Having never hunted Coues deer nor visited Arizona, I decided to alter my application strategy from mule deer and try something new. Everything I read and heard about hunting Coues deer indicated that it made for quite a different hunt and approach to glassing than I had ever experienced. I expected to spend the ensuing three to five days glued to our optics, turning over every rock and yucca in an attempt to turn up a good buck. However, I wanted to challenge myself and learn something new. When I discovered I had drawn a late rifle tag in Southeast Arizona, I considered going self-guided, but after talking with Garth Jenson, I realized the quality of tag I held and decided to call A3 Trophy Hunts.
Upon arrival in my hunt unit, I met up with guides Bobby Stringfellow and James Pursley, and together, we headed into the mountains. The first evening was just as envisioned; however, spotting the tiny deer amongst the rocks and brush was much harder than I had anticipated. These deer truly are grey ghosts that can be right in front of you and yet appear invisible.
Day two was foggy, so we met up with other A3 guides and hunters and spent the morning glassing what we could together. That afternoon, the weather cleared, so with loaded packs we hiked deeper into the mountains where we planned to effectively hunt for the duration. As we finished setting up spike camp, light snow began to fall and temperatures dropped. Unbeknownst to us, things were about to change drastically. We awoke to 4-6" of fresh powder, a stiff wind, and a high of 28 degrees for the day. This was not what I had expected when hunting just north of the border. We climbed to a vantage point where we could spend the day looking over some promising looking backcountry discreetly concealed by surrounding peaks. After getting a fire started, we endured 30-40 mph blowing snow as the mountains disappeared and reappeared every couple of minutes. Despite the poor visibility, we managed to turn up a cool 4x2 buck, but he wasn’t what I wanted to shoot, so we kept looking.
As we called it a day and descended Blizzard Hill, we glassed up what we thought was the 4x2 buck. After looking closer, I thought I saw a G3 on both sides as the buck weaved through brush, dogging a doe. We dropped down to an adjacent hill, and as soon as Bobby picked up the buck in his binoculars, he began scrambling for his rifle, saying, “Shoot that buck!” It was a big 3x4. I threw my pack in front of me and laid the 6 XC on top and frantically began trying to find the buck in my scope as he darted around the hillside. He would not stop, and once I found him in the scope, I squeezed the trigger as he walked. A clean miss. He disappeared, seemingly unspooked.
The next morning, we awoke to 11 degrees and a crisp morning of sunshine. I was extremely optimistic for the day as this was the weather we had been waiting for. We again climbed the glassing hill and started a fire as we were all miserably cold. As the sun rose, Bobby spotted the buck I had missed the night before on the same hill.
No sooner had I grabbed the rifle than the buck vanished. We dropped down the hill and stopped to glass behind a fallen tree. The buck suddenly emerged, chasing a doe. This time, I had a solid rest, and as the buck came to a momentary stop, I pulled the trigger. The buck collapsed in the deep snow. I absolutely dumped him. The buck was everything I had hoped for. The snow and rutting frenzy made this hunt incredible, but the redemption on this buck was euphoric.
I cannot thank Bobby, James, Chad, and Corey enough for their hard work, encouragement, and sharing their expertise. I will be back to hunt Coues deer and will certainly be calling A3 Trophy Hunts when I draw my next tag in Arizona.
Arizona Deer
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