coueselk

Congrat's on a fine New Mexico bull. Now get that 380 bull running around unit 1.

Ok everyone, here is Shane's (4pt) story. Well it all started Friday morning when I woke up at 2:30a.m to start my journey to my hunting area. To my surprise someone in the middle of all my dreaming of the up coming hunt had managed to steal my zeiss binoculars out of the front seat of my pickup, needless to say I was pretty upset and discouraged. I dug out my old set of Burris binoculars and was on my way. After arriving and hiking a hour in the dark I was where I wanted to be. As the sun rose I picked out three bucks less then two hundred yards from me, and man they were all toads! The only problem was not an ounce of cover between me and them, so I just watched helplessly as they fed over the ridge into the thickest cover ever. I saw a few more other bucks that day and planned on coming back after the Labor Day rush was over. Saturday, I was unable to go out but on Sunday I was out and about again. I was only planning on hunting the morning, close to home, in an area that I wanted to check out. After arriving shortly before sunrise I hiked up to a good vantage point and began glassing. An hour had passed with no luck, so I began to make my way up the ridge in hopes of a better vantage point. Very discouraged in seeing no sign and after running into a giant rattle snake, I was almost where I wanted to be when I spotted ears and a rack sneaking threw the chest deep grass. All I could tell is that it was a buck and he didn’t seem really spooked. When I got to where I last saw him go over the ridge I sat on a rock out cropping, hoping to see him again. After about a hour in a half of glassing I decided to move down the ridge, figuring that the deer was long gone. When I had walked no more than twenty yards, I spotted him again sneaking away from me and this time I could see what he was. WOW!!! A big three point! I watched him sneak about five hundred yards away, then he turned around and came straight back towards me stopping in a burnt thicket and bedded down. I couldn’t believe this buck didn’t get out of the country, let alone sneak back towards me. Well, I planned my stalk out, everything couldn’t have been more perfect. The wind was good and the ground was wet, which made the stalk a little quieter. After closing the distance in half, I shed my gear, put my slippers on, and began my slow stalk. When I got within seventy yards of where I thought he was laying, I began ranging off targets in case he got up to feed or something. The next thirty yards was very slow taking. About three steps at a time and pausing for a few minutes in between. I couldn’t see the buck, where he was laying, but I just knew he had to be there. I was now within forty yards of where I thought the buck was at, ranging off everything. Suddenly, I could see the bucks antlers in my rangefinder. I tried to range him, but I kept coming up with different readings. Thirty-three yards! No, forty-three yards! When I was finally confident that he was forty three, I put my range finder down and strapped my release on. The buck then snorted a little and made a sound like stomping his hoof on the ground. He must of heard me! So I raised my bow to get ready for him to get up. When wouldn’t you know it, my arrow rubbed a branch in front of me making the worst sound ever, that at this point a hunter never wanted to hear. The buck stood up and whirled around making his last mistake of turning and looking at me. I was already at full draw putting my forty yard pin where I wanted it and letting the arrow fly, wack! The buck took of blowing and snorting as he crashed through the brush. I couldn’t believe it, this buck made to many mistakes and I was all over them. The shot placement looked perfect and I didn’t think he would go far. I went back to gather my things and waited a little. Then I started tracking from the last spot I seen him. I must have been tracking him for an hour now when I started second guessing my shot. There was good blood but he just wouldn’t give up. I started thinking I wasn’t going to get this buck. An hour later I found him. After jumping for joy, I settled down for a minute. I looked around and realized that I wasn’t far from the truck. Matter of fact after busting through fifty yards of brush there was the road and there was my truck, unbelievable the buck died fifty yards from the truck. When I got home and all the excitement started drawing down, I threw the tape on him and came up with a gross score of 112 and 5/8 and a net of 110 even. What a buck!

I'll do some bragging also. Here is another view of my cousin's nice buck. Congratulations to him on another whopper of a coues. He has been tearing them up the last few years. Takes after his dad, although I think he is getting better.

You might check out Scopetronics. They have adapters for different cameras to different spotting scopes, plus some universal adapters. http://www.scopetronix.com/

I sent you a PM.

Here comes some more views. And another pic. This one was a little blurry. I tried to enhance it a bit to make it a little better.

You can email me the pictures. I have some software to resize pictures. coueselk@aol.com

Found this big guy (around 20" long) while enroute to check my game camera today. Kind of nice to see one of these once in a while, especially with the kids tagging along. Didn't see much else though.

My hunting partner, myself and also my daughter all drew late 31 Coues tags. Gonna have a blast this year.

I also live in Safford.

Talk about threading the bullet, this buck was 420 yards from us and we decided to take him. My partner opted to swing out right onto an adjacent ridge to try and find an opening. We ended up taking him, but not through this maze of ocotillo.

COOSEFAN, here is a little closer look. Do you see the two bucks in this view?

Here is an example of Ernesto's comments. There are two bedded bucks and a doe standing up. This was full 60x from my scope at around 650 yards. I was using my 15's and thought I saw movement but wasn't sure, was really easy to pick them out with the spotting scope.

Over the last few years, we have been locating more and more bucks too far to really make out how big they are with the 15x binos. On one hunt in NM, we spent half a day getting close to some bucks to judge if we had a shooter or not. With a spotting scope, we no longer have to waste time manuvering for a closer look. This was the primary reason for me getting one. Second, is the digi-scoping capabilities, they are really good for getting some nice pictures. I really enjoy taking pictures now of all the animals I can. Third, is for the kids, when I spot animals with my binos, it is hard for them to look through, since they don't squeeze down enough. With the spotting scope, it is really easy for them to see the animals now. Last reason, is because I'm starting to develop this pony keg on my mid section and thought an extra 10 pounds in the pack would help keep it at bay a little longer.

Amen to that. Isn't it so true.

It was a good one, did some honey-do's around the house and got a nasty sunburn. They go by so fast now, I can't even remember how old I'm getting anymore. Thanks all.

Here is one of my better pictures taken recently. Anybody recognize the happy fellow in the middle?

Got mine on my new Tacoma and quad now. Thanks Amanda.

Near Lower Eagle Creek in Unit 27. They gave us quite a show butting heads. I tried over and over to get a picture of them when they hit, but I was never quick enough.

Here are a couple of photos I took last year through my spotting scope. These rams gave us quite a show for an hour.

Here are three of my favorites, tucked into my designated corner of the living room. I have to fit two more in this space two weeks from now. So I may have to start encrouching onto a nearby wall, I hope. I don't rule inside of the house, so it will be interesting. My young boy saved me by wanting the lion rug hung in his room, otherwise it would still be rolled up in the closet. We don't even discuss an elk.

Ok everyone, think you can hold a rifle steady? Do you have the hands of a brain surgeon? I tried this 5 times and couldn't get past level 3. I cheated and used both hands on level 3. I just couldn't get to level 4. I don't know if it is possible, but give it a try if you think you can hold the mouse steady. Sound helps. Give it a try. http://www.winterrowd.com/maze.swf

I think that every shooter is different. My crosshairs look level to me when I hold the rifle, but if you put the rifle in a vise and check them. They are cocked a little. So I think it is the way that a person holds the rifle.

For those of you that really like game cameras, check out this new one. No longer do you have to wait and wonder what pictures you have on the camera. http://www.pennswoods.com/CS-05b_CS-05c.html

Ernesto gave me some advice the other day. You would need to buy two. One for the field and one for home. That way when your home, you know what's going on in the field. And when you are in the field, you know what's happening at home. Also, for those that work behind a computer all day or have a cellphone that can send and receive pictures. Just think when a thief went up to take the camera. I know all the places I put mine up are less than an hour from work and there is only one way in. Get an email with-in minutes showing the guy trying to take it, jump in the truck on off I go. Will easily make it to the road before the guy drives out. What a sweet thing that would be.