coues addict

Lucky2hunt Wow, really a nice buck and with a bow neverthless! Thats really cool. Great pictures and thanks for sharing the story with us. Rich Thompson P.S. That smile says it all!

AZcoues addict That is a really nice Buck! congrats. P.S. Nice Name too! Rich Thompson

AZ~Rich In 2003 me and my brother in law were hunting in Dec. I spotted a nice 2x3 and we decided to try and and close the distance on him to about 200 yards. We both wanted to try rattling so we set up with the rattler(Me) about 75 yards behind the hunter. I started rattling very soft and gradually increased the intensity. The buck acted like he could care less. we stuck with it for about 45 muinutes and decided it just wasn`t working. The wind was right , but He really seemed to have no real interest. He was with 3 other does and maybe he just did not want to leave them. We really weren`t sure. We did have a doe that we had not seen come over the hill we were on and check me out. Probably about 40 yards or so. I thought that was kinda cool , but oh well. I do quite a bit of predator calling and I really think rattlig is a lot like predator calling. Sometimes it works great and sometimes it doesn`t work at all. The main thing is to stick with it and find out for yourself! It sure beats stayin home. Rich T.

Casey I would bet money that most all of us have hurled some bullets at deer that totally missed their mark. I know a guy thats always bragging about his sub. .500 inch groups and then when he goes hunting he always shoots the animal in the "wrong place''. Its called excitement, adrenalin, whatever! Thats what makes it all so fun. Look at this way. If you shoot more bullets you get to practice your reloading more and the more you practice your reloading the more you will have to go shoot to check your new reloads. Then the more you will have to go to Sportsman`s to get your supplies and your "Gear Fix'' like we all do! It`s like a "cycle'' man and I know you love it. Thats what keeps us all going! If I had a dime for all the shots I have missed I would be a happy man, Not to mention wealthy! Later Rich

Amanda Awesome pictures. I am totally jealous. I can`t seem to take a really nice picture. That buck looks pretty nice! ,fantastic stuff! Thanks for sharing them with all of us. Later Rich P.S. Low nineties to me

Keith Thanks for the birthday wishes and the same goes for you as well. I hope you find time to get out and do something fun this weekend. Don`t do like I do and work all the time. Life is short and before you know it the body starts telling you so. I hope you have a great birthday! 36, Man I wish I was 36 again , but ''Oh well'' Have a great birthday! P.S. Go to Sportsman`s and get some therapy for me OK! Later Rich Thompson

Standman Thats awesome man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think you and POP will remember that day for the rest of your life. Thats really great! Looks like the rut must be in full swing and you guys made the most of it. Beats the heck out of stayin home and watching the outdoor channel! Congrats to you and your Dad. It looks like you and he are extremely proud and very happy! What a way to start out the new year. Thanks for the cool pictures and the hunt details. Rich Thompson

Southerncoueshunter Man, I totally agree with Grizzly! If you buy a 3d deer target and practice, practice, practice. I think it really helps! If you don`t get excited it wouldn`t be that rewarding. The 3d target kinda adds a lot of realistic practice and when the time comes its gonna feel kinda like something you have done a thousand times. I bought the smallest little delta target that Sportsmans wharehouse had(riverbottom buck) and it is really a lot of fun. Makes you realize real quick your effective shooting range. Good luck Rich Thompson

Runningbird I pretty much agree with CRB. about seeing the deer. I like to be able to see because then I can plan a stalk. If you cannot see you can`t plan sh_ t. If you can figure out the closest place considering the wind that you can get and still see whats going on then you will not need as much time for the stalk. I used to hunt the Ruby mountains in Neveda. The hunting is wide open high mountain country. You can make stalks amazingly close if you can see and you have tons of time. We would try to spot the animals in the morning, bed them down, then make stalks. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn`t, but one thing for sure it is always exciting! Make sure you use bears feet or silent stalkers over your boots and take your time. I think most people rush their stalks. They want things to happen way to fast. Remember the deer are living out there and they are in a relaxed mode. If it doesn`t work out you may have to back out and try again another day. Don`t force it! I hope this helps and good luck! Rich Thompson

Arizonazguide You could call yourself '' Yustacould Arizona guide'' or maybe don`t even worry about it. I know I have re invented my machine shop about five times now and I never did change the name of it. Are the guiding liscences real expensive? Maybe you could still guide on a part time basis or hook up with one of your other guide friends and help them out. heck, they may need their bathrooms remodeled anyhow! Ya gotta do what puts bacon on the table is what my dad always says! Late Rich Thompson

Bret Hey, looks like you got a nice buck.Congrats. I really enjoyed your posts about your hunt and your pic too! I killed a buck right at dark this year so I didn`t bother to get any pics with me in them, I was alone and just to busy boning out the meat and all. How did your buddy`s hunt in 6a go. I hope they did well. I am glad you got the ''Coues Fever'' also. Its pretty damm addicting isn`t it? Late Rich Thompson

Scott I really enjoyed your pics and your general account of your hunt . Sounds like you had a killer time. I was all set to have a great time on my dec. hunt but ended up having way to many distractions. I may be able to help you with the adapter you need for your camera. I have a machine shop over here in Ca. I know your cousin Duane. I have a very close friend that I think you know also,Duane`s buddy Dale.If you want to email me and I will give you my phone number. Again nice posts and great pictures with story. Rich THompson

Hi All Well, I got back from Arizona on the 29th and I had an ok hunt. Not quite what I hoped for but ok. Before I go into the details I must say I have been totally mesmerized by Scott Adams and Amanda`s stories with the awesome pictures. Great stories Scott and Amanda. Not just there stories but everyone`s. I have to tell you guys that I have really been looking forward to this hunt ever since I found out I drew the tag. It really couldn`t have come at a worse time though! My Dad has had two surgeries this month and my wife and I have been running him back and forth to the hospital and to see various doctors.Needless to say I have been really distracted. I was all set to leave on the opener but Dad needed another surgery on the same weekend. Poor Guy, I really feel bad for him because he just can`t get around like he used to. I thank God for my own reasonably good heath! Well, I decided to leave super early on Monday morning the 26th. It is about an eight hour drive to where I like to hunt. I got into camp around 1.00 P.M. after ''1 flat tire'' and proceeded to set up camp. I have to tell you guys it is not near as fun without your hunting buddies. I managed to get My Wall tent and camp set up in around 2 hours. I got to do some glassing monday afternoon but did not spot any deer. Day two, Dec.27th.I got up at 3.30 a.m. and whipped up some killer breakfast burritos! packed my pack and headed to one of my favorite glassing spots about a mile and a half from camp. It was cool out but not terribly cold. I was a little bummed about that but ''Oh Well''. I began glassing and I couldn`t find a deer. I continued to move and glass untill noon! I mean I was really surprised. Not one deer! Then around 12.15 I spotted a doe bedded below me in a huge canyon under an oak tree. I watched the doe and soon spotted a second doe. I saw no bucks. I then spotted another doe above the two does and I watched to see if any bucks would show up. Nothing happened and I decided to take a short nap. When I woke up I soon spotted a buck north of where the does were but he was a average fork horn! I watched the buck for about an hour and decided he was alone. I soon spotted two more does across the canyon and above the other does. I was fairly excited to at least see these groups of does. It was getting fairly late in the evening when I decided to head back to camp. I took a different route back as I knew the area fairly well. I was topping a ridge about a mile from camp and heading down a canyon just as the sun was going down and as I hit the bottom I saw a large bodied deer to my right. I stopped and glassed him with my small glasses and It was a Buck! Fairly wide and heavy but really short points. He was only about 200 yards and he had me pegged. I tried to set up my big glasses but he took off before I could get setup. I knew he wasn`t that big but still fairly nice! I continued on towards camp as it was getting dark and I jumped two more whitetails ,they flagged and I couldn`t tell if they were bucks or does. I got to camp around 5.30 p.m. Ca. time. I made dinner and hit the sack! Day three Dec. 28th. I woke up about 4.00 a.m. and whipped up more killer breakfast burritos (my basic hunting food). I had decided to take my jeep and travel about two miles from camp and hunt yet a different area west of where I had been on day two. It seemed a bit colder out and I was really excited! I packed in about a mile from the road and got to another favorite glassing spot! I set up my fifteen`s and started glassing. I imediately saw a buck and shortly thereafter a second buck. They were about thirty yards apart and walking the same direction. I knew there had to be a doe close by and sure enough there was about twenty yards below them. The bucks were about 450 yards away across a deep canyon. The first buck was a nice forked horn maybe 70'' or so. the second was an ok three point maybe 80'' or so. The three point was definitely the dominant buck. The doe stopped and squatted the bigger buck went right up to that spot, tasted the pee lip curled and immediatly decided that he needed to find another doe. I watched as he headed due north! It was really cool though to see all that. I watched the smaller buck and the doe for about 2 hours and they bedded across the canyon in front of me. I decided this was probably not a bad place to stay a while. I continued to glass and about an hour later on a high bench at the very top of the ridge I spotted another buck bedded. He was definitely bigger than either of the other two but he was a long way off. I ranged him at 905 yards. I watched him for quite some time and decided he was nice but not quite what I was after. At about 2.30 p.m. I spotted two other does on the same ridge. The larger buck finally got up and he looked fairly good size, but something wasn`t quite right with his rack!I decided to get a little closer. I packed all my stuff and sidehilled on my side of the canyon to within 600 yards. I set up my binos and got a better look at him. He was now feedind behind the tree he had been bedded under. He looked fairly nice but something just wasn`t quite right. I think he had a busted left main beam! Bummer! It was about ten minutes before the sun went down and I decided to back out and save this buck for later. As I was packing all my stuff into my pack I remember thinking "Darn thats to bad". I was just about to slip down into the canyon when I took one last look at the buck and I noticed another buck with him!I had to re setup my big glasses and check them both out. The new buck was definitely smaller than the one I had been watching all day. Then I noticed the bigger buck started heading closer down the bench he was on. The sun was down now and I decided to go ahead and watch him as long as possible! Big mistake! He got to 550 yards, then 500yards, then 450 yards, He was loooking better all the time . The wind was perfect and I could tell he wasn`t stopping! Soon, he was 350 yards, then 300 yards, I was able to tell his left main beam was indeed broken! I watched and in disbelief as he continued to walk and feed closer, now 250yards. He was now actually below me in a draw and I decided to get out while I could without spooking him. I was packing all my stuff into my back pack when I looked up and saw him on the same bench I was sitting on at approximately 150yards. He was beautiful even though he had a broken main bem. He continued even closer to maybe 90 yards. That was it! I couldn`t help the fact that he just committed suicide! I raised up my rifle and drilled him! I remember thinking "Never look a gift horse in the mouth''. The buck ran about thirty yards and crashed! I packed all my stuff went over to him and proceeded to find out both main beams were broken. " Damm what a shame'' Oh well. I thought thats hunting! I skinned and bonned untill about 8.00 p.m Ca. Time. I packed meat head and all back to my jeep. Drove back to camp and got in around 9.00 p.m. I knew I screwed up by watching the buck way to long. But," We live and learn'' is what my Dad always says and so goes another hunting season. I don`t have a digital but I will post pics as soon as I get them developed. He is not that great on rack size but he did provide a lot of thrills and I am sure some great eating!!!! Late!!! Rich P.S. My Dad is doing pretty good too!

CRB Congrats on your buck. That sort of thing happens more often then you think. Its called excitement!!!!! I am really glad you get excited or what the heck is the point. I started taking my kids hunting actually before they could walk! My son is still to this day my favorite hunting buddy. I think you are definitely on the right track. Try to post some pictures when you can. Good luck and Happy New Year. Rich P.S. I bet the kids will like those steaks too!

Josh I hope you had a great birthday! I was out hunting with my Dec, tag. It sounds like you are having fun on your bowhunts though! Late!!!!!!!!!! Rich Thompson

Scott Awesome report with really nice pics and all! I have a late Dec. hunt and I will only be able to hunt the last five days of the season. I am really starting to get excited now that there is some rutting activity! I think its gonna be fun reguardless. I really like your hunt reports they are very well done. Thanks Rich Thompson

Ultramag Well, I got lucky and drew a dec. tag. I am really starting to look forward to the hunt. I have not got to do any scouting and I probably won`t. I am pulling from past years and trying to penetrate some new country if possible. Now that Mace popped that huge toad I am really starting to think this is going to be a great antler year. I really am not all that hung up on racks though'' Yea Right!!!!". I just hope I have a fun hunt and the weather cooperates! I will probably only get to hunt the last 6 days after Christmas! In my opinion, thats the best part of the season. Good Luck all Dec. tag holders Coues Addict

dds Wow, what a beautiful buck. He looks like a real old guy? Did you notice how his teeth were?His points are not real long but what terrific mass. I think your hunt was an awesome success. The pack out is always hard but if you gotta do it its really cool with a bruiser buck rather than a dink! Kinda makes life a little easier" If Ya know what I mean?'' What is his outside spread? He looks really wide. Fantastic job Darren!!!!!!!!!!! Rich Thompson

Amanda I have 40 and 50 mm Leupold scopes! I can`t tell a bit of differance and the darn 50`s will definitely have to be mounted a lot higher. You are right on the money with your elevation dial from Leupold. They will make life much easier in a controlled situation like most Coues deer hunting. Won`t help much for jump shooting or quick shots. You should check out the DVD called Beyond Belief from long range productions. Its pretty awesome, they actually show a coyote getting shot at 1078 yards. Its really pretty cool. My buddy just bought the same scope L. R. with the adjustable side focus and it is awesome. I personally do not like multiple cross hair type reticles. It takes to much thinking and I like to keep it simple. I do like the idea of the elevation dial though! Just my 2 cents. Good Luck on your Dec. hunt. Rich Thompson P.S. We can hunt varmints at nite over here where I live!

Mace Congratulations on an awesome buck! I think the smile on your face pretty much tells the story! I really wouldn`t care what some of the guys say, it really doesn`t mean a whole lot. What a great buck! Thats really cool and your story was very good also. Thank You for sharing it with all of us. Rich Thompson P.S. I hope you entered Red Rabbit`s photo contest!

Mike I hope you had a great birthday. Sorry I am belated, but better late than never right? Did you draw a Coues tag this year? I am getting to the point that I don`t have any birthdays any more just the anniversary of the last year I celebrated my birthday! So that makes me about nine. Pretty cool huh! seriously I hope you had a great year and best wishes. Rich Thompson

Josh I read the article the other day also and I thought it was really cool. I was wondering if I send you my address if I could maybe have your autograph before you become a professional writer that way I could brag to my grandkids someday that I actually spoke with this guy on the phone and all! What a ya think? Ha. No, really, a very nice article and a TV spot last year, You are the MAN! Good Luck Rich Thompson

Bryan Welcome to the CWT site. I am really glad to see you on here. This is an awesome site and I know that you have a lot to contribute! Please let me know how your hunt in December goes. Later Coues Addict aka Rich T.

JVS Absolutely, That buck probably didn`t go as far as you think! I would keep pounding the area with the glasses, "That is the key''. Spot him, before he spots you, get the wind right and plan your stock! Take your time,aim good, don`t rush your shot! Good luck Coues Addict P.S. You didn`t get skeerood, You got EDUCATED If you are trophy hunting take pictures after he`s down!

recurveman With a name like recurveman, I am sure you are no stranger to hard work. Rembrandt and I must be on the same exact page. I absolutely love to backpack in, if for nothing else than the total sollitude and the adventure! The distance is probably not as critical as the roughness of the terrain. Two miles may be a lot in extremely rough country. I once tracked and killed a desert mule deer 12 miles from my vehicle on a day hunt on relatively flat ground. Talk about killing youself! That was totally ridiculous! The things we do to kill deer! I think if you try backpack hunting and get setup with the right equipment you may find you too will love it. It is not for everyone, but for the serious trophy hunter it is totally awesome! I have never had coyotes bother my meat either, but I worry about Bears and Lions at times. I figure if they get it they get it. If I am sleeping and don`t hear them then thats the way it goes! If you can find a buddy that has similiar wants and desires then its nice to have a friend along to share the expierience with! One thing for sure there are no guarantees, but, if you hunt where there are no other hunters you are going to find totally undisturbed deer and maybe the " Big One'' that you have been dreaming about. Thats what keeps me going. Try the backpack gig and see if you like it, Like my dad always says '' nothing ventured nothing gained'' just my 2 dollars worth ! Coues Addict