San Carlos vs Mexico

[DesertBull]

Not sure how many here have actually hunted both the Rez and Mexico, but I'll ask anyway.

 

Which is the bigger value. Not the cheapest (I already know that answer), but the most bang for the buck. Is the hunting on a average Mexican ranch worth 2x-3x times the cost and hassle of gun permits, insurance, check points, etc compared to a $1500 - $2,000 San Carlos late season tag?

[.270]

i ain't seen or even heard of a really big buck from san carlos in awhile. some nice ones. some really good ones. but nothin' that shakes things up, for quite awhile. there has been a buncha monsters from mexico this year. also, san carlos rez ain't near as big as mexico and it is like most of Az. with the sky island deal, where mexico has vast areas of continious coues country. but the hassle with mexican politics, cops, etc. goes a long ways too. my kid and his friends got held up at machine gun point by the cops down there last year. i don't think they'll go back. Lark.

[CouesWhitetail]

I have hunted both and I would say that Mexico has bigger bucks on average and depending on the ranch, a higher density of deer. But to answer whether it's worth the extra money and headache is a tough call. Depends on what you want. I LOVE the San Carlos and was fortunate enough to go along with a friend on a late coues hunt there a couple weeks ago. He ended up killing a 110 inch buck and we saw lots of deer and not a single other hunter. That's why I love it out there. It has excellent hunting and low density of hunters. But I think it's easier to find bucks that are over 110 in Mexico. So, I guess I would think about what you are looking for. How big a buck will you be happy with? If you kill a 110 on the San Carlos and spend $2000 less on the hunt will you be happier than if you spend $4000 in Mexico and kill a 120? Tough call! I say find a way to make more money and do both!!! There is a whole other cultural experience to the hunt in Mexico that I enjoy. And although you are certainly in another culture on the reservation, generally you are just with your hunting friends and don't see many apaches out there during the season. So it's not like in Mexico where you are staying in a ranch house with Mexicans and getting a taste of their way of life.

 

Amanda

 

PS. What would be really awesome would be if the White Mtn Apache Reservation let nonmembers hunt Coues deer like San Carlos does. There seem to be more brutes up there on the WMAT rez.

[peloncillo]

I have not hunted the san carlos but if you hunt on your own in mexico it could be cheaper then the res.

 

Keven

[Flash]

So how do you go about "hunting on your own" in Mexico? I wouldn't know how to go about finding a ranch with tags that hasn't already had all the big guides who make a living looking at ranches. Seems like you need some connections to fuigure the whole thing out. I guess with a starting place, you could get the ball rolling.

 

PS - never hunted either, but always dreaming of them both ;}

[GameHauler]

"PS. What would be really awesome would be if the White Mtn Apache Reservation let nonmembers hunt Coues deer like San Carlos does. There seem to be more brutes up there on the WMAT rez. "

 

Very nice hint Amanda

[Coues Sniper]

"PS. What would be really awesome would be if the White Mtn Apache Reservation let nonmembers hunt Coues deer like San Carlos does. There seem to be more brutes up there on the WMAT rez. "

 

Very nice hint Amanda

Indeed. I've been trying to figure out a way to convince those guys to allow that for years. (Or just for me and a few choice friends ) There are some monsters killed there every year.

 

And for what it's worth, Mexico is worth the extra hassle in my humble opinion.

[DesertBull]

I have not hunted the san carlos but if you hunt on your own in mexico it could be cheaper then the res.

 

Keven

 

 

I'm scared I'll end up in Juarez Prison as someone's pale skinned senorita.

[longshooter]

Ditto on the apache res... I was there this september Elk hunting and I jumped a few monster bucks.

 

They don't really have a sence of humor when it comes to hunting there coues deer. Trust me I tried trading in my Elk tag to wack a coues and the guide who is my good friend did not think it was very funny.

[Apache7mm]

Being a tribal member from SC and hunting here all my life, i can give a little info on the rez. The thing i like about here is you can hunt just about anywhere and find coues, and not only that but in all 4 Units you can hunt either up high in the pines, down low in the stickers and cactus, or inbetween in the oaks, juniper, and acorns, and and, always have the option of DIY (excluding R-100). But i guess as far as the trophy quaility goes, i definately agree with most comments here that there are some very nice bucks taken on the rez each year but not the caliber to match Mexico, just by looking at all the giants from this year and last and even before that there are consistently 120+ bucks taken down in Mexico, i don't think there's been anything that big off the rez here since the 196 NT was killed back in the dinosaur days. I think the only thing that makes most ppl second guess Mexico is all the things you mentioned with checkpoints and whatnot, but i'm sure its one of those things that you just have to get through in order to experience the Glory in the end, its the same out here on the rez as some know, sometimes you get right through that line outside or you get someone to buy your tag and you're set, OR, you get different stories and mix ups and end up pulling out your hair and hating the rez in the end all because of a bad experience, tough choice, whatever you decide, good luck and don't forget to share your experience with us all!!!

 

DAN