AZ Coues Hunting for Dummies

[The Hedgehog]

Where are the best places to learn about the basics? From those of you that know lots any advice would be appreciated. I know less than nothing and have never even seen a Coues deer. I’m considering picking up a AZ unit 23 rifle permit. If I don’t draw elk this coming year, I’m planning to apply for the first rifle deer hunt and I’ll surely draw as I have twice the points needed.

It would mostly be an elk scouting trip as I’ll likely be doing an early archery hunt for elk there in the years to come. I’d like to get familiar with the area, roads, etc. I realize where the best Coues hunting in late Oct is, may not be where I’ll be wanting to be hunting for elk in late September. But if I’m going to spend a week or so there doing some preliminary scouting, I might as well have a tiny whitetail deer license in hand.

There’s a lot online, but it’s overwhelming. Looking for mostly basic info about the animal, and what kind of country they like to be, what they eat, what to look for when glassing, or anything specific to that area in AZ. Info on AZ G&F is decent but pretty high level.

I’d think finding a dozen or more glassing points after figuring out what to look for would be good to have for a few hours each morning and evening, when spending the day driving roads would be a fun/worthwhile getaway.

 

[bigsky2]

Jay Scott has a ton of coues related podcast episodes. I'd specifically listen to the ones with Creed Christinat and Duwane Adams. If you're a reader, Duwane also has a book called "How to Hunt Coues Deer". I see its hard to find now and even a used copy is expensive on Amazon. I could ship you my copy if you want to borrow it.

I'm jealous that you have enough points to possibly draw an elk tag for unit 23, and also that you are going coues hunting. I got bit by the coues bug pretty hard.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Thanks for the advice. I might borrow the book and will let you know after elk results come out. If I draw elk, I won't likely be doing it.

 

[POk3s]

I also knew next to morning about coues deer. Both trips I’ve been on required a bit of a learning curve.

When you boil it down to the basics, they’re a whitetail. If you hunt whitetail anywhere else you kind of get a feel for what they like to be in.

Another boom I was going to buy but never did before my trip, but still would like to is “deer of the southwest” by Jim Heffelfinger. It’s brought up online a lot as a great resource.

 

[Dinkshooter]

Remember those weird picture puzzle things that you had to relax your eyes and stare at? Soon enough the image imbedded in it the suddenly stood out?

In my limited Coues hunting experience, it seems like every time I've glassed one up was just like that. Nothing, then suddenly it just appears in your scope. Fun little boogers to look for.

 

[Dinkshooter]

And they are about as big as an overgrown jackrabbit.

 

[Irrelevant]

Jay Scott has a ton of coues related podcast episodes.

As much as I hate it... just following him on IG you get a feel for the type of country they hang out in.

 

[bigsky2]

Yeah whether you like the guy or not, he definitely knows coues deer.

 

[Blackcats06]

Where are the best places to learn about the basics? From those of you that know lots any advice would be appreciated. I know less than nothing and have never even seen a Coues deer. I’m considering picking up a AZ unit 23 rifle permit. If I don’t draw elk this coming year, I’m planning to apply for the first rifle deer hunt and I’ll surely draw as I have twice the points needed.

It would mostly be an elk scouting trip as I’ll likely be doing an early archery hunt for elk there in the years to come. I’d like to get familiar with the area, roads, etc. I realize where the best Coues hunting in late Oct is, may not be where I’ll be wanting to be hunting for elk in late September. But if I’m going to spend a week or so there doing some preliminary scouting, I might as well have a tiny whitetail deer license in hand.

There’s a lot online, but it’s overwhelming. Looking for mostly basic info about the animal, and what kind of country they like to be, what they eat, what to look for when glassing, or anything specific to that area in AZ. Info on AZ G&F is decent but pretty high level.

I’d think finding a dozen or more glassing points after figuring out what to look for would be good to have for a few hours each morning and evening, when spending the day driving roads would be a fun/worthwhile getaway.

Most of 23 is not the classic whitetail country you see in az It's a lot thicker and not really desert terrain There are really big bucks there though There are whitetails in elk country but again thick stuff to glass

 

[TheTone]

I’ve seen quite a few in a fully desert unit farther south. I’ve always been surprised at just how of country they were hanging in with seemingly nothing around them. Also country that was rougher, rockier, and steeper than I expected.