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

New Mexico posted the draw results today!!!!! I did not draw in the Burros for coues, but I did get a muley tag for 2b. Guess a few combo trout trips to the San Juan/ deer scouting trips are in order. Doug/Red Rabbit

270 Weatherby, but I don't have one. Doug/Red Rabbit

I just read where there is a lightning caused fire burning in Horseshoe Canyon. 40 acres as of 6/19. Burning mixed pine into scrub. more info on the forest service/fire website. Jason-How did the scouting trip go? Doug/Red Rabbit

After changing my mind on almost an hourly basis, my final choices submitted to G&F were: 1) 13b muley ( I have only taken one muley in my life- Utah last year.) 2) 36c Dec. 3) 36c Nov. 4) 33 Nov. 5) 36c Oct. After asking a lot about unit 32, I stuck with 36c as I've hunted it several times and it's given me some nice bucks. Would like to backpack hunt into Brown's Canyon if drawn. Hope eveyone gets their first choice. Doug/ Red Rabbit

Does anyone know how much rain the Babos/36C got this past winter and spring? I am under the impression that central AZ benefitted more than the southern part of the state, but don't know how it compares with "average" rainfall (whatever that is these days). Doug/ Red Rabbit

AZ Griz- In 5 hunts in 36c, I have not had any problems with illegals. I have usually camped by the entrance to the Elkhorn Ranch. Have you had any personal "experiences"? Doug/Red Rabbit

Is there any link between the coues whitetail and the small carmen whitetail of west Texas? Have any DNA tests been done? Were they once related, but have undergone microevolution due to being isolated populations(like the Abert and Kaibab squirrels)? Red Rabbit/Doug

Travis, I tried the following stabilizers: Trophy Ridge Exchanger, Vibracheck Isolator, 7" Doinker, Sims Enhancer 2000, Sims 3 module Stabilzer, and 10" X-Ring hydraulic with a Sims on the end. The best was the Enhancer in combination with the 3 module, but I thought it was too heavy and threw the balance too far forward. Next best was a tie between the Vibracheck and the Sims 3 Modules. Balance was good-slightly front heavy. Real close to these was the stabilzer I already had on the previous bow-the X-Ring with the Sims on the end. Next to last were the Trophy Ridge Xchanger and Doinker. I thought they removed less vibration and were slightly noisier. Last was the Sims Enhancer 2000 by itself. These are my subjective opinions based on the vibrations felt in my bow hand, and my ears. I did not use a decibel meter to check the noise. Have fun trying out different stabilizers. Doug

Travis, The Legacy is a great bow, smooth and real quiet. I just got a new LX and put a Trophy Ridge Drop Zone rest on it. Check one of these out. Also put on a Dusk Devil fiber optic sight. Tried a handful of stabilizers, but could not discern a major differences in sound or vibration reduction. The Sims stabilizer balanced well on the bow, and took out the most vibration. Maybe I'll bump into you at Clint's Well next weekend. Doug/Red Rabbit

Talked briefly to a friend who had a unit 23 whitetail tag last year(not successful). He said the area behind Roosevelt Lake was hit hard by the drought. Also, the environmentalists have succeeded in having the cattle removed from the grazing allotments on federal lands there. This should help to further reduce the deer population as one of the lions' better food sources have been removed. Anyone been there and have some thoughts or factual input? Doug/Red Rabbit

Allen, just a few more than 4 bases to touch if you really want to hit a slam, huh? Griz, thanks for the research. So many deer, so little time(and $). As I recall, there is someone (with G&F or NAU? ) collecting DNA samples from coues to see about relationships between the mountain ranges. I wonder if he or anyone else has done any work to determine the branching on the whitetail tree. Doug/red rabbit

Tommy, AZ's deadline is June 10. Sorry, I can't help you out with unit 27 info- never hunted it, only know what I've read about it in the mags, and that ain't much. Doug/Red Rabbit

Crazy, Did you happen to put in for the Burros? It was my first choice as a nonresident-looooong odds. Managed to get a gobbler outside of Reserve last Friday- my first gobbler ever. Pretty bird,gotta love those irridescent breast feathers and all-American head. Doug/Red Rabbit

Amanda, Do you have a particular model in mind? With or without a scope? Price range/limitations? I'm just asking in case one appears here in Flag and can forward the info to you. Red Rabbit/Doug

Jeff, I sent in my NM apps yesterday with the Burros as #1 choice. With only 25 permits, and 10% going to unguided NR, my chance is slim. OTC in unit 23 is most probable. Do you recall why the Burros were originally closed? Good luck to everyone else in the draw! Red Rabbit/Doug

Amanda- Guess we've hunted the same area-Horseshoe Canyon. Generally hike an hour or more away from the road and have only met two other hunters in half a dozen hunts. That fenced in property that blocked the old road near the canyon mouth threw me for a loop when i "discovered" it while driving in at midnight one time. Jason- If you want an outlined map of where i've hunted up Horseshoe Canyon, let me know. Red Rabbit/Doug

Jason, I have hunted unit 29 about a half dozen times, the last being around 1996. Hunted the southeast side. Found the east side too steep and brushy for my tastes. Hunted about 5000' to keep out of the denser trees. Scouted once up Turkey creek, but didn't like the huntability and glassibility. Have taken bucks from 82-97". One November hunt, a friend saw 4 bears up in the oak trees, we drew a spring bear tag the next year, but only saw one set of footprints. The area around Paradise is rumored to be good for coues. Outdoor Arizona magazine had unit 29 for its unit of the month a couple of years ago, if ya wanna try to get a back issue. Red Rabbit/Doug

Corkin, Instead of waiting forever for the tag in 27, consider an over the counter tag for unit 23, the Gilas, or Black range. Rocky Mountain Game & Fish magazine has a yearly article on New Mexico deer, which includes Coues. In the "where to hunt" section of this website, there is also a listing of NM units with coues and an e-mail address for the NM biologist. I went to unit 23 last fall and saw a few coues and some muleys in 2 windy days. Red Rabbit/Doug

I prefer the December hunt because this affords the most days to hunt due to my Christmas vacation, there are fewer hunters in the field, and the nights are longer to get that needed rest for all that hiking. I also feel that the deer are more active. A negative is the greater chance for nasty weather, but right before and after the storm are good, active times. I have had November tags, and the temps can be comfortable, or too hot for pleasant hiking. I have seen some good bucks out in Nov. I have not had an October tag, but imagine this requires more preseason scouting to find and pattern the big bucks. But if you get his pattern,... With the shorter hunts, or you can only go one weekend, bad weather can ruin the trip. I can remember one November backpack hunt that it rained 3 straight days and sent us all home soaked and soggy. One member was on the verge of hypothermia. Red Rabbit/Doug

I became interested in 23 when a guy I know killed a 127 about four years ago. He said hunting was in tough, heavy covered terrain. I have also heard that it is a good unit for non-typicals. Three other hunters I know have hunted 23, but none have shot a big one, although one missed an opportunity at a 110, he says. I personally have not hunted 23, as I have been in 29 &36c mostly. Sorry I can't give you any personal experience. Red Rabbit/Doug

I am considering applying for unit 31 or 32 this fall, instead of 36c which I have hunted several times. I have not spent time in either unit, and have some simple questions to anyone who has hunted there. What are any differences in difficulty of terrain and ease of access to public land between the units? Are the whitetail found in pockets due to geography, or are they more evenly distributed in the units? Any opinions? Thanks, Red Rabbit

I just ordered a lightweight backpacking tent, Eureka Zeus Exo, in prep for this fall's hunt. This should save over 5 pounds from the 9# alpine meadows tent. Hiking into the Galiuros sounds like the ticket. Now to get the hiking legs prepped and remember to tape the $100 bill to the back of the application to assure that December tag. Doug