Bowhunting Rutting Coues Deer in Arizona - What You Need to Know

This is a breakdown of bowhunting rutting coues deer in Arizona. I go through where I've found success, how I've found success, and where I haven't found success.
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[@Benjacques1173]

Great info & tactics thank you for you hard earned information. Love your channel bro 🤙🏻

[@DialedinHunter]

I so appreciate that Ben!

[@jordanlesansee1327]

Subscribed! Very helpful video. What’s your take on hunting coues deer during early archery season (Aug-Sept)? How do tactics compare to rutting coues bucks? Thanks!

[@DialedinHunter]

Thanks! Early season archery coues is gonna be more about either bedding them down and making a move after they've gone to their bed or sitting water.

[@jordanlesansee1327]

@@DialedinHunter I appreciate the reply! Getting excited for my first coues hunt in NM this September! Keep up the great content!

[@drested1793]

Right on man. “Fuel for the rugged.” I just ate 3 glazed donuts.

[@DialedinHunter]

Haha! Love it!

[@practice965]

I am 60 and grew up hunting coues. I've seen lots of how to videos. . . This one is VERY good. Thanks

[@DialedinHunter]

Hey, thanks so much for the kind words! 👊🏼 Good luck out there. That's a whole lot of coues experience!

[@Knuckleduster7.3L]

Thanks man. For just being real. Ive read your articles in the past in bow magazines. Thoroughly enjoying the content on your channel and IG acct. 🤘🏻

[@DialedinHunter]

Thank YOU! Glad you like the content!

[@brianconlogue1302]

I hunt unit 36 and when I tell people I got my last deer at 88 yards they call me crazy. Eastern bow hunters have no idea how hard southern AZ bowhunting is.

[@DialedinHunter]

For sure a different world than most are familiar with.

[@HawaiiOutdoorsmen]

Great vid! We were just out there chasing them, mostly committed to water. Had some smaller ones come in but that was it, hopefully we can get out again. Definitely will try more stalking, so much fun.

[@DialedinHunter]

So awesome! Sounds like you had a great time. Nothing like bowhunting coues deer!

[@smithcreekmill7977]

This video was extremely helpful. Could you please do a video like this discussing rutting Mule Deer?

[@kordellbaker3333]

Another Amazing Video! Sure look forward to every video you make

[@DialedinHunter]

Man, I really appreciate that Kordell. Thanks for the support!

[@HuntGatherChatters]

Love your video, lots of great tips! I just subscribed. We have a similar channel if you want to check it out, "Hunt and Gather with the Chatters". Thanks!

[@DialedinHunter]

Thanks! I'll give it a look!

[@christiantorres6118]

Great video as always. I had a successful Coues deer hunt killing a buck on 1/13 on a hunt that started 1/2. It was my first archery hunt ever. It was not easy but I got it done. I cant wait until next year.

[@DialedinHunter]

Thanks and congrats!

[@Borok85]

This is the video I needed bro. Thanks for it!

[@DialedinHunter]

You bet! Good luck!

[@TheWVgoodguy22]

Another informative video. I definitely need to and want to double my effective range before heading out there. I love whitetail being from the east, so a Coues hunt not long after my birthday on Dec 22nd mixed with a javelina tag 🏷️ and small game license 🪪 would be phenomenal. 🏹🦌

[@DialedinHunter]

Thanks dude. It's a fun hunt no doubt!

[@mpvasquez17]

Great video with lots of useful tips! One crucial mistake I've made (twice) was forgetting how Coues are notorious for jumping the string. I have learned a hard lesson to not stop a Coues that isn't aware of your presence with a "baah" or "hey" before you take a shot. That draws their attention to you and increases the likelihood they'll jump the string upon release of your arrow. Sure, you may aim lower and hope he ducks into your arrow just enough for your arrow to hit vitals. But personally, I'd rather wait until he stops on his own even if that means it ends up being a 5-10yd longer shot. Which further supports your recommendation to work on extending your effective range as best you can to give you the best possible opportunity for success!

[@DialedinHunter]

Couldn't agree more. I once had an aware coues completely get out of the way before my arrow got there. So, he jumped AND ran the string, haha. Good luck out there and thanks for watching. 👊🏼

[@timbow50]

I’ve hunted over 60 years whitetail and mule deer but never Coues. I had no idea of their rut period. Man that just adds more deer hunting time- sweet. Think about if a guy had a trust fund lol you could hunt from September on.

[@DialedinHunter]

Haha! That's the truth. Beautiful time to be out.

[@johnoltrogge6333]

Great info indeed! Love your videos and appreciate the effort you put into sharing with us NRs. Anticipating making my first Coues hunt this year and need all the advice I can get. Thanks.

[@DialedinHunter]

Good to hear John! Coues are fun. And thank you for all of that. Glad you like the videos as I sure love sharing them. Good luck!

[@gagebrock17]

Do the Coues use Scrapes like the Midwest Whitetail?

[@DialedinHunter]

You bet they do

[@BubbaBass]

Great info bro...

[@DialedinHunter]

👊🏼👊🏼

[@nickguerrero5184]

Bro the vortex spotters are terrible!

[@nickguerrero5184]

Have you tried the sig sauer zulu6’s?

[@DialedinHunter]

That has not been my experience

[@dad3562]

Would you ever hunt the Lower 30’s units south of Tucson?

[@DialedinHunter]

I don't personally, but know folks that do. Lots of deer down there.

[@dad3562]

@@DialedinHunter yeah I would like to, but I’m a solo hunter and worry about having issues.

[@DialedinHunter]

@@dad3562 I don't blame you at all.

[@matttezak2334]

Cool

[@DialedinHunter]

👊🏼👊🏼

[@dryhand620]

I'm not one to leave comments often, nor do I even get on the interwebs much. I was cruising around after a hunt today though, and happened upon this video. A couple of things..."Coues" is pronounced "Cows". Also, those who have exclusively "Western" hunted seem to have more of a problem with them. I've bowhunted a lot of places successfully for over three decades, and currently live in AZ. If you want to make bowhunting for these little guys less frustrating---put down the "glass"---which is WAY overused by you folks here in the Southwest. Like any whitetail---and indeed most cervids---Coues are habitual, and form those habits according to food, water, (to a lesser extent than other species--but they WILL stay near water if its readily available), and bedding areas. If you spend your time scouting paying attention---like any other species---you will find those habitual routes and feeding and bedding areas, and "ambush" hunting is far easier than what you seem to be doing. Learn what it looks like when they browse. (All whitetails "pull", rather than "chop" browse, so for example, young shoots and the like will be snipped diagonally, with trailing fibers at the upper end). Realize that where they poop is not far from where they're eating. Even in dry areas, they are SO habitual that obvious, narrow paths will be observed. Use good scent control---(spray, soap, Scent-Lok, etc, at a bare minimum)---and log wind and other conditions so that you can narrow down the window that you need to sit and wait in a particular spot. Once you have them close---I can tell you from long experience that while all whitetails have "motion"-based vision---in that as long as you blend into a backdrop, they do not see well unless you move---Coues vision is inferior to other whitetail species. They can hear well--but pick up on noises less well than other species---and respond most quickly to "sharp" sounds. Slow, soft sound when moving does not often alert them. Their nose also doesn't seem to be as great---perhaps owing to the lack of moisture in the Southwest generally. I just know that while fully scent-controlled, I've had Coues much closer than Northeastern Whitetail would ever get before catching a whiff of anything in the wind. I've always found it funny that folks here call them "grey ghosts"---which seems to be a result, as in your video---of people seeing them appear and disappear from afar, through the "glass". In the Adirondack mountains in NY, the Northeastern Whitetails are called "grey ghosts"---but this is because they are ACTUALLY hard to get near---make almost no noise despite being much bigger than Coues---and will slip out of sight at the first mistake a hunter makes---shimmying over, under and through holes in the brush and otherwise like a mouse through a crack. Most important, again---is PUT DOWN THE GLASS. It weakens your skills, and often, people who rely on it never learn to actually find and read sign correctly. To reiterate---Coues are habitual---and they are predictable---with enough slogging and work. It is not only possible to get clean 20-40 yard shots from an ambush position---it is preferable---and every Coues I have shot has been taken in this way. Actually, not originally being from the Southwest---I find Muleys more challenging---as they seem to tend to roam farther from a home range than a Coues--or any whitetail---will. Hope this helps---as you're just a few years in----and you can progress leaps and bounds beyond most of the confusingly underinformed hunters I encounter here---who won't even regularly run and exercise, and then wonder why their limited range of a few hundred yards from the nearest vehicle access doesn't produce----and those leaps and bounds will come from covering miles and reading sign--and ambushing. I am not a s*it-talker or a crazy person. If you use the brief summary above as a guide----you're going to find everything a lot easier and a lot more fun. Using those obnoxious spotting scopes and binocs is like having s#x with the lights off. Leave the lights on, and learn to get close, and you will never go back. Take care.

[@kee7678]

good info...going this weekend for first time ever in AZ

[@xxxsnowleoparxxx]

Couldn't disagree with your glassing point more. You sound awful to hunt with and come off so pretentious.

[@hooblabity9494]

Great info here. Thanks!