Red Rabbit

I noticed that the Northwest Hunter will also air this Saturday @ 7pm. Jason. Thanks for the info. Sounds like a reason for me to buy a DVD player. I can't remember the last movie I rented. Somehow, I don't want to patronize Hollywierd. Doug/RedRabbit

Bret- I considered the route down and up through the SF river canyon, but very briefly. Last year my friend had talked to the rancher at the gate and he had expressed some problems with some hunters. I'd hate to have his permission to drive through, and then have him block the road behind me to keep others out. Trying to meet him this summer(as opposed to the day of the hunt) could be beneficial. If the Nature Cons does take over, things might improve as I think hunting is still allowed on some of their properties. Maybe access depends on the type and sensitivity of the habitat. Doug/RedRabbit

Glad you're joining in, Alan. I too am living in Flagstaff and teaching at Sinagua High School. I moved back to AZ from south Texas in 1990. Since then, G&F has sent me about 11 coues tags, for units 29, 36c, and 6a. Sure are fun to hunt. Doug/RedRabbit

Amanda, Sounds like a few days of great hunting, especially seeing all those mountain kitties. It's nice that the San Carlos allows one to transfer tags. I wish AZ G&F had some way to allow it when the tagholder cannot hunt after he/she's been drawn. Thanks for sharing the pics and story. Doug

Stan, Just goes to show that you need to hunt those quaily birds with your bow. Doug

Thanks for the info, gentlemen. I wonder why the limit is one per year if they are increasing their range and cause depredation problems. A long weekend of hunting could be like a southern Arizona safari- archery deer, coati, and mearns quail, and maybe coyote and bobcat if the coati respond to varmint calls. I'll let you know how it goes at the end of January. Good luck on your archery coues hunting. Doug/RedRabbit

Pretty duo of bucks. Did you both shoot at the count of three? Guess this puts substance to the saying "snooze, you lose." Doug/RedRabbit

You might try unit 22 south of Payson. Hit some of the slopes at the base of the Mazatzals west of Rye. In 21, how about the Pine Mtn wilderness east of Dugas? Unfortunately, Unit 6a is closed to the archery deer hunt in Dec/Jan. Doug/Red Rabbit

John, A couple of guys I know have hunted the flats and have seen some big bucks, but none taken. Climb the end of a ridge and glass. Hopefully, the buck will be in shooting range, but if not, it's hard to see them when you get down at eye level. Otherwise, I'd suggest strapping on the backpack and hike as far up a valley as possible; one hour will leave 90% of the hunters behind you. I know access is limited through a few ranches. The G&F website posts milemarkers, I think, in the unit summaries. Doug/RedRabbit

Tommy, Your buddy's deer has some nice double brow tines. Cool. The pheasant hunting must have been fun behind a dog. I have a young German wire hair that I'd like to try on ringnecks some year. Do you have any more pics to share? Doug/RedRabbit

BD, Two spots that I can think of are 1) along the ridge that Bloody Basin road cuts over about halfway to Sheep Crosssing, and 2) near Brown Ranch/Gap Creek south of Beasly Flat/Camp Verde. A canoe trip down the Verde might get you to some uncrowded spots. Doug/RedRabbit

Larry, As previously suggested, you should check with the draw odds and success rates. No harm in putting in for a December hunt first choice and November and/or October hunts for 2nd through 5th choices. Another good source of information on the units, besides the G&F website, is Dwuane Adams new book on coues hunting. Generally, I'd think you would be better trying for one of the southern units, rather than a central or northern unit like 6a where the deer densities are lower and the terrain more brushy/treed. Avoid units where private property can limit opportunities; these are mentioned in Adams' book and on g&f website. Doug/RedRabbit

Couestaxi: You'll let us know how the poachers did? j/k I put in for the Burros first choice, but drew 2b second choice. Hope your friends find some nice bucks. Doug/Red Rabbit

If you are stuck using the spotting scope, get a black eyepatch for the other eye. No squinting then. Also, drape a black cloth over your head, cap bill and scope to cut down on outside light. Definitely use a tripod even with 10x binos. Hike in the dark; Be at your glassing spot by the first hint of light. I have a 300 wsm and think those 150 BST's will give you a real flat trajectory, almost like 130's out of a 270 Weatherby. Good coues medicine. Good luck in 22. Doug/RedRabbit

Rick, I'll second the motion that the roads will turn your mocha coffee into a chocolate milkshake. When I had a 6a tag several years ago, I found that tha edge of Fossil creek on the west side had hunters every hunderd yards, although we didn't get to use their picnic tables. I can say the same of Casner along Wet Beaver Creek. I think half of Flagstaff was hunting around Casner. You might consider the rim below Rocky Park Rd (another road suited for atv's) on the west side of I-17 to get away from some of the hunters. Hackberry Mountain off the Camp Verde-Childs road might be worth a scouting hike. Doug/RedRabbit

Tommy, Last year we hunted near Brushy Mtn with the radar installation. I saw some coues in a draw just below the road and later that day some roadies emptied their guns across the draw but could not find the one they hit after looking an hour. Probably the same coues I saw earlier in the day. Heard em all yelling as I was glassing. Did see more muleys, one nice 4x4, but he gave me the slip . One hunter from Winslow got a medium 3x3 coues close to Brushy. We camped about 100 yards from where the main road ends at the locked gate to the ranch. Nice country around Brushy, but lotsa hunters. Good luck all of your hunts in 23. Should be good weather and fewer hunters with the hunt being the middle of the week. Doug/Red Rabbit,

Bret, Have a good one next week. Sorry that I won't see yur gold Toyota, but NM won't let me get a second tag after the 2b hunt. A good friend and his dad are going to where we went last year south of Mule Creek. Doug/Red Rabbit

10 yards! That's unusual. I wonder if their reaction would have been different if you were wearing camouflage. They don't look as thin through the ribs and hips as some elk or cattle I've seen during the drought years. Doug / Red Rabbit

Thank you Amanda for the book as a prize in the scoring contest. It was in the mailbox as I left to go to the Kaibab, so I haven't chewed and digested it yet-just quickly nibbled at the pages. Doug/Red rabbit

When I had a tag several years ago, I hunted Casner along Wet Beaver Creek the second day. It was crowded with another hunter glassing from the rim every hundred yards. Must have met every person from Flagstaff there. The guy I hunted with was along the west edge of Fossil Creek the first day and had a similar experience. I went to the west into Deer Basin opening day and saw elk and mulies, no coues and no other hunters. We only hunted the Fossil Cr./ Deer Basin area that opening day and went to a different spot. Casner and Fossil are two areas I'd avoid due to the number of hunters. I'd second what Rembrant said and try to find a small canyon to glass that requires a little hike from a road. Good luck scouting-that's half the fun! Doug/ Red Rabbit

Bret, I'd opt for the first hunt on two accounts. First, it's in the midddle of the week so there are no weekend hunters. Second, the deer will less likely to be boogered since there's no previous rifle hunt ending a couple of days before. Doug/Red Rabbit

I drew 36c in October. Unfortunately, I also drew unit 2b in New Mexico for the same weekend. Maybe Scotty could beam me from one place to the next. My Chevy transporter is too slow(Casey-I know I shoulda got a Ford). Sounds like a big camp could be made for the 36c october hunt. Doug/Red Rabbit

Your short 26" draw will handcuff the arrow speed. I'd suggest a light carbon arrow like the Carbon Express in order to get a higher speed/flatter trajectory for coues. CX 200's weigh 7.0 grains per inch, while other carbon arrows usually weigh more. Check a chart to get arrow weight for the size you need. Doug/Red Rabbit

My recipe book says to add 24 pink slips into a 1 qt. saucepan with 1 cup of cheap wine, simmer slowly for 10 minutes, then eat the pot cuz bogus points are inedible. Doug

Crazy, Congrats to your son on the Burro Mtn tag. Should be a good hunt considering it's been closed a few years. 16a is pretty country- had an archery elk tag there several years ago and had a ball. Doug/Red Rabbit