A
azcouesandelk
Guest
I had the October hunt in 36b this year and was lucky enough to harvest my second coues buck
My dad and I arrived at camp about 4 P.M. on Thursday so I decided to go out and check some areas where we were seeing good bucks. I got to my spot and glassed up a total of 20 other hunters in the area!!! I did not know what to do so we decided to try the area out anyways.
On opening morning we glassed from one of our spots and found several does and about 12 other hunters. Decided to book it up to one of our other glassing points at about 8:30 and saw a kid with his third coues buck (a very respectable 3x3 with eyeguards). We glassed for about an hour and my dad went up the hill to go to the bathroom and I hear him say "BUCK" so we get up top after grabbing the rifles and my binos. We saw the buck go into a mesquite thicket so we setup to glass. The buck was a solid 90 class buck so we glassed for several hours in the thicket turning up another half dozen does but no bucks. We went back to the truck to refresh our water supply and go glass from a different direction in the afternoon in hopes of getting on the buck we had seen earlier. We glassed til dark turning up another 10 or so does.
On the second day we went to one of my go to spots. Setup to glass and found a nice 85 class 3x3 within 10 minutes. We decided to circle around and try to get on him. We worked our way around the mountain dropping through some good canyons and got setup where we thought the buck might be. Just as soon as we got setup we spotted a deer go between a couple of trees and drop into the canyon. We glassed for several more hours turning up more does but no buck. Not sure if it was the buck but my dad and I both think that it was. That afternoon we went to an area that I had heard held some good bucks but did not get much pressure. We setup to glass and found more does then the spine tingling sound of a rattle broke the silence. No more then 15 feet away was a 3 1/2 foot blacktail rattler. After relocating we heard another rattle and found a 12 or so inch pinkish colored rattler. We decided with only 10 minutes of light left and having the gettogether we would pack up and get away from those snakes.
So on our third and final day we went to another reliable perch and glassed for about an hour turning up some does when my dad said he had a buck. We lost the buck but decided to circle around to get a better look at the hill and try to relocate the buck. After about 20 minutes we found the buck bedded and worked our way to 190 yards. We setup hoping the buck would walk out and give my dad a shot. At this point it was 8:00 to 8:15 and we waited and waited and waited. After sitting in the 85 to 90 degree weather for 7 hours my dad told me to shoot the buck in his bed if I thought I could make the shot. I got setup to shoot and slowly squeezed the trigger. The shot connected hitting the buck in the lungs but he got up and walked to the edge of the mesquite exposing his front shoulder, neck and head. I put the crosshairs on his neck and sent another round right where I was wanting it to hit and dropped the buck in his tracks.
I cannot thank my dad enough for letting me harvest this buck when it should have been his since he had found it originally. Also I rough scored the buck at 82 2/8". Not to bad for a last day buck
My dad and I with the buck
And here I am with the buck
Here is a front view of the buck.
My dad and I arrived at camp about 4 P.M. on Thursday so I decided to go out and check some areas where we were seeing good bucks. I got to my spot and glassed up a total of 20 other hunters in the area!!! I did not know what to do so we decided to try the area out anyways.
On opening morning we glassed from one of our spots and found several does and about 12 other hunters. Decided to book it up to one of our other glassing points at about 8:30 and saw a kid with his third coues buck (a very respectable 3x3 with eyeguards). We glassed for about an hour and my dad went up the hill to go to the bathroom and I hear him say "BUCK" so we get up top after grabbing the rifles and my binos. We saw the buck go into a mesquite thicket so we setup to glass. The buck was a solid 90 class buck so we glassed for several hours in the thicket turning up another half dozen does but no bucks. We went back to the truck to refresh our water supply and go glass from a different direction in the afternoon in hopes of getting on the buck we had seen earlier. We glassed til dark turning up another 10 or so does.
On the second day we went to one of my go to spots. Setup to glass and found a nice 85 class 3x3 within 10 minutes. We decided to circle around and try to get on him. We worked our way around the mountain dropping through some good canyons and got setup where we thought the buck might be. Just as soon as we got setup we spotted a deer go between a couple of trees and drop into the canyon. We glassed for several more hours turning up more does but no buck. Not sure if it was the buck but my dad and I both think that it was. That afternoon we went to an area that I had heard held some good bucks but did not get much pressure. We setup to glass and found more does then the spine tingling sound of a rattle broke the silence. No more then 15 feet away was a 3 1/2 foot blacktail rattler. After relocating we heard another rattle and found a 12 or so inch pinkish colored rattler. We decided with only 10 minutes of light left and having the gettogether we would pack up and get away from those snakes.
So on our third and final day we went to another reliable perch and glassed for about an hour turning up some does when my dad said he had a buck. We lost the buck but decided to circle around to get a better look at the hill and try to relocate the buck. After about 20 minutes we found the buck bedded and worked our way to 190 yards. We setup hoping the buck would walk out and give my dad a shot. At this point it was 8:00 to 8:15 and we waited and waited and waited. After sitting in the 85 to 90 degree weather for 7 hours my dad told me to shoot the buck in his bed if I thought I could make the shot. I got setup to shoot and slowly squeezed the trigger. The shot connected hitting the buck in the lungs but he got up and walked to the edge of the mesquite exposing his front shoulder, neck and head. I put the crosshairs on his neck and sent another round right where I was wanting it to hit and dropped the buck in his tracks.
I cannot thank my dad enough for letting me harvest this buck when it should have been his since he had found it originally. Also I rough scored the buck at 82 2/8". Not to bad for a last day buck
My dad and I with the buck
And here I am with the buck
Here is a front view of the buck.
