Story By: Hezekiah Carrasco
After successfully drawing a coveted New Mexico Coues deer tag, I dove into preparation. From the moment I learned I had drawn, I began scouting in the blistering July heat, setting up trail cameras to locate a mature buck. Early camera checks showed no bucks mature enough, so I continued scouting and repositioning cameras to better understand the area. Eventually, a few promising bucks appeared on camera, and I decided to focus my hunt on them.
The first three days were grueling. We hunted hard, glassed extensively, and covered 60 miles on foot. I passed on more than ten bucks, none meeting the maturity I sought. On day four, we switched to a new area, and the decision paid off. From our glassing point, we quickly spotted a buck 700 yards away, moving downhill and grazing. I set up with my spotters tracking him. Feeling confident, I took a shot but missed just below him. He stood still, and I fired again, missing low once more. Disappointed with my shooting, I watched him bolt. We hunted hard the rest of the day to relocate him but came up empty. Knowing Coues deer often stay close even after pressure, we planned to return to the same area the next day.
At first light, we were back, glassing the same ridge. Within 30 seconds, we found the same buck, not 100 yards from where I had missed him the day before. I moved into position while my spotter kept eyes on him. The buck worked his way right, slipping into the tree line. While he was hidden for about three minutes, I got comfortable, set up my rifle, pulled out the spotting scope, and dialed in the adjustments. When he emerged, grazing on a bush with his head turned back, I prepared for the shot. At 360 yards, he turned broadside. I squeezed the trigger, and he dropped, rolling 10 feet before going still.
We made our way to him, awestruck by the beauty of this mature Coues buck. We took time to admire him and snapped some great photos. I was thrilled with this old, impressive buck. It was a heck of a hunt, a testament to persistence and the thrill of chasing Coues deer in New Mexico’s rugged terrain.