CouesBuckhunter Report post Posted August 13, 2015 Huntlines is right on the money to what I have seen. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AZwest16 Report post Posted August 14, 2015 This is what I have learned over the years and you can take it and use it or disregard it. Over the years I have found some interesting things about Coues deer. I'm sure you have heard about moon phases and how they affect deer movement. There are lots of theories on why which I'm not going to get into here. However I have found the bigger bucks this time of year move/feed heavily during new moons(night time) and bed moving very little during full moons(night time). This goes against some of what you may have heard or have read but it is my observations. Looking at your pictures(thanks for sharing by the way, I thought you would only give the times) I see the bucks are in front of the camera in the middle of the night and into the twilight of the morning. If you look at the moon phase during the time frames of the pictures, the moon is starting its progression towards a new moon. By the way I like the feature of the moon phase on my camera as well but don't rely on it. Go to any search engine and find a true moon phase. Starting on the 18th the moon really started into it's new moon phase. I bet you probably had pictures of these bucks or others in the early morning and evening from the 7th through the 14th. You will start to get them back on camera in daylight hours around the 5th of September. It sounds like you know where these bucks are bedding and this is the only thing I worry about during my scouting. Sure water is a good thing to know about too but it is unreliable during heavy monsoons seasons like some of use are experiencing now. Bedding areas are the key. Now that you know where this is, next season move your setup closer to this bedding area but not too close. This increases your chances no matter what the moon phase is. When I place a setup near a bedding area I will get the bucks on camera at first light up to about 630 to 7am during new moons. During full moons I get them coming through as late as 930 to 10am! Don't move anything now. Doing so during the hunt will only run the chance of pushing these bucks out. You are just going to have to be patient and wait until about the 5th of September. I'm not telling you not to hunt until then because anything can happen and the bucks could get spooked out of their normal routine by a lion or other critter and cause them to be running a little late for their bed time. Just my 2cents I know This was a while back I was just reading it again to help my set up for this year. But you couldnt have been more on the money the bucks came in mid day on the 4th, the 5th and the 6th, Unfortunately I was in school and wasnt sitting those days. This year I will plan in advance and try and plan to sit the days of a fuller moon. Thanks again for the advice! It's tough seeing your blind in the back ground and those bucks right in front of it! Hopefully you get a shot at them this year! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mattys281 Report post Posted August 14, 2015 Calling those Bucks "nocturnal" may not be correct, they may just be moving through THAT area in the dark. Critters dont wear watches. Back-tracking deer movement is one of the most difficult ventures, but may be worthwhile at times... This doesn't seem to be one of them... Stick it out, Hunt hard, you have good deer passing by... Thats my thought too. Id bet the farm that those deer were moving plenty during the day, just not there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
