duckhunter175 Report post Posted October 31, 2015 I’ve been on the site for awhile now, reading posts, gleaning information from the forum and from individual members who have been incredibly helpful. The CWT team was a great resource and network for an eastern hunter who got the wild idea to hunt Coues on his own in Arizona. Here is how things went down! I started posting on CWT as soon as my credit card got hit, one of the lucky thousands to draw an October deer tag. I spent the summer months tweaking reloads for my rifle, shooting a minimum of once a week at the rifle range. Free time was spent reading about Coues, creating packing lists and day dreaming about climbing the mountains and camping in southern Arizona. I had decided at this point I wanted to harvest a respectable, representative animal of the species. A 3x3 would be my goal, maybe a bit ambitious but I know people take good deer every year and I would hunt hard to get one too!! August and September passed quickly here in Kentucky. I did some bowhunting, but mostly to tweak my gear load, learn more about my optics and did manage to put a very large doe in the freezer (this will matter later). Finally October arrived and on Tuesday, 20 October I pointed the Chevy west and got on the road to Arizona with nearly 1800 miles to cover before reaching camp. I listed to Jay Scott and MeatEater podcasts to pass the time. When I hit Little Rock a quick weather check showed heavy weather along the north route on I-40 so I dropped down through Texas. After spending a short night in Abilene I got an early start because already I was having trouble sleeping. Just west of Las Cruces I ran headlong into a huge hail storm. Driving my 3 month old truck, I made it through relatively unscathed save for 3 small dents on my roof. I made link up with my hunting partner along I-10 and we quickly made our way to camp and got the tents set up. It did rain and it was cold… so much for the hot and sunny October hunt. Actually, if it meant the rattlers were gonna hole up then I was fine with the weather. On Thursday morning we headed out scouting. We covered ground from 3000 to 5500 feet and managed to see a few doe along with two species of quail and even found a lion track! Later that morning we got eyes on a 90-95” deer and a smaller 2x2 as they side hilled around into the shade and we lost them. I was adjusting to the small body size but when you see a buck well outside his ears you know it is game time. Now we had a sure start point. We got back to camp for a great meal and then tucked in early for opening day. There weren’t many camps up but we knew people would be arriving through the night and the race would be on! Friday morning we bumped a small spike on our way in but quickly got on our glassing point searching for the large 3x3 from the day before. Temps warmed up as the sun rose and my chills from the 40 degree temps were replaced with excitement as my partner pointed out deer that were moving as I had glassed right over them. Then at 10:00 am we spotted ‘THE’ buck. He was on the north side of a large mesquite and was with the forkhorn. We watched, my partner through his 15s and me through my Razor HD spotter. At nearly a mile away, but downhill, we decided to bed them and then make a move. As I started to pack back up my partner yells “Oh god he is DEAD!!!!” I heard the gunshot echoing as I got back behind my spotter and found that great buck kicking and convulsing underneath the mesquite. I searched and saw the forkhorn and another unseen 3x3 standing around before slipping off. I have never felt a bigger, deeper hole in the bottom of my stomach while hunting. Even with all the deer we had seen scouting and glassing that morning I was thoroughly dejected. We stayed put but couldn’t find any more deer. Later, when we moved to another spot we passed a camp and the fellow who killed that deer. He quickly confirmed he was at least 90” and likely well north of it. Getting to our final spot for the evening hunt we quickly settled in and got on our glass. Throughout the day we refined our methods of talking each other onto deer because that day was our first time even hunting together. This sit was also the first time I found some deer that he hadn’t seen. Often he would get on them with 15s and I would use the spotter to confirm size and better detail. We had seen 6 doe and two small spikes when a pair of hunters crested an intermediate ridge. They were now between us and all the deer we had seen. That kill from that morning was now replaying in my mind. But they ambled along in their blue jeans, silhouetted along the ridge and passed within 150 yards of 2 does who were bedded and the spikes never batted an eye either. Here are the does, remember the bush and cactus near them. Here are the hunters, you can see the bush and cactus behind them but hard to break out the deer. As the sun began to set I was starting to feel better about the day. We had seen good numbers of deer and the bucks we had seen were all in lower ground, thick with mesquite and oaks. I also knew that Saturday and Sunday would be a far different game as the more hunters arrived and scrambled to their favorite spots. I switched to my 10x and started picking apart the ground beneath us. No sooner did we start looking low my partner hissed “3x3, shooter buck, do you want to…” I was already reaching for my 6.5x284 Savage and checking the power on my scope. Grass was too tall for a bipod shot and out came the sticks. My partner was glued to the 15s and getting worried, “he’s going to side hill around, get on him NOW”. My heart was pounding and calculations were running through my head, no time to dial the distance, he was generally near the rock pile I was ranged earlier at 348 yards. I was zero’d at 200 and knew my chart had me 6” low at 300. I decided to use my 1 MOA elevation line and hold on his spine… and BOOM. The rocks over his back exploded and he sprinted 50 yards down the hill. Heart hammering, partner pointing, deer walking back over the hill, hold lower, don’t white knuckle it, breathe and BOOM! Always good to be surprised when the rifle goes off. Deer drops, rolls and doesn’t move from the wash. The 140gr Amax did it’s job, entering just behind last rib, right under the spine, bored down across the quartered away cavity and stopped off side after shredding the heart and lungs. It will be dark soon so we scramble down to cross the canyon. From the bottom as we look up the hill an even bigger buck is staring downhill facing directly at us. His dark beams sweep outside the ears. Now it’s my turn to call it, “shooter buck” I whisper, “move slow”. Out come shooting sticks, partner quickly loads his .300RUM. Tries to line up but his transition lens are dark, so he has to switch his glasses. I get behind him with my 10s and when that cannon went off the shockwave of the bullet impact flowed all the way down the deer like a slow motion punch to a fat belly. Deer runs 20 yards before it gives realizes it is dead and actually ends up 20 yards from my buck. Two truly great deer, on opening day after a complete rollercoaster of emotion!! My deer My partner and his deer My spread Together The rest is, as they say, history. The head/cape went to the taxidermist and the meat went to Wild Game Processing who did an amazing job, such a clean shop and they got the meat processed and frozen before I left a few days later. In the meantime I chased quail (no luck), predators (fox and coyote but no luck on lions or bobcats) and even had time to sneak in a duck hunt!!! I’m an avid duck hunter and wanted a Cinnamon Teal and Mexican to add to my list. No dice on those but got a few GWT and a Widgeon. Now back to planning for next season!! 18 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trphyhntr Report post Posted October 31, 2015 Nice hunt Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DesertBull Report post Posted October 31, 2015 That's a cool buck Rudy. Congrats. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shawn Report post Posted October 31, 2015 Congrats! Looks like you had a great time! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Matt Meyer Report post Posted October 31, 2015 Great write up and pics. Congrats to you and your buddy on the nice deer Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SO I HUNT Report post Posted October 31, 2015 Great story and pictures... Nice ou shotgun... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Green Bullet Report post Posted October 31, 2015 Great story, congrats! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Str8Shot Report post Posted October 31, 2015 Great write up and Bucks , Congrats ! Plus I am sure you will Never forget, that down there when you see hills with good amounts of Ocotillios and Mesquites you can usually find those sneaky Coues ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
briant_az Report post Posted October 31, 2015 Glad to see you had such a good hunt Rudy! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elecshoc Report post Posted October 31, 2015 Good job!!!! Great hunt Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Browns Report post Posted October 31, 2015 Great story & congratulations!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AZwest16 Report post Posted October 31, 2015 Nice write up! Congrats on your first buck! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ctafoya Report post Posted October 31, 2015 Nice job. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mocha1545 Report post Posted October 31, 2015 Congrats! Great story. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KeithV Report post Posted October 31, 2015 Good job on the transition to desert hunting congrats Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
