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Arizona Coues deer 101 5/8 inchesArizona Coues Deer Guides and Outfitters

Coues Deer Hunts

About the Coues Whitetail Deer

The Coues Deer is considered one of the most prized and most challenging deer species for North American trophy hunters.  This petite deer is the smallest huntable sub-species of the whitetailed deer and weighs between 70 - 100 lbs. dressed.  Mature bucks normally have 8 total points on the rack.   The Coues Whitetail is classified under a separate category in all record books because of it’s small, tight rack.  Even the former world record Coues deer (145 B&C) would not make it into the Boone and Crockett book if  scored and categorized under the Eastern whitetail standards.  That is the reason for the separate category for this unique deer species.  Hunters that have taken all the species in the "deer slam" usually consider the coues deer one of most rewarding and beautiful trophies. 

  Arizona Coues deer hunting outfitters and guides About Our Coues Deer Hunts

Our Coues hunts are conducted in southeastern Arizona on State Trust Land or the Coronado National Forest.  These areas are in remote, rugged desert mountains and can be physically demanding at times.  A typical day requires hiking an uphill mile or two to the hunting area and not returning to camp until the sun goes down.  The hunting technique involves sitting at a good vantage point and spending hours glassing through high-powered binoculars mounted on a tripod.  Our guides use mainly 15X binoculars to piece through the steep canyons where the big Coues bucks hang-out.  We typically see 20 to 60 coues deer per day with anywhere from 4 to10 of them being bucks.  The Coues bucks may be spotted up to a mile away.  Once a trophy Coues buck is located, the spot and stalk method is used to get within shooting range.   Although rifle shots average 250 yards, shooting at ranges over 300 yards across a canyon could be encountered.  Archery ranges are usually 30-60 yards since it is open terrain.  Because of the topography, high-powered riflescopes and flat shooting weapons with a bipod are a must.  Recommended rifle calibers are the .257 Magnums to .300 Magnums in order to bust through the high winds encountered in canyon country.  Smaller calibers, like .243 or 25-06, can be used since these are small deer, but the risk of wind drift on the bullet is much greater.  The 3 rifle seasons are late October, late November and late December.  Archery seasons are mid December through the end of January.   

If you are a bowhunter, this is the ultimate deer challenge!  Our Coues deer bowhunting takes place during the rut in late December through January.  There are no trees in true Coues deer country, which leaves out treestand hunting as a technique.  Our guides use glassing methods to locate a good buck.  Once a good Coues buck is located, we often wait until it beds down.  It is then carefully stalked to within a comfortable distance.  Carefully stalking involves staying out of sight, wearing "sneaky feet" stalking slippers, and keeping the wind in your favor.  Once in position, the hunter waits patiently for the buck to stand up.  Rattling and/or grunting will sometimes bring a rutting buck closer to the hunter for an opportunity to release an arrow.  Since archery shots tend to be in the 30-60 yard range, it is recommended that you use quick bows and light arrows.  The further you can shoot a bow accurately, the higher your chances for success.  Our guided Coues bowhunters see many bucks on this hunt, therefore opportunity to stalk a deer with your bow is 100%.  Ninety percent of our archery coues hunters fling arrows at bucks.  Getting an archery shot though, depends upon the ability of the hunter to use good stalking techniques.  Archery hunts are 4 days and can be combined with javelina in January.  

Our success rate on one-on-one rifle hunts exceeds 90% and many hunters have taken 90 inch or larger bucks.  Opportunities (taking shots) are 100% for one on one rifle hunts.  Archery opportunities are very high.  

Accommodations for our fully-guided/outfitted deer hunts are usually in deluxe tents with heat during the colder months.  The size of our tents are spacious; either 16x28, 14x16, 10x18, or 12x12, depending upon the number of hunters in camp. Hunters sleep on cots.  Arrival to and from camp is done in 4x4 trucks and s.u.v.'s.  For those that own a camping trailer/pop-up and would like to bring it to camp to sleep in are more than welcome to do so, but we cannot discount the hunt any.  Hunting for Coues deer is done mostly on foot since it is usually not feasible to use horses or pack animals.  This is a fairly physically demanding hunt, therefore hunters should be in good shape.         

   Licenses and Seasons

Archery deer tags are over the counter.  Rifle coues whitetail tags are by draw with the application period in May through June.  The drawing odds are very high and it is usually not a problem obtaining an October or November rifle tag.  December "Rut" tags may take several years to draw.  The rifle season drawing deadline is June 12th.  Tag fee (NR):  $232.75 and hunting license fee:  $151.25.  Applications are accepted by mail only.    

Our Rifle Coues whitetail deer season is (tentatively):  Oct. 24-27, Nov. 28-Dec. 1, and Dec. 12-31, 2008.  

The Archery Coues season (no drawing) is: Dec. 20-31, 2008 and Jan. 1-31, 2009.  

Hunters interested in booking a hunt should contact us as soon as possible because spaces are limited.  We rarely exceed more than 6 hunters per timeframe to keep it a quality hunt.

Read our coues deer articles for more feel of our hunts.   

$ 2008 RATES $ 

 Trophy Coues Deer Hunts:

 Coues Deer Package # Days RATE
Coues Deer: Fully-Guided (1 on 1) 4* $2,500.00/person
Coues Deer: Fully-Guided (2 on 1) 4* $2,000.00/person
Archery deer/javelina combo (1 on 1)  4 $2,000.00/person

Description of Coues Hunting Packages:

Fully-Guided Coues Hunts:  Includes accommodations (tent camps), meals, airport transfer from Tucson, camp transportation, a guide, and many extras.  Choose from 1 on 1 or 2 on 1 packages.  1 on 1 means one hunter per guide and 2 on 1 means two hunters per guide.  If choosing 2 on 1, you must bring the other hunter to share the guide with.

 Archery Coues Deer/Javelina Combo:  This hunt allows archery hunters to have an added bonus of hunting javelina while hunting Coues deer.  The javelina tag is by draw in September and is optional with the archery deer hunt.  Includes accommodations (tent camps), meals, airport transfer from Tucson, camp transportation, a guide, and many extras.  Each hunter has one guide and hunts 4 days.  Additional days at $400/day.

*  Hunters arrive in camp the day prior.  The hunt is typically Friday morning through Monday with hunters arriving on Thursday.  

Additional Information

Booking Info: The first step for a rifle hunt is to reserve your spot.  Once you sign and return a "hunt contract" with a $500 nonrefundable deposit, you will be booked and locked-in to the current rate.  The next step is applying for rifle tags and licenses.  Odds for drawing October and November rifle tags are high. If for some reason you do not draw, your deposit will be transferred to the next year or until you draw and you will be locked-in to the previous year's rate.  Another payment equaling 50% of the hunt cost is required after rifle tags are drawn.  All monies paid are nonrefundable.  We recommend cancellation insurance for all of our guests.  Visit our general info page for more details.

Since archery deer tags are over the counter, a minimum 50% non-refundable deposit is due upon signing for an archery hunt.

Licenses and tags are not included in our price, nor is the possible hotel fee before/after the hunt.

For those that own a camping trailer/pop-up and would like to bring it to camp to sleep in are more than welcome to do so, but we cannot discount the hunt any.  It must be small and high enough to be pulled on rough dirt roads.

We accommodate up to 6 hunters per camp.

If a hunter has not tagged by the scheduled end of hunt, there is an option of paying at a daily rate thereafter.  

Non-Hunter Fee: Invite your partner as a non-hunter while on your guided hunt for a fee of $500.00.

 

Be sure you visit our general info page.

Some Latest Coues Deer Photos

Tom Quesnel with a wide-racked Coues whitetail buck.  Tom took this beautiful deer at 219 yards during the December rutting season.

 

Matt Payeur from Colorado with a nice tall racked coues buck

Matt Payeur from Colorado with a nice tall-racked Arizona coues deer buck.

 

AGH Guide Eliot Anderson with a great bow kill coues buck.

Arizona Guided Hunts' guide Eliot Anderson with a great coues buck he shot with a bow.  Eliot did it spot and stalk style and shot him at 39 yards!

 

Arizona Coues Whitetail

Dave Thomson has a very bad knee and a big metal brace, but he was able to hobble into some Coues country and take this old buck. We found the buck within the first 15 minutes of the hunt.  The one-shot kill was 341 yards as the deer lay in his bed!

 

Arizona Coues Deer 2005

Mike Leonardi from South Carolina and Arizona Outfitter Pat Feldt with a good Coues buck.  This buck's antlers carry good mass and tine length.  Mike passed on 11 bucks the first day before deciding to shoot this one.

 

Bob Quesnel with a very wide-racked Coues Buck.  Bob used the outfitter's 300 Ultra Mag topped with a 20X Leupold to take this coues buck at 335 yards with one shot.  It only broke one tine after diving off a 15 foot ledge. 

 

***More Coues Photos***

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This website last updated: April 30, 2008

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