If you’ve read my Vortex vs. Vortex 15x Binocular review earlier this year, you may have noticed the name “Duwane Adams“. Just who is this guide who seems to be nearly everywhere that big Arizona deer are spoken of?
I learned of Duwane sometime in the late 1980s when he became known as the man behind the big glass. As far as I know, Duwane pioneered the use of high-powered tripod-mounted binoculars for the western hunter. Thirty-plus years later, Duwane is still glassing with the “Big Eyes” and serving clients throughout Arizona. Besides possessing a dogged determination for finding giant mule deer and coues deer, he has also become known as an outfitter who can find big bull elk.
So it was an easy decision for me when recently I saw Duwane’s DVD “How to Hunt Monster Mule Deer in the Kaibab” on Amazon. I entered my debit card and just few days later, it arrived. Just like when anything deer related shows up at my house, all forward motion ceases and I’m soon absorbed.
Now let me give you a disclaimer. Duwane is not a professional videographer, writer, or actor as you’ll catch on in the DVD. But that is what gives it authenticity and charm. Duwane is a deer hunter first but his passion for sharing knowledge will not disappoint.
I watched it twice straight through and can attest that if you ever want to hunt Arizona mule deer north of the Colorado River, this is a must see DVD.
In the DVD, he shares the methods he and his guides use to find and kill some of the best bucks in Northern Arizona. He covers everything from the units he hunts to how he hunts them. He also covers the gear they rely on, including his now famous big binoculars. Duwane also interviews his friend Ryan Hatch of Muley Crazy Magazine in the video for even more tips on hunting king-sized mule deer. If you want to get a true perspective on hunting big deer in the Southwest, then this is a must-watch DVD. You can order it here
Duwane also wrote a book along with Durwood Hollis back in 2001 titled “Hunting Monster Mule Deer in Arizona’s Kaibab Region” (click here to view). So upon completion of the DVD, I sent him a copy of my book and a check for his. Just a few days later my phone rang and who’da guessed? The man himself was on the other end.
I’d heard that Duwane was of the friendly type and the phone call confirmed all that. He was very thankful for my book and informed me that not only was a copy of his Kaibab book on the way, but that he’d also included a copy of his book “How to Hunt Coues Deer.” We promised each other that we’d meet and maybe even hunt together someday.
Within a few days, a big yellow padded envelope landed in my mailbox and again, all forward motion ceased. As you should know by now, I advocate reading just about anything about deer—any deer—if you want to improve your big mule deer game.
I ripped into his Kaibab book like a kid into a birthday present. I had read some reviews that the book covered more of the gear used by Duwane than actually how to hunt the Kaibab. While I’d agree that gear is covered almost too heavily in the book, I also walked away with a more realistic outlook on what it takes to kill a truly big deer in the country he hunts. That is invaluable information to me.
Finally, I read his Coues deer book, which was released in 2003. This book was written after the Kaibab book and in Duwane’s words, “You learn a few things along the way.” Duwane commissioned author Tany Mandile to help him and I can emphatically state that the book is very well done—his best work of the three projects reviewed.
Duwane covers everything from the “How” to the “Where” to the gear in this book. There is not yet a mule deer book written with the detail of exactly where to to hunt like this book details for Coues deer. If I were a Coues deer hunter, I’d consider this book the top of the heap when it comes to a must-read.
Boone & Crockett states in their Fair Chase Statement that hunters should “Respect the customs of the locale where the hunting occurs.” All of Duwane’s works as detailed above will give any hunter respect for what it takes to hunt and kill big deer in the Southwest.
As an outfitter myself, I can tell you that outfitters with 38 years experience who still personally guide many of their clients to giant bucks is akin to finding a sasquatch picking 4-leaf clovers. Duwane is truly in it to win it for his clients as evidenced by his generous nature, commitment to the pursuit, and a whole pile of giant bucks—Mule Deer and Coues—to his credit.
Hunting is a better place because of Duwane Adams and I highly recommend any or all of his three releases if you want to improve your own mule deer game. You’ll notice that Duwane has other DVDs listed on his site that I hope to review in the future. You can read more or order his books or DVDs from his website here
Or you can send Duwane an email at [email protected]
You can also follow Duwane on Facebook here
You can read all about how I hunt big mule deer in my book: Hunting Big Mule Deer: How to Take the Best Buck of Your Life
