CouesPursuit

and p.s. that sickness you have coming over you about now only gets worse with time and experience. There should really be book written about breaking the news to loved ones when a person contracts duck blood and the steps they need to take to deal with it the rest of their life.

2 ringed neck drakes and 1 ringed neck hen, and 2 drake canvasbacks. Good job Rando, if jumping tanks got your blood pumping wait until you outsmart a wile ol greenhead and his gang decoying into your setup with their feet down and wings locked up.

Congratulations, IA Born! It looks like your arrow/broadhead/placement did quite the number on that sow! Wishing your daughter to get back on her full feet quickly as well.

Several years ago now, I thought it would be a good idea to August archery solo hunt some bucks that were regularly hitting a seep 2 miles into a desert wilderness area. Opening day, I left the trailhead at 2AM to make sure I had 3 hours to cover my 2 mile hike in rough country. A mile into the wilderness area, side skirting a big mountain into a draw, green eyes are everywhere. I can count about 12 deer scattered up and down the draw less than 100 yards away. Watching and waiting for them to bust as I was directly upwind, taking in the moment, I notice a new pair of eyes, yellow in color, that were intermittently and slowly blinking, 50 yards downwind of the farthest deer. It blinked slowly at me for about 5 minutes, the deer kept feeding, every hair on my body was standing up. Finally, I drew my sidearm with a round racked and mustered up enough courage to continue down my trail right towards what I believed was a lion. The deer took off downhill, the believed-to-be lion stayed right where it was. I took 5 steps, it didn't move. 5 more, didn't move. 10 more and it lowered it's head behind a rock I couldn't see it any more. I kept on my trail, honestly near crapping myself. As I kept looking up the hill where the yellow eyes were last, I slipped on some loose rock as I crossed the center wash of the steep draw. My headlamp took a fall 10 feet down into thick vegetation. I consider myself a relatively brave and adventurous person but at that point I'm really surprised I didn't crap my pants I was so freaked out. I sat there quietly, and once I didn't hear any moving, I went down the 10 feet and recovered the thankfully still illuminated headlamp. I kept on my journey. Just when I thought the fun was over, still in the dark, I almost stepped on 2 different Arizona black rattlers and 50 yards from my ground blind, a 2 foot western diamondback. It wasn't until 6am that I made my 2 mile hike in. At the end there, I was moving a yard a minute. And yet, just when I thought the fun was over, at noon after not seeing a thing, I had a doe with a fawn (the week before camera showed same doe with 2 fawns) quickly walk by the window from behind me at 2 yards. This would not have been an issue in the slightest but this was not 20 seconds after I opened a container of some dried blueberries, and after a bear tore up my ground blind in the same spot a month prior, I was again freaked out. I ended up seeing the bucks on the opposite hillside later that day. They didn't come into water that day, or the next, and after seeing a couple more rattlers the next day, I pulled my blind and camera and never returned. This will be my go to spot with a partner and a rifle tag one day though. I learned a lot that weekend. As TJ eluded to, I always carry a second headlamp, with full batteries. You really never know what can happen out there and a light headlamp is cheap insurance. Also, I won't stand or blind hunt the high desert in August ever again. Between the snakes on the hike in, the spiders infested in the blind, and the sweating temps, it was miserable and that's not why I'm out there. Sorry for the drawn out story but that was a hike in the dark to remember.

NP has the idea. If it were me I'd jump the tank, preferably let a dog do it, hide until the birds are out of sight, quickly throw out 3 decoys on a single jerk line to coax them back a bit, and take 3 choice shots upon their return. You'd be amazed how many times they return if they don't indentify a real threat on their way out.

Awesome birds brademan!

Yea that's definitely going to be GRIC. YVW.

Yellow = BLM Rose/Pink = GRIC Grey = Park Blue = State Trust Clear = Private

I'm sure it bugs them on some level but it sounds like this buck was just chewing on cud and snoozing a bit as deer do normally.

Right on guys above. Here is a thread about them. http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/4790-bugs/

Very common. 3 of the last 4 deer I shot had them. No worries.

Great stuff, Patrick!! My hunting partner and I had a very similar experience opening weekend with wheel bows, we were surrounded. Great job on being persistent and using the recurve, congrats!

Nothing like some 500kV sledding!! ^^ I could see how it's a good spot though.

Great buck and post, thanks for sharing it the way you did! Congrats!

Looking at the size of the trailers, could be a couple guys outfitted with side by sides and lots of warm gear. Hope they are two diehards having the hunt of their lives. Awesome what you are doing if not.

Jan 1st is almost here - and snow is in the forecast. My current game plan is to sit tree stands with lots of doe activity but I'd assume the type of snow pack would dictate my next/alternative approach, fresh quiet snow versus crunchy stale snow etc. There isn't a lot of spot and stalk opportunity in my heavy vegetated hunting grounds so my only alternative to sitting stands is still hunting - which has worked for me in the past with mule deer and elk but I have lacked success on still hunting coues. I'm interested in some discussion as to how do some of you experienced archery coues hunters approach the hunt with a few inches of snow on the ground? Does it change anything for most of you? Opinions on snow camo coveralls? Thanks.

Very good question, DB. I can look as soon as I get home today late afternoon. I don't think it is though. Looks like they are designated RH and LH.

My understanding is some do if they're really comfortable with the water source.

Pack and Powder are sold. Have had quite a bit of interest in the sight but no takers, final price drop or I'll put it on my back up bow. $90 shipped. Thanks for looking.

Last year, I was lucky enough to show up to my deer hunting grounds with a fresh foot of snow on the ground that wasn't 24 hours old. I found that deer activity increased with each day that passed thereafter. The more fresh the snow, the more quiet it was to walk around in, and by day 3, it was flat out loud. Also by day 3, the snow was constantly falling out of the trees making it sound like there was nonstop game coming in from every direction. It was a first and amazing experience. For this coming January 1, I've been watching the weather every day and it seems as though precipitation will start Monday and drop all the way through Friday. Unfortunately, it may be too warm for snow, as hunting in 40 degree rain doesn't sound near as appealing. Monday will be my last full day to hunt on this 5 day stretch. I'm optimistic about deer activity in days leading up to the precip, deer feeling the pressure drop, the rut, etc., but when the storm is actually hitting for the first time, how will it effect deer activity that day? Near freezing rain versus snow? Anyone want to share any experience in this situation? Obviously experience will tell, but it's hard not wanting to talk about coues deer right now, thanks for any discussion! If anyone wants more detail about the content above, I'd be happy to elaborate as well.

Couple of nice birds there bud good shooting.

1. You can get the rib meat out without much of an issue. The quicker you get to it, the less bloat from the rumen, the better. There is too much variation in the size/species of the deer and configuration as it lay in the field to know for sure, but last time after I removed the rear quarters, there was some room to pull the guts back a little bit and out of the cavity so they weren't pressured against the rib cage. Take your time and don't insert the knife into the rumen. Get the good meat away and do the ribs last in case you do puncture it. 2. You need to cut off at least the skull cap and prove it's an antlered deer. 3. Apply it to the antler. Deboning in the field is the way to go.

Huge congratulations! Thank you for sharing your grunt call and broadhead choices. Impressive to call him in like that and great shot! Most importantly, thank you sir for your service! Glad you went out of AZ coues-style!

Very cool, great buck and story!

Have 4x4 truck, 4x4 quad, and 2x2 Ragnar trail running legs. I also have a Honda Accord. Lol exactly x2 here. Good luck sticking a piggy.