CouesPursuit

Ed is out for blood!

Keep that attitude. Don't listen to anyone taking a 78 yard shot on a coues whitetail in the superstitions.. Good luck PM me for some details on 24B spots and experiences in the last couple years.. Take youngbuck's advise and be persistent you sound like you know what you're getting yourself into.

You coudn't have said it any better bonecollector +++++1

Merriam's elk (Cervus elaphus merriami) were a subspecies extirpated from AZ around 1900. Rocky Mountain elk we have in AZ now are (Cervus elaphus nelsoni). We have enough elk in Arizona IMO. Expensive. Risks too in how they can effect the habitat and T&E. Plus we would restock the wolves and imagine that! lol I have some literature on Merriam's elk pm if interested.

I have never stand hunted for whitetail but hunting water in August obviously seems to be the golden ticket for success in this particular bow hunt. I am hunting a high desert unit in a ground blind on a water source this August.. I was wondering if any coues vets could share their info and experiences on how often bucks use water during the day? Any .02 is Appreciated! Thanks!

Thank you STR8SHT. My understanding, and I could be very wrong, is that only the law when it is the ONLY or LIMITED water source? Because in my case I hike past water sources to get to mine.. Legally I have to pack all the way back up to the forest road a mile and a half? There is water everywhere around me.. Probably more seeps and springs hidden right under my nose. Thanks for any feedback its important to clear this up!

Thanks everyone for the input, I will just have to get some luck at this point! One more question and I figure the answer is yes but is sleeping in your ground blind a big no no? Is scent from sleep too much to sit in a stand for second day in a row? I have another stand I could hunt a few hundred yards away on water (needing to invest in a treestand) but i need to pack camp for a day or 2.. 1.25 mile hike in thick just enough to say not in and out dark for 3 days straight! Iv chased these bastards for 2 years now and gotten so close I can taste it.. Now im willing to be patient and wait in the shade!! Its so hot out there! I do wonder with AntlerObsession what the monsoon will do during the hunt though as in will deer just hit small puddles or still hit perennial sources where they feel comfortable?? ALL LUCK I GUESS!! Good hunting, I hope to share some good trail cam pics for the August stand havent checked the camera in a few weeks...

To be honest, I'm not looking for size to any extent. If I see an eruption and an ethical shot there will be a down coues. I have put myself in a ground blind in a remote place on water with salt with lots of deer track. Allowing plenty of time (8 weeks) for things to settle, should I feel confident SOMETHING with antlers will come in during day light hours?

Had an interesting hunt today.. I have been chasing whitetails for 2 years now, basically I don't care what size the antlers are.. period!! Meat and satisfaction to countless hours of hiking, glassing, gallons of gas, dollars in tags, gear, you all know what I'm talking about! I just want to fly an arrow! I have been busted on the draw, swirling wind within 60 yards, I'v had deer stay bedded on their knees in patches of evergreen sumac (Rhus ovata) (Sorry I'm a plant nerd, help me get a job I hope) until sunlight dissipated.. Like any coues whitetail hunter bad stalk plans needing to learn from mistakes etc etc.. I've had 10+ close encounters. But today was even closer. Saw a spike and a doe 250 yards from road elevated chaparral/desertscrub started my stalk not til 4 pm! Wind: Ideal! straight from eastern deer location Spike was on the right, 40 yards or so from the ridge finger.. Doe left bedded away! Took one hour extremely quiet stalk well executed came over ridge started to hear that infamous whitetail weez!! I hate that dang sound as exhilarating as it is! But this weez was different.. very light, 5 repetitions with long pauses.. He wasn't fully busted! Just so happen (even though i looked around as best as i could prior to the stalk with my binos) 4 other does were below and left of my 2 first spotted.. They must have saw my movement coming over the ridge for the shot while dialing in yardages.. I waited 20 minutes, quietly the does settled back down from staring in my direction and the weezing finally stopped (from a location I knew was just beyond a juniper concealing my entire movement).. I watched the does actively feed again then bed and I went over the ridge with bow drawn where I knew the spike was standing 46 yards (I have practiced this distance) The 2 deer were staring at me broadside while I was drawn and I stared at what I was 90% sure was the spike pin almost set... I couldn't verify antlers!!! For 20 seconds they stared, I steadied.. The one I thought was the spike was stomping his hoof pissed off and I still couldn't see those little eruptions the sun was behind the mountain by now! eventually all the whitetails flagged the weez was louder than ever and once again.. Haunting dreams.. The routine. Anyway I call this hunt successful. I could have taken a shot at a coues whitetail spot and stalk. Every time it's closer.. and closer.. Anyone out there hunting get it done tomorrow!!!!