First time ciues hunter

[billc]

My son drew unit 16 adult rifle deer. He has taken 3 mule deer already so goal is a coues deer unless we come across a giant mule deer.

So for those who have hunted both what is the main difference in hunting style between the 2 kind of deer. I figure we will doing plenty of glassing?

But any other pointers would be great to hear. The hunt is in nov and I am guessing they rut same time as mule deer so I am thinking food and water will be the key.

 

[passthrough]

Small home range. Probably a third the size of an average mule deer. Food and cover is probably more inportant than water. They rut just like eastern whitetails. I usually see them getting rutty in mid to late December.

 

[sagebrush]

Mulies like the flats, coues like the canyons. Not to say you won't find both in either, but you will see fewer coues in the flats. Coues like to water between 10 and 2 on calm days, less when the wind blows. They are a favorite lion food and that is the reason for their watering habits.

 

[BrianID]

I'll often glass up coues moving around later in the morning after all the mule deer have beaded down. So don't give up glassing for coues just because all the mule deer have already bedded. Coues deer all like to use very similar sections of a hillside. If you see a coues deer in a spot, there is a very good chance you will see other coues deer in that same spot in the future.

They are also much more difficult to put a long range stalk on than mule deer for me for 2 reasons.

#1 They are small and are more difficult to spot than mule deer. Trying to relocate them once you get closer can be a challenge.

#2 I can normally watch a mule deer and predict where it will go. I've been wrong multiple times while trying to predict a coues deers path.

Being able to quickly shoot a small target at longer ranges will increase your sons chance of killing a coues deer. I've often had coues deer suddenly appear at 200 or 400 yards and your only shot opportunity is going to happen quick. Being able to quickly make that shot is a big advantage when hunting coues deer.

There are coues deer in unit 16 but the density of coues deer isn't very high. Unless you know any area that has them, you may not see a coues deer during your hunt.

 

[billc]

Yeah it was are second choice for coues but what we got so we will make the best of it. The info guys are giving will help a bunch so feel like we go in with some chance at least.