The Alaska Hunter – Winter 2008 - Safari Club International

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In the Pursuit of Coues Deer by Paul D. Atkins “How far did you say?” I asked as I looked through the scope. “415 yards. Do you see him yet?” Garrett asked. “Yeah, I see him. He looks like a small brown rabbit in my scope.” This was the third day of my long anticipated Coues deer hunt in southern Arizona. For seven years my long time hunting partner Garrett Ham had been putting in my application for this elusive deer. Seven years is a long time to wait, but I knew it would be worth it and an adventure to remember. Garrett is no stranger to hunting Coues deer. He grew up chasing these elusive deer in the mountains south of Tucson. Though he has taken many deer his best one came in 2006 when he connected on a 105 inch monster. Garrett’s knowledge of the area and knowing where to find big bucks would be a big plus on this hunt, but more importantly I would be hunting with my good friend in some awesome country. I also knew whether we got a deer or not we would have good time. I arrived in Phoenix at midnight after a long flight from Alaska. Garrett picked me up at the airport and we headed to his home in Tucson. The following day found us in the Santa Rita Mountains south of Tucson. The weather, to my surprise was cold for Arizona. I had just come from a frigid 20 below to a balmy 28 degrees, but I was cold; we knew it was perfect for hunting whitetails. I packed warm clothes, but began to think that I should have packed my arctic gear. We climbed to a high spot located on one of the many hills to glass. The area was quite different than the tundra that I’m used to. Loose rock lined the canyon walls covered with every kind of cactus imaginable. The landscape was beautiful and it gave a certain thrill to the hunt that always occurs when hunting in new country. Sometimes the challenge of finding game in a new area that you have never hunted before is just as important as getting the animal you are after. I was glad to be there with my good friend doing what we love to do. Glassing is a big part of any hunt, but even more so when you are looking for these small deer. The low lying mesquite trees, rock outcroppings and small ravines can swallow up a deer, so you better make sure you have the optics to get the job done. I brought along my 15x56 Swarovski’s plus a spotting scope to do the job. They worked great once I found what I was looking for. Man these deer are hard to see! That afternoon we saw thirty-one deer, mostly does, but two were small bucks. It was a good day. The second day we headed further south where Garrett had had a lot of luck in previous years. The temperature was even cooler than the previous morning. 22 degrees with strong winds made it cold! T h e A l A s k A n h u n T e r w w w . a k s a f a r i c l u b . o r g In the dark Garrett and I climbed to the top of a hill. The rocks and brush we were poking through looked like snake heaven. I was just happy it was cold and there were no snakes. After an hour I spotted deer. Late December is prime time for hunting Coues deer as the rut is just starting to kick in. The bucks are chasing does and the deer we spotted this morning were doing just that. Even though it was cold I didn’t start shaking until I saw deer. I don’t know why, but it always seems that you start shaking once you see deer. Good reason too as one of the deer was a real monster. Garrett guessed him at about 100 inches and we knew this was the buck we wanted. He was a half mile off and in a very bad spot for a stalk, but we knew that a chance at a buck like this was rare-we made a plan. He was located on the side of a mountain and our best chance was to go down and then try to work our way back up to him. Half way through the stalk Garrett stopped and gave me one of those “it’s over looks”. There in the creek bed were tracks. Not deer tracks, but human footprints. We looked ahead and 100 yards in front of us were two guys glassing the same buck we were after. End of game. They had beaten us to him. This area was public land and anybody with a tag can hunt it-part of hunting. The rest of the day was not as fruitful. We saw few deer and at dark we headed back to the truck. The third day we recruited another set of eyes. Tom Oldham, an avid deer hunter and resident of southern Arizona, came to help us. Tom has a great eye and can really pick apart the terrain and find deer. We arrived at our destination before daylight and as soon as we could see we began to glass. The country was picturesque. The Cholla and Ocotillo cactus covered the mountain side and finding deer was tough. We had been glassing about an hour when I heard Tom whistle; he had spotted deer. Garrett and I moved to his location and, after some time, finally found the deer he was looking at. Three does working the hillside but no bucks. We continued glassing and in no time Tom found another deer. This time it was a buck silhouetted on a ridge. He was nice but nothing compared to the monster we had seen the day before. I had five days to hunt and this was day three. I had told myself that I wasn’t going to be picky and I wanted a buck. Being able to find a deer and get a shot was most of what I was after anyway. An opportunity passed up is an opportunity wasted particularly when you have just a few days to hunt these remarkable deer. We made a plan just as the buck disappeared over the ridge. We went back to the truck and drove up to the next canyon. Hopefully the buck would be on the other side and we could get a better, or should I say, closer look at him. Sure enough he was there, but he also had three does with him. He was 700 yards straight up and I knew I would have to
get a lot closer. Long range shooting has never been a strong point for me. Most of the shots I have made seldom reach beyond 200 yards, so shooting at 300-400 yards made me quite nervous. I did however practice the long shot back home and knew the ballistics of my rifle, something I cannot emphasize enough. Without this knowledge I would never have been able to do this. Garrett and I decided to climb while Tom stayed below to keep watch on the buck. We knew we would have to close the distance by climbing an adjacent ridge and shooting across the canyon. We began our climb. Coues deer have huge ears and can hear just about anything including hunters traipsing through loose rock and brush. We made 300 yards when Garrett spotted a big rock under a small oak tree, a perfect bench for shooting. When we reached the rock the deer had discovered us, but he didn’t seem too worried about us, not yet anyway. I used my pack for a rest and settled in for the shot. Garrett used his spotting scope to watch the buck and also watch where the shot hit. The rangefinder said 415 yards, so I knew that I would have to aim high. The deer looked like a spot in my scope. He was facing us, but finally turned broadside and gave me his vitals. Nervously I squeezed the trigger and the shot echoed through the canyon. What a cool sound! Anyway the deer bolted and moved towards the top of the ridge. Garrett said, “I think you hit him and I see blood.” The second shot found it’s mark and the buck stumbled, but wasn’t down. The third shot we were not sure of, but the buck started to tumble and roll down the ridge where he caught on a small mesquite tree. I had my buck. I cannot describe the feeling of taking this deer after a fine stalk and the success of a long shot. It’s truly what I love about hunting. Everybody should have this experience. A half hour later we made it to my deer. When glassing from a distance everything looks flat and smooth, but up on the side of this mountain it was anything but. Steep and rough is an understatement. My buck was a small 3x3 with eye guards. Not the monster of my dreams, but a very respectable Coues deer. After pictures and getting him packed we were back at the truck an hour later. What a hunt. It was one of those hunts that you wished would never end. I would like to thank my good friend Garrett Ham and Tom for their expertise in hunting these truly awesome animals. Paul Atkins is an outdoor writer and photographer from Kotzebue, Alaska. Paul’s equipment list Winchester Model 70 in 300 mag. Leupold scope Swarovski 15x56 and spotting scope Leica Rangefinder Crooked Horn Backpack Manfrotto Tripod Paul’s buck. Tom , garrett and Paul garret’s buck. w w w . a k s a f a r i c l u b . o r g T h e A l A s k A n h u n T e r
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The Alaska Hunter – Winter 2008 - Safari Club International

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