Coues in 6B & 8 for December hunt?

[AZJR]

My teenaged daughter has a permit for the December hunt in 6B & unit 8 for coues whitetail. We have done a bit of scouting along the 6B/8 border and did not see any deer (other than a few mulies), think we were too high maybe? We also checked some of the lower country along 89A south of the Ash Fork area in unit 8.

 

Are we in the right areas or should we be further south in 8? Off in Sycamore or Volunteer Canyons or somewhere else? I'd like her to see some bucks and make a clean kill. The "trophy" will be the experience and hopefully time spent with "dear old Dad"!

 

We did see some photos of some exceptional coues bucks from the area at a processor and at a taxidermist's shop. Folks were a bit tight-lipped about where and when the deer were bagged.

 

We'd appreciate any suggestions or insights into these areas where we'd be most likely to find coues bucks. Thanks for any help.

 

Jim & Mallorie

[BRYCE CANYON]

You cannot go wrong with Sycamore Canyon. If you come in from the 6B side check out Poison Pocket or LO Pocket. I have also seen deer on the edge of the canyon at Dorsey Spring and Kelsey Spring. It is very thick and you will have to find a place to sit where you can look off into the canyon. You will see the deer move in and out of small openings in the brush but be prepared to sit all day and glass.

[BRYCE CANYON]

I almost forgot...take a lion tag!

[recurveman]

Me and a buddy have the same tag. There are deer up there but they are few and far between. There are many other december hunts that would be a ton easier than this hunt. I've seen a few deer up in the pines this year but I haven't even looked down low. I'm hoping that I don't have to. I was going to start scouting again when the hunts were over. I think that will give me the best idea of where they are going to be during the hunt.

 

I'm really hoping for some snow. That would really help locate the animals. It might also push them into one area. I really don't expect the deer to move that much. Even if it does snow. It seems like whitetails are more likely to stay in the same area.

 

Good luck on your hunt. I think we are both going to need a little luck and a bunch of time behind or binos looking for those little brats.

 

Here is a little hint. You probably aren't going to see many WT's if you are more than a mile from a canyon edge. Every WT I've seen up in those units has always been close to a canyon. Now I'm sure there are spots where they aren't close but I have never found them. Hopefully that will help. I pretty much know where I'm going to be hunting but I'm just as tigh lipped as those other people.

 

later,

 

recurveman