Looking for a little help finding the bucks

[broadhead]

Hey guys,

This is my first post on here. I've been doing a lot of reading and I've come across some really helpful threads and some very helpful people willing to share their knowledge but haven't seen anything that gets to my question. This is my first year in too long that I've been able to not just get back into hunting but really hit it hard through some scouting. I've been preparing to hunt the early archery season and to get ready I've put in four scouting trips in addition to a lot of map and Google Earth map scouting. So far I've been able to get in three good scouting sessions into the basin I've decided to hunt and have seen plenty of deer. By last count I'm up to around 45 just from walking in on trails and picking them up while glassing so I'm optimistic about the herd in the area. The only problem is I have yet to fine one group of bucks or even a loner anywhere in the entire area. After glassing a couple nice canyons crawling with does (to the point of having groups of them literally walk up and over the ridge I was sitting on a few times) and since it's the time of year the bucks are still together away from the does I've pushed into some seriously rugged and forbidding terrain to try to find where they're hanging out. Yesterday I took a look at the canyon I figured was a sure bet and one I hadn't been into. When I made it to the top I found the ridge covered in trails, scat, and in the little depression was a bunch of obvious beds. I figured for sure I was about glass some bucks but after three hours of picking apart the terrain from the creek bottom up to the top I got nothing (I was on a time limit and head to head back in after that) Not one deer. So I guess my question is in your experience and in general should I be changing up my approach to try to find the bucks? One thought was to look farther up into some of the draws where I've spotted so many of the does thinking the bucks might be occupying some of the higher ground and pushing the does back down. Otherwise I figure it's just a game of keep looking until you find them. These Arizona coues deer are new to a guy born and raised in Wisconsin. Thanks in advance fellas. Any advice is very appreciated.

 

 

[wildwoody]

Tree brakes, bluffs, bucks like tuff train and the big ones don't like to show them selves, I have also found there is a 10% overlap from where the does live and the bucks live, if your finding deer you will find the bucks eventually. good luck

[ForkHorn]

There's no hard and fast rule, but my first question is how close to roads and popular areas are you looking? In some units, bucks can be "shot out" close to roads in popular areas leading to a low buck to doe ratio for that spot. Try to think a little different than the average hunter.

 

If your glassing spot doesn't require a hike you may have just reduced your odds of finding a buck by a bunch.

[Flatlander]

I tend to find bucks on North slopes ore in thicker country than I find a lot of does in. Usually where I find lots of does and fawns I do not find many bucks. I also tend to find bucks earlier and later than I do does and fawns.

 

Good luck, you will figure it out.

[SunDevil]

Mature bucks will be first to bed in the morning and last to get out of their beds in the evening

[SunDevil]

Mature bucks will be first to bed in the morning and last to get out of their beds in the evening

[broadhead]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

To answer a couple questions, The areas I'm looking in are about two-three miles from the roads, walking in on a somewhat popular trail but not a lot of people get far off the trail, which is where I've been trying to go. I'll look for high ground to get up on looking at north facing slopes with brush and trees to provide shade and cover. I've been focusing on places where other hunters don't want to go - further down the trail and up steep rough climbs. Figuring if humans don't want to go there deer are more likely to. I've come across a few hikers within a half mile of the trail head but nobody else anywhere, but that's more likely to change as the season gets closer.

[gotcoues]

From my experience, the farther you hike, the better the buck to doe ratio can become. During these high temp months, deer can bed very quickly and move a lot less throughout the day. On cycles where the moon is close to full, I usually have trouble at first light glassing deer and think they bed before sun up and then get up a little later to feed and move a bit and then bed again. So on fuller moon cycles, I have better luck an hour or so after first light. I would glass more open areas until 9 and then move to N face hills to glass after that. If you do catch deer moving to a N facing slope over the ridge, a lot of times they will pop right back over in the evening to start their routine over. I usually give up on an area after a couple days of glassing and move on if I don't find what I'm looking for. Keep in mind, these deer have a very small "core area", they could be very close but just out of reach of your viewing. Good luck, big bucks should be starting to show serious potential right about now. It's a good time to be out looking. Don't be afraid to sit out a rain, the hills usually come alive after the rain breaks and cloudy days can be deer all day kind of days.

[broadhead]

Thanks again guys. All good ideas. I've been going over Google Earth and thinking about what you guys are saying and I think there are a couple areas I need to get up and take a closer look at for that have been just outside of my view from the areas I've already glassed and seen all the does. I know the bucks are there. It's not like it's an area that isn't holding deer given all the does I've seen but I'm quickly learning 1) these coues deer in this southern AZ terrain are a whole different ball game and 2) bucks this time of year are a different kind of challenge all together. Oh and 3) western hunting is new to me but it's very quickly becoming a total obsession.

[CatfishKev]

Have you seen many rubs on trees in the area your looking?

[GreyGhost85]

Most of the bucks i've seen in the last few weeks are bedding really early. As soon as the sun peaks, they are on a mad dash for bed. Especially the mature ones. Might be why you're not seeing any

[AzPlumber]

Don't forget about two very important things in a Deer's life, food & water.

[pwrguy]

All the posts here are spot on. North slopes, thick brush, not a lot of movement during daylight hours. You have to be willing to sit and glass ALL day. Many times you will only have the bucks visible for 10 minutes in the middle of the day as they move from one shady spot that the sun started hitting to another spot that is out of the sun. Another tactic that bow hunters use is to sit on water or trails leading to water

[broadhead]

All the input has been really helpful. Thanks to all of you for helping out. At first I was worried I was looking in all the wrong places but it seems more like I just need to find a few days when I can dedicate to glassing all day and I'm sure they'll start to show up. It's been hard only being able to get 5 or 6 hours in at a time. Take care and good luck this season!