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Tyler24

New to Fort Huachuca / 35A

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Just moved to Fort Huachuca from the east coast. I’ve been watching Coues hunting videos and reading about them for months. Any help, tips, stories, etc for a new Coues hunter would be appreciated.
 

I should be in the area until the end of 2020 and I’m looking to start as soon as archery opens up. On the east coast, setting up a few trail cams and establishing a food plot is just about as easy as it gets and it’s effective. I know I’m in for a new challenge out here. Thanks in advance. 

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They might still have leftover rifle tags for this coming nov or dec hunt as well.  If you only bowhunt that would be on the OTC tag.  

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Welcome to the forum and also to AZ!

I live here in town id be happy to take you out sometime.  What do you have gear wise? You need a tripod for sure, a decent set of glass is equally important too. The standard is a pair of 15s but a good pair of 12s is good too. Ideally the priceier the better but if you have a skinny budget a pair of viper 15s are good enough,  Luckily you have access to land that I don't and there are some great deer on post.

Deer draw has not happened yet and I would not expect to kill one with a  bow your first year out, so I'd still put in for a early rifle tag when the time comes.  

Just screwing around on a lunchbreak I took a buddy up to the lookout when we were working on post, mid day in the summer we still glassed up deer right from there.  

Since its early I'd focus on finding some water holes off the beaten path. I got some salt blocks left from a bison hunt I won't use anytime so you can have a couple.  I'd set some cams on water with the salt and hope for a bruiser to show up on cam form the summer hunt.  

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Just get on the hills above the old officer’s row area.  Take out an apple and drop it on the ground.  This is a sound they know and will come running.  

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9 hours ago, CatfishKev said:

Welcome to the forum and also to AZ!

I live here in town id be happy to take you out sometime.  What do you have gear wise? You need a tripod for sure, a decent set of glass is equally important too. The standard is a pair of 15s but a good pair of 12s is good too. Ideally the priceier the better but if you have a skinny budget a pair of viper 15s are good enough,  Luckily you have access to land that I don't and there are some great deer on post.

Deer draw has not happened yet and I would not expect to kill one with a  bow your first year out, so I'd still put in for a early rifle tag when the time comes.  

Just screwing around on a lunchbreak I took a buddy up to the lookout when we were working on post, mid day in the summer we still glassed up deer right from there.  

Since its early I'd focus on finding some water holes off the beaten path. I got some salt blocks left from a bison hunt I won't use anytime so you can have a couple.  I'd set some cams on water with the salt and hope for a bruiser to show up on cam form the summer hunt.  

Oh boy.  I’m absolutely losing my mind!!!  April seems like it’s taken 5 months.  I literally had it in my head yesterday deer draw was over!!  Anyhow, to OP you could easily draw a December or Nov rifle tag if you get put in by June deadline.   December coues tags are the holy grail of coues tags in AZ and are easy to draw on post.  The take 6-12 years in any other unit.  There will be more pressure then on other December hunts but it’s still a good hunt.  Killed my first coues in there way back!!  
 

ECE559DB-12BB-40B6-AAAA-577747F3427D.jpeg.f93cb29168c7634d8d9e2d5f27cd0f31.jpeg

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8 hours ago, yotebuster said:

Oh boy.  I’m absolutely losing my mind!!!  April seems like it’s taken 5 months.  I literally had it in my head yesterday deer draw was over!!  Anyhow, to OP you could easily draw a December or Nov rifle tag if you get put in by June deadline.   December coues tags are the holy grail of coues tags in AZ and are easy to draw on post.  The take 6-12 years in any other unit.  There will be more pressure then on other December hunts but it’s still a good hunt.  Killed my first coues in there way back!!  
 

ECE559DB-12BB-40B6-AAAA-577747F3427D.jpeg.f93cb29168c7634d8d9e2d5f27cd0f31.jpeg

You scared me for a minute! Thanks for the info though. I’ll definitely get on it soon. Sounds like it’s going to be a fun season. Looking forward to the hunt this year more than others. 

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17 hours ago, CatfishKev said:

Welcome to the forum and also to AZ!

I live here in town id be happy to take you out sometime.  What do you have gear wise? You need a tripod for sure, a decent set of glass is equally important too. The standard is a pair of 15s but a good pair of 12s is good too. Ideally the priceier the better but if you have a skinny budget a pair of viper 15s are good enough,  Luckily you have access to land that I don't and there are some great deer on post.

Deer draw has not happened yet and I would not expect to kill one with a  bow your first year out, so I'd still put in for a early rifle tag when the time comes.  

Just screwing around on a lunchbreak I took a buddy up to the lookout when we were working on post, mid day in the summer we still glassed up deer right from there.  

Since its early I'd focus on finding some water holes off the beaten path. I got some salt blocks left from a bison hunt I won't use anytime so you can have a couple.  I'd set some cams on water with the salt and hope for a bruiser to show up on cam form the summer hunt.  

 

17 hours ago, CatfishKev said:

Welcome to the forum and also to AZ!

I live here in town id be happy to take you out sometime.  What do you have gear wise? You need a tripod for sure, a decent set of glass is equally important too. The standard is a pair of 15s but a good pair of 12s is good too. Ideally the priceier the better but if you have a skinny budget a pair of viper 15s are good enough,  Luckily you have access to land that I don't and there are some great deer on post.

Deer draw has not happened yet and I would not expect to kill one with a  bow your first year out, so I'd still put in for a early rifle tag when the time comes.  

Just screwing around on a lunchbreak I took a buddy up to the lookout when we were working on post, mid day in the summer we still glassed up deer right from there.  

Since its early I'd focus on finding some water holes off the beaten path. I got some salt blocks left from a bison hunt I won't use anytime so you can have a couple.  I'd set some cams on water with the salt and hope for a bruiser to show up on cam form the summer hunt.  

Thanks! PM sent 

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Trail cams are not allowed on post.

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On 4/15/2020 at 2:14 AM, yotebuster said:

Oh boy.  I’m absolutely losing my mind!!!  April seems like it’s taken 5 months.  I literally had it in my head yesterday deer draw was over!!  Anyhow, to OP you could easily draw a December or Nov rifle tag if you get put in by June deadline.   December coues tags are the holy grail of coues tags in AZ and are easy to draw on post.  The take 6-12 years in any other unit.  There will be more pressure then on other December hunts but it’s still a good hunt.  Killed my first coues in there way back!!  
 

ECE559DB-12BB-40B6-AAAA-577747F3427D.jpeg.f93cb29168c7634d8d9e2d5f27cd0f31.jpeg

Are you saying it’s easier to draw on post (assuming you qualify) than other units or 35a off-post?

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2 hours ago, bigorange said:

Are you saying it’s easier to draw on post (assuming you qualify) than other units or 35a off-post?

Way easier.  Last I had checked December tags and November tags are usually available leftover on post.  

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5 hours ago, yotebuster said:

Way easier.  Last I had checked December tags and November tags are usually available leftover on post.  

Does post have it's own hunt number? Thought it was part of the regular 35a draw?

Didn't know about cams on post either. 

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52 minutes ago, CatfishKev said:

Does post have it's own hunt number? Thought it was part of the regular 35a draw?

Didn't know about cams on post either. 

Yeah they’re their own hunt codes.  The lady in charge of the hunts emails them out.  

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I didn't draw the Dec hunt last year.They were all gone on the first draw.

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