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MOWhitail

General Coues Question from a newbie...

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This is probably a dumb question, and I've tried searching the site for this answer but I must not be typing in the right search perimeters... Is every Whitetail in AZ considered a Coues? I see posts listing units from the north all the way to the south of the state, and just wondered. I had always been under the impression that Coues Deer were in the southern most part of the state... and I guess I assumed that the Whitetails in the northern units would be a different sub species...

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As far as the scientist type biology folks would say, answer is they're all coues. Talk to any old timer (mostly over 60ish) and they sing a different tune. I believe "Becker" said it best and I'm loosely quoting here.. "Everyone has different eye and hair color as well as different sizes, doesn't mean they ain't still human" some thing like that haha! I believe they are all coues. Some say coues, fan tail, black tail, or eastern. They may be right but I think it's just different sizes of the same sub species.

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Ok. So does SCI or Boone and Crocket have any stipulations on where they have to be taken from in order to be considered a Coues? In WA state, where I live, a Blacktail can only be listed as a Blacktail if it is taken west of the Pacific Crest Trail... if it is east then it is considered a Muley. Which is always funny, because I can literally be hunting on the PCT (and DO), so if I see a deer on the east side of the trail it is a Muley, but if it jumps across the trail to the west side it suddenly morphs into a Blacktail. Kind of the same with Roosevelt vs Rocky Mountain Elk...

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Thanks guys, that kind of expands my horizons for my first Archery Coues hunt I guess. Since I drew a fall Muley tag in AZ I won't be able to come down until after January 1...

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