2016 Mexico Coues buck down

[AZbowhntr]

Well I just got back from Mexico the other day from my coues deer hunt this year. I had a great time down there as I have always in the past. Met some great people and saw some awesome country. The ranch I hunted this year was just over the border about 30 miles. So it made it great for traveling. I left my house at 5am and was at the ranch before 11am with the stops at the border and everything. The day we left was raining so it made it interesting getting everything down there dry. Not to mention that I had to go to the emergency room the evening before and didn't get out of there until 2am.

 

Once we got there we got everything unpacked and and settled in. We decided to have our cook for the week make us some sandwiches for lunch. There was a slight misunderstanding there as we were going to have her make us some peanut butter and jelly or honey sandwiches. Well we ended up with some peanut butter sandwiches, some jelly sandwiches and some honey sandwiches. Apparently we didn't make it quite clear enough when we asked for the sandwiches. Once we ate we were ready to hit the hills and do some glassing. Unfortunately the weather was not cooperating. A huge rain storm came through that kept us at the ranch house for the next couple hours. Every so often we would look out at the sky to see if it was going to clear up. We finally see and clearing in the distance and decide to make a go at it. We got to the mountain and start the hike to the top. Once set up glassing it was only about 5 minutes and we see another storm coming our way. Needless to say the first day was a bust. It took the next two days to get everything dry.

 

The first day of the actual hunt we decided to hunt a new mountain that had recently had a road put in to get to the base. The expectations were very high hunting an area that only one person has ever hunted (see Ernesto's recent post). We split up and headed up different ridges to glassing points that we had looked at on Google Earth. We had been warned that the area was not a big coues deer area and that we would not see a ton of deer. Well it took until about 9:30 before my friend Greg spotted the first deer of the hunt. A small 3pt buck bedded right out in the open. At this point I am thinking YES, this is going to be a piece of cake. Well little did we know. After a little bit we glass another small buck in the same general area. As I am scanning the area I see another buck that is raking some trees. I was able to tell that he was a decent buck but at 850yds it was hard to tell exactly how big. He finally turned his head giving me a good look at his mass and tine length. I instantly knew this was a shooter. As a was watching him I looked away for a split second to grab my phone to get some pictures and video. When I looked back he was gone. After doing a quick scan of the area I knew he had to have bedded down. Luckily there was a small ridge between us and the buck. So the game plan was set up and I was off. About 45 minutes later I was on the ridge trying to find my landmarks from the other glassing point. I was all set up waiting on the buck to stand up. The longer I waited the more worried I became that I was in the wrong place. So talking to Greg on the radio he confirmed that I was in the wrong area and would not be able to see the buck when he stood up. So I frantically grad my pack and rifle and head further around the ridge. As soon as I start moving Greg radios and says the buck is up. So now I am starting to panic and trying to quietly move around the side of a mountain that looks like someone took baseball size rocks and spread them out. I finally find the buck and have my tripod with the Outdoorsmans rifle rest set up on it. The buck is moving down the ridge and only has about 10yds left before he drops out of sight. So I quickly find him in the scope and put the cross hairs on his shoulder and touch off the shot. I was able to recover in time to see him tip over backwards. At this point I am certain he is down for good. I lay everything down and give a big shout out that Greg heard at about 800yds away. Next thing I know is a hear in the radio to hit him again. I can't believe what I am hearing and grab my radio and ask what he said. By the time he answers the buck is down again for good. This all took place by 12:30 opening day. Once all the pictures are taken and the buck is cleaned and all loaded up we decide to take our time hauling him out as we are 1 1/4 miles away from the truck in some of the nastiest country I have ever hunted. I can't imagine how bad it would have been if it would have been an elk instead.

 

first buck glassed

my buck at about 900yds

notice the landscape?

not looking forward to the hike out

 

Unfortunately I was the only one out of the four of us with tags that was successful. We saw one other buck that was a nice mature buck but couldn't get on for a shot. Otherwise it was exactly like we were told and it was a very difficult hunt. There were two days that I did not see a deer. However there was no shortage of coyotes to call. One day I called in at least four on one stand that Greg was able to shoot two. And the other two guys called in three on one stand and killed all three. I am sure that this has something to do with the number of deer (or lack of) that we were seeing. We ended up killing twelve coyotes and two bobcats. I think if we were to go down and specifically call for coyotes it would be easy to kill twenty in a day.

Greg with a nice double

nice little bonus

 

Overall it was a fun hunt that could be a great opportunity if the conditions were right. I think that with some predator control, more reliable water sources and hitting the rut could turn this into an awesome hunt.

opening morning sunrise

last evening sunset

[Pixman]

Great buck and great write up, thanks for sharing.

[eagle#eyes]

Cool memories. Congrats on the deer

[Ernesto C]

Orlin, what a beautiful buck you took!! I love the eye guards, tine and main beam length, simetrical, and love it! Congratulations my friend great buck!

[cramerhunts]

Congratulations on a beautiful buck Orlin! I was thinking about you guys the entire time hoping the weather would cooperate for you all. That country looks like it is no joke with the baseball size rocks and the thick vegetation. Too bad about the predators and I'd be willing to bet that is a large contributor to the low deer density.

[trphyhntr]

Sorry about your buddies but you had a heck of a hunt

[WHT_MTNMAN]

Stud buck, There are giant bucks behind every tree/bush in Mexico, haven't you heard? lots of people have no idea that it can truly be a tough hunt.

[218buck]

Great buck congrats on your buck and coyote control

[OpticNerd]

Great write-up and pics. I like everything about that coues. Beautiful buck congrats!

[tjhunt2]

Congratulations on a great lookin buck.

 

TJ

[naturebob]

Nice Buck and yes Mexico is not a given for big bucks. It can be tough. Iv'e got scunked twice out of 5 times down there. You hold out and some times You lose.............BOB!

[PelaPapas]

Great buck man, congrats! Love the mass on his antlers.

[Chef]

Congratulations again Orlin!

Was happy that you were successful on a tough ranch.

 

I still can't believe how many coyotes/bobcats you guys saw/killed.

Would be a predator hunters dream hunt!

 

Nice buck. Happy I got to hold the antlers as you guys drove back through.