Targeting 1 Specific Coues Buck

[CouesPursuit]

Meet, "The Boss" -

 

 

My hunting partner and I have had him on camera in one location for a few years now, to the point I feel I have developed a relationship with him, one that I want to take to the next level, hands on. We watched him start as a 4x3 in 2012, go 5x4 in 2013, and was something like a 6x5 in early August (5th) last year, so who knows how big he ended up and/or will be this year if a lion hasn't taken him. He has also busted us in our tree stands on a few occasions, one weekend, it was 3 days in a row. He has always come back. Based on my observations of traffic and hunting pressure in the area, I highly doubt another hunter got him. After we both tagged out opening weekend of January this year, we pulled this particular camera. Before that, we have hundreds of pictures of him and his sidekicks, who are also impressive deer, but he only shows up in the summer time, June-September. We have hard horned pictures of all his buddies (my buddy took one of his 90"+ pals), but not him. "The Boss" and another double main beam buck who has only shown his face a couple times, vanish come fall.

 

This is thick, thick habitat. Glassing is hardly effective, if at all. I've had several other cameras out within a mile radius, where we are getting some of his friends, and lots of does, but he never shows!!

 

Now that OTC deer and archery elk is over, we will be putting all of our cameras back out for Jan '16. I have a few I set a couple months back in new areas and haven't checked them yet. But in thinking of where to try next, I had a few questions in mind for the experienced. So there lies the situation warranting this thread. I would really appreciate anyone's advice who has targeting a single buck, successful or not.

 

How did their summer habits change through fall and into the rut, if at all?

 

For pine tree and woodland bucks, did they drop in elevation at all or prefer more open country? This buck would have to travel a couple miles to get into another type of habitat.

 

Does a buck of this caliber seek out all does in his area and cover a ton of ground, or is he more likely to find a couple of does in his immediate area and be satisfied?

 

This coming season is the time to get him before his decline and I'm considering dedicating the January season to him and him alone. I know this information can be top secret to many people and they keep it close to the vest, but any insight, experiences, or recommendations would be much appreciated. PM's welcome. Thank you.

[Couestracker]

I wished I had information to share! Best of luck, you are living up to your name! I will be thinking about the obvious efforts you have and will yet exert on this buck and try to leverage that as motivation on my own hunt next month. Hope to see the "boss" on the ground come January!

Tommy

[Zeke-BE]

The Boss is a Toad! Good Luck

[CouesPursuit]

Thanks gentlemen. We are pretty sure he runs with at least 2 other bucks. He always has one buddy at a time, it just isn't necessarily the same buck running with him. This surprised me but we have verified it a few times. These guys still have another month of growing give or take. This was 8-5-14 here.

 

[wildwoody]

Awesome, what they eating ? Looks like pistachios my favorite

[CouesPursuit]

If they were pistachios I don't think he would be vanishing every September, wildwoody.

 

It's no secret I keep up on my salt blocks, which in my belief is exactly why I get him only during the antler growth period. What I'm stumped on is why I can't get him on camera checking out our frequent doe visitors Dec-Jan.

[mattys281]

If they were pistachios I don't think he would be vanishing every September, wildwoody.

It's no secret I keep up on my salt blocks, which in my belief is exactly why I get him only during the antler growth period. What I'm stumped on is why I can't get him on camera checking out our frequent doe visitors Dec-Jan.

My bucks vanish off the salt too even though theres still does on it. You need to find his love palace. Theres some saddles and bowls out in the nasty thick steep stuff I hunt in january that are frequent rutting areas. Find one of those areas and sit for a week and youll wrap your tag around him..... I hope.

[kwp]

One thing you are going to have to do is commit to only hunt him. You'll have to pass on all his buddies, however nice they may be. If January doesn't work out, make the same commitment for early archery and then Rifle in the fall.

And scout,scout,scout. Answer all the questions you have about where he goes prior to hunting him. Lastly, just because it's thick, don't be afraid to glass.

 

Sweet buck by the way!

[CouesPursuit]

I've had a couple great PM conversations in the last 18 hours after making this post, as well as some good stuff here in the thread. Thank you. After sharing my past and current strategy in these conversations, I think it comes down to this more than anything.

One thing you are going to have to do is commit to only hunt him.

 

If I want him bad enough I can't shoot another buck on the 3rd day of year. I appreciate you and everyone's comments. This is the one place people understand how a critter can make make a man's mind go crazy. I will say though, if the double main beam shows up, no way I'd pass. Buck on the right is also in my avatar.

 

 

We will be putting in some extra effort to find his bedroom instead of his backyard and when my partner or I knock him down in January, in either the past or future location, I'll be sure to share the experience.

 

Would still appreciate any additional comments. Come on 2016!

[willhunt4coues]

They would really like that salt even more if it was not a block. Get you some granulated salt and dig a hole and bury it. Coues love to eat the dirt.

[JLW]

have you found any of his sheds?

some of the ones we chase shed there rub there but love elsewhere.

if you can find his sheds maybe a clue to where he is going for love...

 

James

[Coues 'n' Sheep]

Targeting one buck in January can be very tough (Impossible), due to the distances they can cover... They can go for miles chasing does and not return till February sometimes. Good Hunting!

[Lazy-H98]

I can't speak from personal experience, but I have 2 buddies close to me that where in your predicament. Since 2012 they have been chasing a toad of a buck. Plenty of visuals and footage while in velvet. They pursued him during archery, archery, rifle, and archery. They never found any of his sheds in their efforts either. Every once and a while they would begin to have their doughts, but I would remind them to stick with it, stick with him. Even thought they had rifle tags in their pockets for later this year, they arrowed him on a Thursday morning back in August. I'm proud of them for the diligence and efforts, which paid off 10 fold. Good luck and don't forget to let us know how its going.

[JACK]

Great buck!

 

I've had an obsession with one buck...Having a late tag in my pocket had high hopes for this buck last year...I've been hunting/trying to figure him since 2011...I've only been able to get trail cam pictures in June at one spot ...and I've only laid eyes on him a handful of times in dec/jan on one mountain a mile or so away from where I get trail cam pictures of him...and I have a shed from 2012 that was about a half a mile from where I get the trail cam pictures...I have no idea how much time I spent looking for this buck...alot...long story short...last time I saw him he was laying down 150 yards and I was looking at him through my rifle scope...he was by far the heaviest buck I've ever seen and most likely past his prime...but it was kinda weird...I felt like I met the challenge of what I was trying to do...and I didn't want to kill him...I thought he was better off on the mountain than in my house ...so I took a little video and walked away from him...guess I didn't want the game to be over...

 

 

 

Good luck finding your buck!

[reddog]

I have had one experience with hunting one specific buck. I found him in late January during the rut, but could not close the deal. I went out once to twice a week in Feb and March to keep an eye on him, then one day he just disappeared. I looked for him the whole summer thinking I could kill him in the archery August hunt, but I never laid eyes on him again. I had 5ish Trail Cams out all summer and not one picture of him. I then drew the early Nov hunt for that unit, . I told myself it was that deer or nothing. I had expanded the area I was looking for him in to about 3 mile radius of where I had last seen him and still no luck. With about 2 days left in the hunt my hunting partner said lets go back to where we last saw him. I ended up killing him within 150 yards of where he was the last time I saw him 7ish months ago. Not sure this helps but this buck never left his "core area" and never moved around much, as I never caught him on any trail cameras that were within a quarter of a mile or so.

 

As a side bar, a friend of mine scored him at about 116 gross non-typical. But this was by far my most memorable hunt not because of the score but because of the effort it took. Hang in there and make it Happen!!

 

REDDOG