Optimizing Glassing For Coues Bucks

[tjkazhunter]

The more I hunt coues deer the more I realize of what I don't know or am unsure of. I have glassed up many deer and I am fairly confident in my glassing abilities. HOWEVER, as with most hunters, I am always striving to optimize my hunting experience. The biggest input that I am looking for from you more experienced guys are questions concerning being at the right place at the right time in order to be the most effective in glassing.

1. At first light what hill sides typically hold more deer and why? Ex. north facing, east facing , etc.

2. I hear a lot of experienced guys saying that at certain times they focus on glassing feeding areas. Which areas are feeding areas? Is it typically on a certain direction facing slope or just an area that has higher densities of typical food sources?

3. Mid day I typically have success glassing north facing slopes. Is this the most effective use of my time?

4. Similar to the first question, where do you glass at last light and why? Ex. south facing, west facing, etc.

I know this is a bit lengthy, but I would appreciate any input. After all this forum is about helping others learn more about coues whitetail. Thanks in advanced!

PS Good luck to all that are hitting the hills this weekend for archery opener!!!

 

[CouesPursuit]

Need to know more about your area to give you the best advice, habitat type? elevation? Sounds like you are in relatively open country, and spot and stalking?

 

1. Glass everywhere, you never know. I like to cover the most country as possible at first light, regardless of aspect.

 

2. With feeding areas, scouting is the real way to determine them. There are trends to the eye but the most effective thing to do is find tracks and turds, feeding areas change seasonally in most areas too.

 

3. Your thoughts on mid day success and northeast facing slopes is right on with my experience, shade in general is effective.

 

4. Same thing with last light, northeast facing is where I would want to be. I've caught bucks getting out of their beds from north facing slopes after a long day of shade more than any other aspect. But, glass everywhere, you never know. And try to put yourself in a situation where you could get lucky and something could walk within range.

 

Good Luck.

[tjkazhunter]

CouesPursuit,

Thanks for your input! My area is Central AZ chaparral with scrub oak, juniper, manzanita, pinion, etc. Elevation is 3500-4500. Typically thicker and nastier country than down in the southern units. I got drawn for the November rifle hunt and would like to start investing more time in a few areas I've been looking at. I want to make my scouting trips as productive as I can, so improving my glassing abilities is imperative.

[CouesPursuit]

Same info applies but slightly biased as I had the impression this was for the archery hunt this coming weekend.

 

If you get out scouting during this archery hunt and see some folks glassing near the road, jump out and ask to glass with them. Could help them find a deer, you get some pointers and possibly make a friend.

[JLW]

don't be turned off in the morning by looking into the sun... sucks but sometimes that's just the ticket. you can see areas lit up by the sun and deer moving into or out of the shady side. I sometimes use the lines in the shade and catch them going up or down the fingers on or in the shade.

grey light, turn your eyecups down it lets in more light! early, I often find them feeding through yellow grassy hillsides. in the evening as stated above they will just appear out of their beds... could be thick bushy stuff or could be shade trees. they can be tricky sometimes.

If you spot em in the evenings and don't have time to get at em', come back first thing in the morning... they may not go far from where you last saw them.

good luck.

 

James

[tjkazhunter]

Great input guys! Thanks. Keep it coming! I love all the ideas.

[rcdinaz]

I tend to also glass the shade lines in the morning if you catch em in the sun they will glow but move with the shade a lot the time. If it is an area with a lot of traffic they move up high pretty quickly.

 

Mid days it is almost always the shadows around big trees or rocks, some kind of cover.

 

But you do have to glass everywhere we have all seen walk right down a road at lunch time, not often but last year I saw two good bucks do just that right before they disappeared.

[GJMauro12]

I tend to also glass the shade lines in the morning if you catch em in the sun they will glow but move with the shade a lot the time. If it is an area with a lot of traffic they move up high pretty quickly.

 

Mid days it is almost always the shadows around big trees or rocks, some kind of cover.

 

But you do have to glass everywhere we have all seen walk right down a road at lunch time, not often but last year I saw two good bucks do just that right before they disappeared.

Last day of my hunt last year I was sitting in my glassing spot waiting for the blizzard to quit so I could start glassing. My dad got sick of being cold and headed for the truck. He radioed to let me know he was watching a nice buck with the heater on feeding 10 yards off the road. Of course he was gone before I made the hike back.

 

+1 to what everyone else has said tho. Glass everywhere, focus on shade/cover

[PRDATR]

"1. Glass everywhere, you never know."

 

THIS. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[208muley]

What time of year is your hunt? Which hunt do you have? Whatis the weather doing that day? Early season when it's hot you are best served looking on north and east slopes. November, with all the pressure from hunters look in the thickest stuff possible and look for them bedded. Dec look on southern, western, Eastern slopes. The later in dec it gets start looking for where the does are. If it gets super cold glass the sun line. Amazing how many deer will stand when the sun hits em when it's cold. What I just said applies to more mature bucks, little ones can be found with does anywhere. And if the wind is really blowing on any slope then what I said previously doesn't apply. They HATE the wind and will ALWAYS be out of a big wind, all their senses are weaker and since pretty much everything eats em including squirrels , haha, a strong wind moves em to less windy spots. I could get more specific but that's what I think in a nutshell.

[naturebob]

Don't Drink to much the nite before. Wait till after the kill............BOB!

[Dano562]

Glassing everywhere is right you never know. they are called the grey ghost for a reason. I have been hunting coues for 20 years and there is no ryhm or reason to where they are. The only for sure thing I can tell you is during the warmer parts of the day look for them in beds under trees but isn't always true. Iv seen them moving all day in all types of weather and in and out of the shade and hills at all times.

[ArizonaWildernessHunter]

In thicker brush I think using a high end spotter and binos together is best. 10x or 15x binos depending on yardages and running the spotter at 25-30x. Works best when alternating with at least 2 people so likleyhood of missing movement is minimized. Some bucks have habits and others are too smart or live a random life. Got a buck last year that slept on south sides of junipers for some reason. It didn't matter if it was on N, S, E, or W facing slopes. So he was sometimes really easy to spot and othertimes impossible. Know of 2 other big bucks that always sleep on flats in oak brush. I glass everwhere unless I know a habit, then I glass those areas first then everywhere else.

[az_shooter]

I agree with everyone above and I love to glass the early morning shade spots. I pick areas that will have more shade than light just because of this reason. If it's not getting really cold at night, those deer will sometimes stay in the shade even at first light because they know it's going to get warmer soon so they will try to stay as cool as possible for as long as possible. I've had very good luck following the shade lines and it's actually kind of funny some times to watch the deer follow the shade around, it kind of reminds me of that Riddick movie, "stay out of the light!" Haha

[tjkazhunter]

Thanks for all the input guys. One month away and the hunt is on! I can't wait!