First Mexico Coues Deer Trip

[scoutm]

I’ve read many Mexico whitetail hunting stories and have enjoyed the many pictures of deer people have taken in Mexico. So, for the last few years, I have wanted to do a trip of my own but things never came together like I had hoped until this year. Chris (Sun Devil) and I were able to find a couple of tags on a ranch about 30 miles south of the boarder.

 

We knew the area had low deer density and was primarily a Mule deer ranch so we arranged to see the ranch before we committed our money. A visit was set and we enjoyed the hospitality of the ranchers for 2 days. Due to high wind and high temperatures we did not see any deer but enjoyed talking about the many outstanding sheds the ranchers had collected over the years.

 

On the drive home we decided that purchasing two tags did not make sense given the low deer density so we decided to purchase only one tag and use this as a learning experience giving me the opportunity to hunt and both of us the experience of going to Mexico, getting gun permits and crossing the boarder. All these things ran very smoothly.

 

After much discussion with the person the ranchers were using to coordinate the tags and hunts, the dates were set. The dates were not ideal and not the dates preferred but since the different hunting parties were not supposed to over lap the dates had to due. Unfortunately, this didn’t occur as the hunting party that preceded me extended their trip and overlapped my hunt by two days. Not entirely pleased by this we made the best of it.

 

Again, knowing the deer density was low we expected a difficult hunt but nothing like what we experienced. The first day we didn’t see a single deer. The other party reported seeing two different shooters so we went back into that canyon with them the next day. We saw several does but no bucks until late in the day when we heard a shot ring out. One of the other hunters knowing it was his last day took a small 2x3.

 

The other hunting party left Sunday morning so we once again decided to give the canyon where they saw the two nice bucks another chance. We saw only two does and one small buck that Chris located feeding away from us almost a mile away.

 

Back at the ranch house for lunch and trying to come up with a plan for the rest of the trip, we went over a map of the ranch with the rancher and found an area we thought looked pretty good to us – a long wide canyon with two glassing points just about a half mile apart. Between Chris and me, we would cover the entire canyon. The rancher said no one has ever really hunted it before because it’s hard to get to – so we were sold.

 

We rode the quads up the wash that came out of the canyon as far as we could and hiked the rest of the way to the first glassing point. Chris setup there and I took off for the farther point. No sooner had I arrived at my glassing spot when Chris calls on the radio – “I’ve got a doe.” Feeling optimistic I sit down to start glassing and Chris calls on the radio again “GET OVER HERE NOW!!!” I could tell he was serious so I responded - on my way.

 

While putting everything in my pack Chris calls on the radio yet again “I’M NOT JOKING...GET OVER HERE NOW!!” I asked if I needed to be careful he replied “no…just get to the fence line and bring it straight to where I’m setup.” Well after my heart pumping sprint to where Chris was he had the spotting scope setup for me to take a look… I was greeted by the view of a legitimate 115 class 4x5 plus eye guards buck. Now the heart was really going.

 

I pulled out the range finder 580 yards -too far of shot to take for a buck of this caliber. We planned a stock we believed would cut the distance to about 380 and still allow me to see him – we were wrong. I lost too much elevation and it was far too thick.

 

While trying desperately to locate the buck in all the trees, fifteen minutes before dark the doe got the Big Buck up and took him with her. Hoping he would walk into an opening that would allow me to take the shot, Chris guided me to where the buck was.

 

“See the ocotillo patch?”

 

Yes,

 

“See the big white rock in the middle?”

 

Yes,

 

“9:00 from the rock is a saguaro with no arms”

 

Got it,

 

“The buck is just to the left of the saguaro”

 

I can’t see him there’s a tree in the way.

 

Growing increasingly anxious, I move around to different locations trying to find a lane that would allow me to see the Big Buck and take the shot but the days light fades and we had to pack it up for the day.

 

So after a great dinner and a surprisingly good night sleep, we were back up on the mountain trying to relocate the Big Buck. After glassing for two hours without seeing anything and with hope fading, I located what I believed was a doe. I put Chris on her too so we could hopefully find the Big Buck bedded near by. This is when a small two point buck walked in and started to spar with our “doe” which of course turned out to not be a doe but rather a very small spike buck. Hope started to fade again.

 

Chris and I started to discuss the different markers we were using the previous evening to locate the Big Buck when in a split second I saw a deer stand and bed – I HAD HIM!! I told Chris and he greeted it with some skepticism but I assured him I was positive it was a deer and it was a buck. He was behind several trees and bushes so we were unable see him through our binoculars. In hopes of being able to pick some part of him up through all the trees, I pulled out my spotting scope and zoomed in. Sure enough there was his eye and part of his antler not 10 yards from where we left him the night before.

 

Chris came over to take a look at him through the spotting scope just in time to see the rut kick into high gear. Apparently, the Big Buck’s doe got up and started to move away which of course got the Big Buck up which in turn sparked the interest of our little two point and spike bucks.

 

What happened next was pure rut chaos. With one doe and three suitors, the doe took to running. It was like trying to track four pin balls all being played at the same time – they were going all over the place at full speed and in thick brush.

 

Final, after what seemed like an eternity, the pursuit gained some order, first the doe over the hill into the next cut then the small two point followed by the spike buck with his nose glued to the ground but no Big Buck. Did we miss him? Did he go over the hill where we couldn’t see him? Then about ten minutes later out of the corner of my eye I see movement not 15 yards in front of me. Is it him? No it’s another two point buck. So close to us I couldn’t pass on the opportunity to take a picture so I reach for my camera and while watching the small buck I opened the wrong pocket of my camera case – it was Velcro - RIPPPP which sent the little buck over the hill.

 

We sat back down and started to glass to see if we could find the Big Buck but found nothing. There was surely no way that Big Buck would have let that little buck take his doe. He had to have gone over the hill too and we just missed it in all the chaos. After discussing this at length, we decided to make a big loop to see if we could get in front of where we saw the doe and smaller bucks go. This proved to be a big mistake.

 

On our way over we busted out one of the small bucks that had gone over the hill. We didn’t see the Big Buck so we continued with our plan to loop around. Now at our destination we started to glass for the Big Buck and found nothing. Beginning to wonder if we made the right decision, to Chris’ surprise he finds the Big Buck coming over the hill in no big hurry. We were sure he had already come over. This showed us the mistake we had made. Had we stayed put and waited, trusting that if we didn’t see him go over the hill then he was still there. He crossed at a point that would have offered a shot anywhere from 250 to 350 yards, instead we once again had the Big Buck bedded in extremely thick brush at over 800 yards away.

 

After kicking ourselves we discussed our options and decided on two that were viable. There was one my legs favored and one my gut favored – I went with my gut. I started another big loop to try to get behind and above where the Big Buck was bedded. Almost to my destination, Chris calls me on the radio to inform me that the little two point buck had gotten the doe back up for a shorter replay of the earlier rutting event. Apparently bored with these activities, the Big Buck, now named Alberto for were we located him, jumped the fence onto the neighboring ranch and walked off like the King of the Mountain that he most definitely IS.

 

Hunt over!!

 

Thanks goes out to Chris for joining me and helping me on this hunt.

 

Picture courtesy of Chris.

[Hunterdan]

Great Story. Sounds like you had a good time, good job.

[SunDevil]

here is a different coloration of this buck.

 

[NOFX]

Is that alberto in the pic.? like previous posted, sounds like you had a good time. I know that taggin Albeto would have been the highlight, but you are fortunate to be there and see what you saw. Great job!

[AZantlerhead]

ARE you going back to get the new and improved alberto? Not that he wasn't a Monster allreay! That's a great hunting adventure, it's why we go back, knowing their out there.