Coues deer patterns

[Rembrant]

I've spent more than a few years chasing Mr. Coues and have noticed these deer repeat a few habits like: bailing off canyon rims when spooked; frequenting saddles on giant steep slopes; crossing open grassy slopes; hanging out on mesquite flats. But I have never noticed anything that resembles a repeatable daily or semi-daily pattern like one can observe with elk or as the Eastern whitetail is known to do.

I was hunting with my brother (a Coues killing machine) in the Gallueros a couple of years ago. After a few days of watching a lot of deer and trying to make sense of their movements, I asked my brother, "Have you ever noticed any discernable patterns with these sneaky little deer? They just seem to move totally at random - some go up, some go down. The ones that walked far away never to be seen again are back the next day. Heh??

His answer was, "Nope, not ever. They are where you find them."

I think big bucks hunker down and don't care much for the light of day until the rut.

Anybody have any insight on recognizable Coues patterns?

[coueshunter]

Last year in southern AZ I could kinda pattern the deer when they were in velvet. They spent quite a bit of time in the flats and they somewhat regularily entered and exited from the same general area in the flats. They fed where they normally fed but bedded down in the flats.........This so far is the only reliable pattern I have experienced..............I am going to try and stick one with a bow if they do the same thing this year............Allen...........

[bullwidgeon]

They follow patterns. All the big buck hunters I know try to find them in August hitting water. From what these guys say is a deer will seldom move more than a half mile in August if he has water around and is really easy to find day in and out once he has been found the first time. These guys also say that once the horns harden they tend to move less during the day and become more nocturnal and move farther and farther from the summer home range to the point where they might have moved 5 or 6 miles by the time the rut starts. I know during the late hunts and real cold days in the mornings these guys glass South facing and East facing slopes and rarely even look at North facers until late afternoon. They also work the with wind and never glass a side of the hill that is getting hit hardest by wind. They will always glass cuts and draws and sides of hills that are out of the wind. I never really thought too much about any of this until I hunted with them this year and we saw more deer than I would have normally seen. Usually I just look where I think deer would be up and feeding and don't take into consideration all the little things these guys were showing me. I have yet to find a big buck hitting water in August but maybe this year will be the year for that. One of the guys I was hunting with and was filling me in on some of this had patterned the Ball buck in August before it was shot and has pictures of it in velvet hitting water and feeding, there is no mistaking that thing and the velvet pictures make it look even bigger than it is. He had a late tag that year and the deer was killed on the early or middle hunt so even finding deer in August is not a sure ticket to killing them.

 

Bret M.

[Guest Guest]

Thanks Bret, Allen,

Interesting stuff. That confirms a lot of things and sheds some light on some unthought of stuff. I have a strong desire to arrow a big Coues. I've been working at it for a while and don't have too much figured yet. The early season information from both of you is encouraging. It seems the key may be to find that half mile core.

Any thoughts on if maybe the Coues would move more freely and predictably in high timber (pines) as opposed to the open desert slopes where the they are more exposed to sun, wind and visability? Maybe I am just reaching here.

Mike

[coueshunter]

This is complete conjecture but I would think the deer would move earlier and more in shaded timber than the stuff I hunt south. I assume coues and other deer for that matter move at dusk/dawn and after dark to not only keep conceled from predators but also because it takes less body energy to move in the cooler times. I know the bucks bedded on thicker flats move more during the day to reposition themselves out of the sun than the bucks bedded on the N.W. slopes...........ask Prohunt or Josh who both hunt northern units.........Sniper also spends a bit of time in timbered units..........hopefully they can help..............Allen....................

[Prohunt]

I agree with Allen that when it is cooler the deer tend to move more. Last year in unit 23 during my elk hunt (in Sept.) I saw the same Coues in the same general area up feeding several times at about 10:00 a.m. I was hunting at about 7000 feet though.I have also seen Coues drink from the same stock tank at noon several days in a row.Several years ago I glassed up a toad coues during a September bear hunt.On opening day of the late hunt (Dec. 15) I saw this buck killed less than a quarter of a mile where I first saw him.On the flip side two years ago I watched a 110" Coues from August until December when my hunt was and he was nowhere to be seen. I think they are mostly territorial until they are pressured or lose water/feed.Just when you think you have them figured out they give you the slip.Like your brother said they are where you find them.

Prohunt