OMG. I drew one of the best Coues Deer Units in New Mexico- advice?

[TalusHunterCA]

Please PM me- I just drew one of the best Coues Deer units in NM! Love to learn more about hunting them if you've drawn a good tag before and have actual kill experience.

Thank you

 

[hunting1]

The Burros 23? Congrats either way. Glass, glass, glass. There is a campground down there where I know friends who have taken some great deer. Have fun lucky!

 

[TalusHunterCA]

Congrats either way. Glass, glass, glass. There is a campground down there where I know friends who have taken some great deer. Have fun

I reached out to you via PM, Thank you for the inspiration.

 

[JohnJohnson]

I've only hunted them once this past fall and ended up shooting a 78" buck so nothing to be ashamed of but nothing huge. I'll definitely be trying to hunt them a lot more moving forward though. It's by far the most fun I've had hunting in my life.

1. Have the best binos you can afford, coues are VERY hard to spot especially in the shade.
2. Be comfortable shooting past 300 yards. I shot mine at 380 across a canyon in AZ and it was either that shot or no shot. Getting closer was not possible given the landscape I was in.
3. You 100% will want a tripod at least for glassing and ideally if you can shoot off of it that'd be a big plus

Will this be your first time hunting coues then?

 

[TalusHunterCA]

Thank you for the tips! I hunted Coues in AZ once before and they are hard to spot. I managed to see two bucks in the two good weather days that I had but I could not make it happen - one was at last light one day and another on my hike back to the truck with only an hour to spare before needing to leave for my flight out of Tucson. I was there during heavy rains and fog and the roads were as slick as gumbo. Another reason why no one should wait 12 years for a tag, if the weather sucks and you don't give it enough time, you can burn your points and not have the experience you might have been hoping for all those years.

Overall, I have been applying for years and years and this will be an awesome opportunity and experience. This time I will drive my own truck down there and have very good glass.

 

[JohnJohnson]

Thank you for the tips! I hunted Coues in AZ once before and they are hard to spot. I managed to see two bucks in the two good weather days that I had but I could not make it happen - one was at last light one day and another on my hike back to the truck with only an hour to spare before needing to leave for my flight out of Tucson. I was there during heavy rains and fog and the roads were as slick as gumbo. Another reason why no one should wait 12 years for a tag, if the weather sucks and you don't give it enough time, you can burn your points and not have the experience you might have been hoping for all those years.

Overall, I have been applying for years and years and this will be an awesome opportunity and experience. This time I will drive my own truck down there and have very good glass.

Sounds like you've already got a handle on some stuff then. How's your tripod situation and how comfortable are you past 300?

 

[TalusHunterCA]

I have a decent tripod and I have experimented with the Javalin on a picatinny to quick change with the Davros head but I don't really like that set up as it's not as stable as a fluid head for a heavier spotting scope.

Do I need a spotter or should I look at getting a pair of 15X binos or a BTX adapter for my swaro?

As to shooting past 300, I just got a new barrel on my 264WM so will have the summer and fall to practice.

 

[JohnJohnson]

As to shooting past 300, I just got a new barrel on my 264WM so will have the summer and fall to practice.

You should consider taking a precision rifle class during that timeframe.

 

[TalusHunterCA]

Sound advice. Thank you. I just dropped the kiddos off for after school activities - had to rush my response before and just want to say how much I appreciate any tips or words of wisdom.

In keeping with the spirit of the forum, I will PM you a few questions and concerns about my hunt. If you're open to it we can continue via pm. Happy to answer and chat about general advice and tips here. Is there a shooting school that you would recommend?

 

[Maxhunter]

I’ve never hunted them in NM but have in AZ. Imo with a rifle it wouldn’t be to hard but with a bow in hand another story. I was lucky enough to take this buck in 2004. Good luck and post pictures and a story.

 

[WormSportsman]

When I chase them in AZ I use 15’s on a tripod 95% of the time. The other 5% of the time is using a spotter to get a better look at a buck or to pick apart super thick stuff that you last saw a buck head into to bed. If not as worried about the size of the buck and just want a mature buck then you can use 15’s all day every day. Sounds like an awesome tag in NM so good luck.

 

[TalusHunterCA]

I’ve never hunted them in NM but have in AZ. Imo with a rifle it wouldn’t be to hard but with a bow in hand another story. I was lucky enough to take this buck in 2004. Good luck and post pictures and a story.

That's an incredible buck. Even moreso taken with archery gear. Congratulations. Yes, I plan on posting a story. Thank you

 

[TalusHunterCA]

When I chase them in AZ I use 15’s on a tripod 95% of the time. The other 5% of the time is using a spotter to get a better look at a buck or to pick apart super thick stuff that you last saw a buck head into to bed. If not as worried about the size of the buck and just want a mature buck then you can use 15’s all day every day. Sounds like an awesome tag in NM so good luck.

That's useful info. I was planning on bringing my 10x42s but it seems overkill to bring 15x, plus the 10x along with a spotter. I might simply settle on one pair of binos, plus spotter. I have to think that a rangefinder is key?, so maybe I end up carrying two pairs of binos, plus spotter to get more versatility since one has a built-in rangefinder. hmm.....

 

[WormSportsman]

Just depends on how you plan to hunt them. We get up to a high spot and glass all day long. We might go up or down the ridge or to a different high vantage point but that’s about it. We have 10’s on our chest but don’t use them very often unless we are archery hunting them. I see guys all the time hiking around with a chest pair and that’s it and I’m sure they kill deer too. Figure out what optics suit the way you want to chase them and have at em. Rangefinder is a game changer and must have item for us. As was stated above, a lot of shots are across canyons and there is not a good option to get closer without losing them unless you have another guy spotting for you while you sneak in.

 

[TalusHunterCA]

Makes sense. Thank you.

 

[WormSportsman]

Keep us posted on how the hunt goes and good luck!

 

[swavescatter]

That's an incredible buck. Even moreso taken with archery gear. Congratulations. Yes, I plan on posting a hunt debrief after, along with some key insights. It's a once-in-a-lifetime tag for most so I figure I can share insights without sharing locations.

That would be against forum rules. This is not an OIL tag for residents, which are actually most of the tag holders.

 

[TalusHunterCA]

Sounds like I need a refresher on forum rules.

Am I understanding that a hunt debrief and key insights such as, these boots worked great or, I would have spent more time looking into south facing slops would be against rules? I won't post anything until I reread rules.

Thank you. I will keep researching and reach out over pm.

 

[swavescatter]

This post has already violated rules maybe?

No unit specific info.

 

[JohnJohnson]

This post has already violated rules maybe?

No unit specific info.

In fairness to him, while he did confirm it, he wasn't the one who actually mentioned it as far as I can tell.