Hello everybody, people call me Heeter because of my name. Been reading up on this site for a few months mainly because I had an early 24a Coues tag but got to looking around and found that its not only a Coues site. I am a true outdoorsman, learned from my dad who didn't start hunting till he was about 27 but I have been hunting big game since I was 10 years old. I drew a tag for the elusive whitetail deer this year and hadn't hunted them since I was 11 and didn't have much of a clue what I was doing. Anyways me and my father drew the early 24a Coues tag and he took the 5th wheel out a few days early so we would have a good spot to camp. he hunted all hunt and didn’t have much luck, seeing lots of does and I wasn't able to get out till Saturday night after I got off work at 10. We hunted Sunday in what looked to be a good spot that a good family friend said had some nice bucks and not long after we got out I spotted a spike at a couple hundred yards. Being the avid bow hunter I am I decided to pass on him and wait for something bigger because I had 3 days too hunt, (Sunday Wednesday and Thursday). After watching him for a few minutes and realizing I would rather let this buck grow and find something bigger I walked up the mountain to set up with my tripod and binos to try and find something else. I hadn't been glassing for 10 seconds and found a pair of bucks a little over a mile away and decided to grab my gear and get closer for a shot. ended up walking to the edge of the mountain and was 513 yards from the two bucks and started to set up for a shot, no longer than I sat down did I spook 2 does 30 yards below me, well they ended up right to the 2 bucks and they left with them over the ridge. About 2 minutes later I heard a couple shots from the next canyon. Me and my dad met up a few minutes later but only glassed up does the rest of the day. so back to work I went just to wait a few more days till I got another chance. Wednesday came around and my dad had only seen a doe since I left. Wednesday morning I felt like a kid on Christmas hoping to find a big buck but only doe. The last day was Thursday and I met up with a buddy of mine who drew the same tag that killed a 108" buck a few years prior because my dad had to go back to work that day. We glassed the mountainsides for about an hour and found a decent 2x2 over a mile away. We both were looking for something a little bit bigger and decided to pass so on to plan B we went. When we were just about to plan B spot we had 2 deer cross the road in a hurry in front of us. We drove to the top to get a better vantage point and off we went. Once to the top we split up to look on both sides of the ridge and within minutes I spotted a doe in a hurry to get out of the area and was called to come to where my buddy was. Once I got here he told me he had seen a 3x3 at 160 yards but didn’t shoot because he only had a neck shot. So I stayed and glassed the area while he walked around to look in the area he went over the ridge. Needless to say we never say that trickster again and both had to be back for Halloween for our kids. hunting these tricky Coues was very fun although me or my dad were unable to fill our tag but the memories made and campfires we sat around and told stories at was more than worth the price of a deer tag! until December I will keep dreaming and looking over the success stories. I have a muley story and pics from my buddy’s first buck this year I was able to help on, but that will come soon. Also big thanks go out to Aci In The Hole Outfitters, my friends that specialize in guides on Elk Coues and Mule deer hunts, did not have the chance to hunt with them on this hunt but they have goog footage on youtube @ aceintheholeaz on youtube.
