5yearcoueshunter

Amanda, I totally understand about the competition thing. When I first started hunting coues, my long time mule deer hunting family would say, "Why to you want to hunt those coyotes with horns for?". So of course I would try to explain the whole coues deer addiction thing to them, but they still poke fun at me. So I understand if you were just trying to have a little fun with your mule deer hunting buddies. Some game animals excite people more than others and for us, there's nothing better than a Coues Buck. But for other people, a big mulie is their favorite. So I'm sure if the mule deer hunters called Coues Deer "carp", we would be a little offended. Anyway, keep up the good site. Travis

I think that's a funny bumper sticker, however I think that you guys are being a little bit snobby when it comes to hunting mule deer. I have hunted coues for 5 years now in New Mexico and I admit I'm hooked forever. Coues deer are probably the hardest deer to hunt generally speaking. Although hunting mule deer can sometimes be very easy, it can sometimes be very hard as well. It all depends where you are hunting them, and how much hunting pressure there is. One thing about a mature mule deer buck, if there's tons of hunting pressure he will just leave the country never to be found. Compare that to a mature coues buck. In my experience, even if there's a lot of hunting pressure a coues will not want to leave his home area, which gives the hunter a chance to harvest him. It just strikes a little nerve because I've had many a great and challenging mule deer hunt, and to use mule deer and carp in the same sentence just doesn't seem right to me Anyway, just a little complaint from this "new to the game" Coues hunter. By the way Amanda, I love your website! Good Hunting, Travis

No I don't think that would be a doe. It was what they call a cactus buck. A buck that somehow lost it's testacles so the buck has no testostorone to cut off the blood supply to his velvet antlers. My counsin shot one once in northern New Mexico. It to was a big velvet antlered buck and was the best eating buck we've ever had.

Well I didn't draw my Unit 27 Coues tag so I guess I'll have to try to hunt somewhere over the counter for Coues. Any suggestions? Anyway, I did draw an Antelope tag on White Sands Missle Range so at least I got lucky on one draw.

Last season I was fortunate enough to draw the 3 day unit 27 rifle tag. I didn't get a buck, but I saw about 20 coues along with 3 bucks. I did make one scouting trip before my hunt, and found most of the deer right in Clanton Draw just as you enter the national forest. But when I got there for the hunt, that is where most of the people were camped which kind of screwed up the deer hunting around there. So I was wondering if anybody knew any better places in that unit that are away from the campers but also have good deer density and good glassing areas. If you have any comments about this I would love to hear them.