Who is hunting Coues deer this year?

[Green Chile]

It’s been a few years since I hunted one and I would like to do it again. I’m also including the Carmen mountain whitetail in my research. It’s too late to draw tags but there are some hunts in Texas and Mexico that are open without requiring a draw. I’m particularly interested in the Dec/Jan rut season. The hunts seem to be in the $5-6k range for deer that can surpass B&C minimum score. My favorite deer on the wall is easily my 100” Coues. You have to lace up and earn those successes. They are not easily found!

 

[Elkeater]

I’m not cause I didn’t draw, but my 12 year old drew a tag so we will be hunting coues here around home in november.

I keep thinking i should try mexico as one of my employees is a part time guide down there in the winter and some of the bucks they take are monsters. Dudes got multiple 120”+ deer on his office wall.

 

[Green Chile]

I have looked at the Mexico option many times but have yet to try it. I've only taken 1 nice Coues (in AZ) but I think about it often. I would like to hunt them in NM and TX as well as Mexico. TX might be next. Coues hunting changed my life in regards to optics quality. I was never the same after that.

 

[JimP]

. Coues hunting changed my life in regards to optics quality. I was never the same after that.

You've got that right. Anyone who thinks that their 10x42 binoculars are good enough no matter who the manufacture is need to go coues deer hunting.

On my last hunt I was able to spot the deer with my 10x42 Swaros but that was as far as it went. For hunting them you need to start at a 15x and then switch to the spotting scope to decide if you want to hike that mile or two over to get a closer look.

 

[Green Chile]

That is so true. I was way short on my optics game compared to the guides. They will do almost anything to get big glass up on the mountain. It's heavy going up but the amount of boot leather it saves in not chasing the wrong deer up there is incredible. Most of my Coues hunting was glassing not stalking. We rarely found something to stalk but we were always looking or getting to another area to look over.

Guides and their crazy glass...notice the fluid head also. That's my next purchase and a real benefit to long glassing hours and tearing apart the mountain, piece by piece.

 

[Elkeater]

Coues deer hunters are pretty crazy when it comes to glass. The ratio of Swarovski binos per capita in my area is kinda nuts.

 

[analog_peninsula]

When I hunted Mexico in January, I only rarely spotted deer before my guide. I was using 8x Leicas and I still felt like I had taken a knife to a gunfight.

 

[Green Chile]

When I hunted Mexico in January, I only rarely spotted deer before my guide. I was using 8x Leicas and I still felt like I had taken a knife to a gunfight.

What was your guide using? How many spotters?

 

[analog_peninsula]

My guide had gear of very modest quality, but he also seemed to have worked the ranch for a number of years. He was the only other person I hunted with. That said, one of our party hadn’t yet connected on the last day, and two hunters with filled tags and two guides helped spot. Thankfully, he connected at last light and went home successful.

 

[wildwilderness]

Bowhunting coues deer over a water hole in Jan/Feb in Sonora is the best! Most action is between 10-3 so no waking up early or late nights. Great food, I love carne asada and nice break from an Alaskan winter!