sonoran dessert experience you are looking for it's here for the taking. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mattys281 Report post Posted May 1, 2014 So...lets say, God smiles..everything comes together just perfectly...etc and etc and I can come west in 2015 to try to get Coues off my bucket list...So lets base all this on that.. now keeping in mind that this would be an unguided hunt, and quite probably my only shot at getting a Coues..Arizona or New Mexico? Let's start there and we'll work from there... Planning on flinging lead or pointy sticks? Archery tag is otc in az with lots of public land that holds nice bucks. I believe nm is all on a lottery basis. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Benbrown Report post Posted May 2, 2014 AZ. Tags are easier to draw and their deer don't seem to have been hit as hard by the drought as they have here in New Mexico. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
az_shooter Report post Posted May 2, 2014 New Mexico... Is a good place but I say go for Arizona. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coach Report post Posted May 2, 2014 IMO, NM ranchers do a better job of keeping and holding water. SE AZ, you see the same influence. Coues numbers are generally higher in AZ and more widespread, but NM has some areas with less access, or the kind of access that demands you "have a bold nature about you", lol, for lack of better words. If crazy ranchers and drug runners don't dissuade you, there's a lot of great habitat in NM for hunting coues. Same said for the areas just west of the NM line along the border. If you're looking for a laid back coues hunt in AZ, well, IMO the super high tag allocations mean any out-of-state hunter is going to be in a densely populated hunt. FWIW, I quit applying for general coues tags when they killed unit 24A by slopping in 1000+ hunts between Oct and early Dec. The days of hunting coues in the rut, late December, with a rifle are done. 24a used to have around 450, then 350 tags in the rut. Now it's around 30, but never fear, that extra 420 tags has been doubled, even close to tripled in late fall when the mature bucks seldom move during daylight hours. So when central AZ has trouble producing a mature buck, you can always take solice in knowing there are at least an extra thousand-plus hunters sharing your "hunter opportunity". 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ready2hunt Report post Posted May 2, 2014 You're not cool until you hunt AZ coues.....everybody's doing it. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
macknnc Report post Posted May 2, 2014 readytohunt: Yeah I did kinda notice that...As I said, I suspected AZ would get the nod..plus in my case, as I have said here several times, I grew up reading O'Connor, most recently, Robert Anderson's bio on him...and the idea of hunting some of the same ground as The Great Man is appealing...which is sorta bringing me to my next question.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThomC Report post Posted May 2, 2014 Make an offer to help someone get a South Carolina deer in trade. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
