savagman Report post Posted yesterday at 01:48 PM I am leading a small group of new hunters (hopefully) this fall. We've been friends for almost 40 years - they are just getting the big game bug a little late. I had them apply for a higher odds draw. I explained that anything you can draw with 0 points will have warts. The unit we chose is rough and will require some effort to get to mature bucks. I am assuming it's not a unit for the road hunting crowd but they never cease to amaze (and frustrate) me. I am not mentioning the unit because I don't expect/am not asking for specific information. We plan to put in the work and hope to fill a tag or two. I have near zero experience in this unit and very little Coues experience. I spent a little over a day looking over a few areas and have since poured over maps. I have half a dozen areas that warrant a closer look. My question is what to focus on during summer scouting? My thoughts are figuring out access, learning roads, finding good glassing points, etc. Water seems too early as everything could change by the hunt. But with that said, almost everything I have seen thus far is related to cattle. Assuming the ranchers still have cattle on the range come fall that should be consistent. I do plan to hike to e scouted springs and try to locate any that are not dry. The temptation is always finding animals but will Coues deer be in the same areas in late November? If anyone is willing to share thoughts, opinions, or observations on this subject would be appreciated. I did try to search old posts but no matter what I search for I get zero results. Thanks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AZCoueser Report post Posted yesterday at 02:12 PM Others on this site have way more experience than I do, but I found deer in June that were in the same area in November. Look for deer sign as you hike around. When glassing, glass the SE facing hills until a couple hours after sunrise. After that, they’re going to be looking for shade so check NW slopes/shady areas. After sunset, check the SE slopes again because they’ll be up to feed. If it’s really windy, forget it—they’ll be bedded down. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesPursuit Report post Posted yesterday at 03:02 PM My last coues was the stud of 15 bucks within a mile of each other, right in the mix with cattle and heavy machinery operating the day I pulled the trigger. Food, shelter, water. I wouldn't write off any habitat until you've glassed it hard. They don't move enough to not use summer intel, they just move less during the day. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coozin Report post Posted 21 hours ago Glass into the sun in the morning. N slopes with thick cuts midday and slow way down when you stop seeing deer. They won’t be far from their summer haunts when your hunt comes around. As long as they haven’t been shot out from the previous 3-4 hunts Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHT_MTNMAN Report post Posted 21 hours ago Glassing all day in the summer is terrible, I would make lots of quick scouting trips and look at first light mid day and evening. Summer scouting is by far the best way to find bucks. They are more likely to be in the open with velvet and move to bedding grounds early. I've killed a few bucks that were within a 100 yards of where i found them in the summer. Some I even missed during archery season. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PRDATR Report post Posted 20 hours ago A day not scouting is a day wasted. Take a pack and stay out all day, just as if you were actually hunting. Find deer, return to that area over and over on other trips. Monsoor season is a perfect time to scout, walk washes and look for tracks the morning after a rain. Pack one of those foldable military shovels to dig out water holes. Start a journal! Staples sells hardbound 4'x8" ones. Get ONX and a good GPS. You can varmint call the areas too, once you make a few trips and familiarize yourself with the area. Summertime trips, take an extra spare and a can or two of Flat Fix. Toss a case of H20 in your vehicle, let someone know where you are going and when you plan on returning. Cell Phone Boosters are nice to have. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CatfishKev Report post Posted 19 hours ago Also remember in summer they will likely be in bachelor groups, so if you find a buck look for his buddies nearby before moving to another spot. Once the hunts start they will likely be scattered more Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PRDATR Report post Posted 18 hours ago 8 minutes ago, CatfishKev said: Also remember in summer they will likely be in bachelor groups, so if you find a buck look for his buddies nearby before moving to another spot. Once the hunts start they will likely be scattered more In my experience they "Bach Up" in Mid August to Mid September. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
