yotebuster Report post Posted February 10, 2010 I've been bumming info off all of you guys and gals for a year and a half now, and I'm happy to say I was able to put it all together in December! I drew a December Ft. Huachuca tag (notice the blaze orange!), and managed to make a quick trip out of it. I hunted the first evening without even seeing a deer, and decided to hunt a little lower the next day. I'll admit I got incredibly lucky, because on my hike into my glassing point the next morning I stumbled upon two does and two bucks in the early light. A check of my watch revealed I was 2 minutes into legal shooting light, and considering I wasn't terribly picky, I decided to shoot. They were close enough that I didn't waste time ranging them, just leveled of the STW and sent one on its way. I was rewarded with a solid thump, and the other three took off! I hung my pack in a bush, and headed over, half reluctant for ending my hunt so soon. I went to the 200 yard mark, thinking that was about where he was, and realized that there was no blood or anything. There was a main trail there, so I followed it 300 yards in either direction. I started to panic after a half hour of looking, thinking there was no way I couldve wounded one with that sure of a shot. I looked for a solid 2 hours, when I decided to check a bit closer. I walked back to about 90-100 yards and found blood! A LOT of blood, just as I was thinking "how could i hit this guy with a 7mm STW at 100 yards and make him bleed this bad and not find him", I looked a couple feet away, and next to a cactus he was lying there stone dead. I had made circles from where I thought I hit him looking for bllood for two hours! I mustve walked within yards of him several times! Anyhow, the grass was 6-8 inches tall, and to be honest, this ND boy was looking for a whole lot bigger critter! I estimated him at 200 yards before I shot, and to be honest, I am used to seeing eastern whitetails, and didn't take into account the fact that he was so much smaller! I couldn't believe how small he was, but I was absolutely jacked about it!!! This stuff is addicting! My brother back home still can't understand why I"m so pumped to shoot an 80" whitetail, but he just doesn't understand I guess. Anyhow, a lot of thanks to everyone who has given me advice on here, u've created a coues hunting monster I'm afraid. He ended up scoring just shy of 80", was 13.5" inside, and they weighed him at 74 pounds gutted. They aged him at 3.5, which is a bit of a shame, because he'd have been a heck of a buck in a couple more years. He's gonna have a small spot on my wall since it's my first coues, and he won't take up a whole lot of room anyhow! I also have to give a thanks to the guys at the Ft. Huachuca sportsmans center for putting up with this rookie Coues hunting LT. and helping me get my first buck! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
young-coueshunter Report post Posted February 10, 2010 Nice buck congrats!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TAIL CHASER Report post Posted February 10, 2010 Congrsts on your first coues buck. He's a dandy! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WFGinNM Report post Posted February 10, 2010 Congratulations Yotebuster, That is a very handsome buck. --Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FlyingW Report post Posted February 10, 2010 Nice deer !!! Congrats on your first .... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LCconvert Report post Posted February 10, 2010 great job and a great buck! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
couesmaniac Report post Posted February 10, 2010 Nice congrats!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coueshunter Report post Posted February 11, 2010 A huge congratulations to you. Beautiful buck...............great job...........Allen....... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bonecollector Report post Posted February 11, 2010 Congrats on your first coues deer, nothing wrong ending your hunt early for a deer you want. Nice pic. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Atypical Report post Posted February 15, 2010 Congrats, absolutely great to get another type of hunting under your belt, now you an help others get started too.. like the easterners . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hunting6 Report post Posted February 15, 2010 Great job and a nice buck ! Thanks for sharing the story and pictures Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Basser15 Report post Posted February 16, 2010 Once again, great job on your first coues! Little different terrain than you're used to, huh Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coues Archer Report post Posted February 18, 2010 Wow. Awesome buck what a dandy great job. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yotebuster Report post Posted February 19, 2010 Thanks for the congrats guys... It was a LOT different then hunting whiteys back home, a lot different better kinda good if you will. I learned the value of a tripod mounted pair of binos for sure!!! I'm absolutely pumped about gettin after one next fall again, this time I'm gonna shoot for a bigger one, but I imagine that's not gonna come as easily as this buck did! The Huachuca's are some beautiful mountains, I would've never in a million years imagined there'd be mountains like that sticking up out of the desert! I'm excited at the prospect of what a pair of 15's on a tripod are gonna reveal to me back on the ND prairies. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kcw Report post Posted February 19, 2010 Nice buck....now your hooked like the rest of us on this site. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
