23 coues

NMBOWHNTR27 · Nov 1, 2016

Anybody know how the population is? Where to look? Any info? Where to stay since I'm not camping this year.
Can trade info....

BUGLEnmIN · Nov 1, 2016

>Anybody know how the population is?
>Where to look? Any info?
>Where to stay since I'm
>not camping this year.
>Can trade info....

P.m. me with questions and tradable info haha

stoney · Nov 2, 2016

The unit has absolutely been hammered the last few years and the numbers and quality was way down last year. I don't expect much different this year but will have one hunter the first rifle season as we didn't fair well on the last rifle season last year. Most of the bucks were shot out by then. I expect most bucks taken this year will come out of the first hunt. Pretty sad that our Game Dept. doesn't cut way back on the tags. Opportunity to hunt and dollars in the Game Dept. bank is the trade off for a quality hunt. Deer Coues and Muleys) hunting in unit 23 stinks, but I guess I remember the good old days when we had a lot of deer.

Coues deer hunting fanatics have made a big negative in road into the number and size of the bucks the last few years.

NMBOWHNTR27 · Nov 2, 2016

@stoney. Does it more have to do with predation and drought?

hank4elk · Nov 2, 2016

>@stoney. Does it more have
>to do with predation and
>drought?
Stoney's right ,just too many tags.I have been seeing more coues in there the last few years than before,but I'm usually after mulies. And there are not many of those.

stoney · Nov 2, 2016

Not drought, but depredation is a big factor as we are in what biologists call a "predator pit" where predators have a bigger factor on our deer herds staying at low numbers. It all started in the late 1980's when fur prices went way down and most everyone stopped trapping coyotes. We saw a steady decline in deer numbers after that and by the mid to late 1990's the deer numbers went way down and are still down. Hank is right that the Coues have fared a little better than the muleys as I think because overall the little buggers live in rougher country and have survived the predators a little better.

With that said Coues buck numbers are down due in part to over hunting, as are the muley bucks. The Game Dept. claims killing bucks has no affect on the overall health of the herd but we often see groups of does without bucks in January during the rut?

NMBOWHNTR27 · Nov 2, 2016

>>@stoney. Does it more have
>>to do with predation and
>>drought?
>Stoney's right ,just too many tags.I
>have been seeing more coues
>in there the last few
>years than before,but I'm usually
>after mulies. And there are
>not many of those.

That's a good thing in this case haha.

NMBOWHNTR27 · Nov 2, 2016

>Not drought, but depredation is a
>big factor as we are
>in what biologists call a
>"predator pit" where predators have
>a bigger factor on our
>deer herds staying at low
>numbers. It all started in
>the late 1980's when fur
>prices went way down and
>most everyone stopped trapping coyotes.
>We saw a steady decline
>in deer numbers after that
>and by the mid to
>late 1990's the deer numbers
>went way down and are
>still down. Hank is right
>that the Coues have fared
>a little better than the
>muleys as I think because
>overall the little buggers live
>in rougher country and have
>survived the predators a little
>better.
>
>With that said Coues buck numbers
>are down due in part
>to over hunting, as are
>the muley bucks. The Game
>Dept. claims killing bucks has
>no affect on the overall
>health of the herd but
>we often see groups of
>does without bucks in January
>during the rut?

That's interesting. Normally the killing of does would normally bring the population down. I wonder if. The reason for seeing does with no bucks with them in January has to do with how dispersed the actual population is. Just a thought. Do you know if coues whitetail are like eastern white tails in sense that normally they single out one or two does during the rut vs. a mule deer that will have a harem of does. The predation factor seems to have an impact down there. A lot of comments in the forums have suggested that hunters are seeing a lot of lions, bears, and I'm assuming coyotes which could have an impact on fawn survival. I would be curious to see if there is a study out there to back this up.

BUGLEnmIN · Nov 2, 2016

Hey Tom , I do believe you're spot on. I was there in your neck of the woods two weeks ago, some muley does , two couse does , two couse bucks , and one giant 190 muley from the good old days. We were a significant distance from the road in some tough stuff north of your house and saw these deer in one area. So tough to find them there that you gotta be tight lipped with those spots. Tim found some good bucks in our unit, said he showed you pics of them.NMBOWHUNTER, Good luck in 23 buddy, it can happen , just work hard, and don't get discouraged.

hank4elk · Nov 2, 2016

Yep,predator pit. Dense brushy,rocky,steep pit.
I have glassed up a few bucks but can never find them later.
I'm on a hit & miss hunt in a week or so, away from roads where no atv's can go.

NMBOWHNTR27 · Nov 2, 2016

>Hey Tom , I do believe
>you're spot on. I was
>there in your neck of
>the woods two weeks ago,
>some muley does , two
>couse does , two couse
>bucks , and one giant
>190 muley from the good
>old days. We were a
>significant distance from the road
>in some tough stuff north
>of your house and saw
>these deer in one area.
>So tough to find them
>there that you gotta be
>tight lipped with those spots.
>Tim found some good bucks
>in our unit, said he
>showed you pics of them.NMBOWHUNTER,
>Good luck in 23 buddy,
>it can happen , just
>work hard, and don't get
>discouraged.

Thanks bud! It sounds like a challenge with a potential great payoff! ??

BUGLEnmIN · Nov 5, 2016

>>Hey Tom , I do believe
>>you're spot on. I was
>>there in your neck of
>>the woods two weeks ago,
>>some muley does , two
>>couse does , two couse
>>bucks , and one giant
>>190 muley from the good
>>old days. We were a
>>significant distance from the road
>>in some tough stuff north
>>of your house and saw
>>these deer in one area.
>>So tough to find them
>>there that you gotta be
>>tight lipped with those spots.
>>Tim found some good bucks
>>in our unit, said he
>>showed you pics of them.NMBOWHUNTER,
>>Good luck in 23 buddy,
>>it can happen , just
>>work hard, and don't get
>>discouraged.
>
>
>Thanks bud! It sounds like a
>challenge with a potential great
>payoff! ??

I sent you a p.m. back!!