How close???

[Manamal]

Knowing the sneaky nature of the coues, I was just curious how close you guys have stalked them on a regular basis.

[azcouesandelk]

The closest I have got a stalk on was just practice, but I got about 25 yards away. Averagley I think aobut 50 yards is what I can do with the right wind.

[az4life]

2 years in a row, In late Dec hunt, I stalked to within 20 yards. One time was a group of several does and a small buck. Another time was a pair of does browsing on a hillside.

 

Lots of times in my early years, I see them jump out only a few feet away but can't count those since I was not stalking them.

 

As an average, in the terrain I hunt, anything less than 100yds and you are doing Extremely well.

[azpackhorse]

I am too big to sneak up on coues, so I usually just stand there and try to look like a tree. Aint had much luck sneak'n in on coues, it is alot harder than elk or javelina. Average for me would be around the 100 yard mark.

[Manamal]

I agree, once within 100 yards or so it seems they can almost sence your presence. I would like very much to get a good whitetail with my bow and sometimes think of other options like, sitting in a treestand or calling or both.

Have any of you tried calling coues during the rut? Or maybe sitting in a treestand over a trail, salt, or water? If so how have theese tactics worked for you?

[GRONG]

My best is 25 yards, but didn't get him. That was down in 36C in January about 8yrs ago.

 

Josh

[galiuro mountain man]

I used to not be able to sneak up on coues closer than about 80 yards. I have learned to do it well now. I can usually get within 50 yards pretty easily, and my average is about 30 yards now. About 1 out of 10 times I can get within less than 20. The thing that made most of the difference for me is wearing a mesh facemask and gloves, even in Aug.

 

Also, just move as slow as possible. I was within 35 yards of a decent buck yesterday when I checked my cams, I was in street clothes. I first saw the buck at about 120 yards, and an hour later I was acting like I pulled my bow and shot, I then stood up, and that is what made him trot off.

 

I cant wait for the 27th!!!

 

Oh, I got 160 photos on my homemade trail cams of a bunch of deer (lots of bucks), 3 different bears, a bunch of dove, a rabbit, a hawk, and a bat! Awsome photos, if I can figure out how to make the files smaller I will try to post them.

 

GMM

[Redman]

Manamal,

 

Last year I fooled around with a call in Jan, I called in a few deer, most of the time the deer will stop and look back, but one deer I will never forget.

 

I spotted a group of deer walking through the trees (unit 33 Rincons). As I began to get close (60-80 yds). All I saw were white flags running everywhere. I blew on my call and buck (I think was a 3pt) stoped, turned around, and made a b-line straight towards me. I kneeled down below a small mound and panicly tried to take my pack off. My range finder was caught on the pak's chest buckle which made manners worse. When I finally got my pack off, the deer was standing no more than 5-10 yds from me stomping the ground. I pulled back, and let the arrow go. All I saw was my call flying and the deer running away. I forgot to take the dang call out of my mouth. The bow string caught it when I released it. My heart which was was beating about 180 bps seemed to stop as the call flew to the ground. I tell you, there was no way I was going to miss the shot, all my pins were on the deer.

 

So, yes calls do work, but make sure you take them out of your mouth when releaseing your arrow!

 

Redman

[Guest Ernesto C]

Excellent story Redman,thanks for sharing it with us. You know something like that happened to my but was with javelina(rifle hunt)I had the javelina like 10 yds from me but my clip and ammo was in my back pack,by the time I got them out of the back pack the javelina where long gone.

 

Ernesto C.

[TREESTANDMAN]

Up at the Kiabab one year I drew back on a buck that was 15 yds away. As I drew back my arrow fell to the ground and my nock stayed attached to the string. As I took the nock off and put a new arrow on frantically, the deer moved off a bit. Thinking in my mind it must have gone a ways w/ all that time I guessed him for 40 yds when he was actually 20 and shot over his back. Good thing he was only a forky.

[Manamal]

Hilarious story Redman, but for you I'm sure all of the humor was seen in retrospect. But you know what, exciting moments in the field like that keeps the fire burning and gives you a memory you will never forget.

Galiuro Mountain Man I also wear mesh gloves and facemask while stalking. And after reading your post I realize stalking the coues, like anything else in life just takes a little time to get it right. As of now I have stalked 4 coues bucks w/ bow and 2 while practicing.

With a rifle It doesnt much seem like a stalk, as it does just getting in position for a shot. I have killed three coues bucks with my rifle in as many years. 80, 250, 265 yards.

Closest stalk with a bow was 61 yards. Watched two bucks bed down at 500 or 600 yards and made a huge circle to get above them so I had the wind in my favor. Maybe they heard or saw me, it was pretty steep and the footing wasnt the greatest. Anyways I had been keeping a juniper between the bucks and I, when I got to it ,I looked around the side and the smaller of the two bucks only gave me enough time to get a rangefinder reading. The other was just gone.

[111]

My best stalk was to about 10 yards to a coues doe in unit 32. I glassed the deer up and made a sneak around a hill where the wind was right. I just kept myself between bushes and cedars and when the deer began to feed I made my move. I would say the deer was very surprised to look up and see me that close.

[Elmacho]

I'M fAIRLY NEW TO THIS, SO i'LL CALL IT LUCK.

 

IN 2002, A SAT UNDER A CHOLLA AND WAITED FOR LIGHT. ABOUT 8AM- THREE 90 INCH CLASS BUCKS WALK UP THE TRAIL 35-40 YARDS IN FRONT OF ME. THAT FAT MIDDLE ONE PAID FOR IT. 160 GRAIN BULLET TO THE HEART AND HE STILL RAN ABOUT 125 YDS.

 

2003 STILL/SLOW HUNTING WALKED TO 5 DIFFERENT DOES BETWEEN 15 AND 40 YARDS. DOES DON'T COUNT THOUGH. BUCKS SEEM MORE WARY.

 

WILL TRY WITH A BOW THIS YEAR

 

GOOD LUCK

[runningbird]

The closest Iv'e gotten was about 55 yards and I still could'nt find him, My son was 400 yards away signaling that he was right in front of me. I never even saw him when he snuck away. Oh well I'll be searching for him again soon.