The Secret to Bowhunting Coues Deer – Rutting Bucks

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Dec 23, 2023
Coues Buck that Josh Kirchner got with his bow spot and stalk in Arizona

Right now, I’m sitting under a blanket downstairs in front of a Christmas tree. It’s my favorite time of year. Not only do I cherish these times spent at home with family, but right after the fact, I’ll be heading into the field with my bow. Bowhunting coues deer during the month of January is like a second Christmas to me.

Backpack Hunting for Coues Deer – 7 Day Gear List

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Dec 19, 2023
Josh Kirchner from Dialed in Hunter Backpack Hunting for Coues Deer during the month of January in Arizona

It’s the end of December right now at the time of typing this. We’ve been soaking up the holiday season together in our home and enjoying every second of it with our 3 year old. I love the month of December dearly, but I also lust for January. It’s archery deer season in Arizona at that time. The bucks are rutting and it’s one of my favorite times of year backpack hunting for coues deer.

Given our unique environment, and an odd time of year, knowing what backcountry gear to bring along is a question that I get asked on a regular basis. So, I’m going to break down here what I am bringing along on a 7 day backpack hunt during the month of January for Coues deer in Arizona.

My Biggest Bowhunting Issues

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Nov 3, 2023
Josh Kirchner from Dialed in Hunter on a mule deer hunt in Colorado

I recently scratched down a post titled My Biggest Archery Issues, so it’s only natural to write another that reflects bowhunting specifically. Bowhunting is a never-ending journey for me and I don’t think I’ll ever master it. There is no shortage of ways to screw up an archery hunt, and I’ve been fortunate to be on more than a few of those receiving ends. Sometimes they make me feel downright helpless. The only way to improve in these areas, though, is to acknowledge them and act. So, down below I’m going to dive into a pool of reflection filled with My Biggest Bowhunting. At the end of this personal therapy session, I hope it drives you to tackle your own shortcomings and inevitably get better from doing so.

Accuracy Killers in Bowhunting – These 3 Things Helped Me Shooter Better

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Aug 12, 2023
Josh's 2022 archery mule deer

We’re sitting less than a month out from the 2023 Fall hunting season at the time of writing this. Along with my uncontrollable excitement, e-scouting, and focus on fitness, there is one other thing heavy on my mind. That thing is accuracy. To me, it doesn’t matter how fancy your bow is, it doesn’t matter how good the hunting spot is, and it doesn’t matter how in shape you are. If you aren’t accurate behind your bow, none of that other stuff matters.

Mule Deer in the Idaho Backcountry – *NEW FILM TEASER*

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Oct 26, 2022
Josh Kirchner with a Mule Deer buck he harvested on a backpack hunt in Idaho

This Fall has sure been an eventful one and I couldn’t be more grateful. I just returned from a wicked trip hunting mule deer in the Idaho backcountry. While the trip was rather short, it was a great hunt that ended with a great surprise(hint hint…). And the best part, all of it is on film.

“Lazy” Man’s Euro Mount

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Mar 7, 2022
Coues buck that Josh from Dialed in Hunter killed with his bow in Arizona

I’m a big fan of the euro mount, especially for deer/elk. They’ve got a rustic look and I just love the color contrast between skull and antler. Early on, I would go through the whole process of creating these on my own. Boil, pressure washer, boil, pressure washer, etc. I enjoyed the process, but man it always took me forever to finish. With the time crunch that is now my reality going through that process is something I haven’t been able to revisit. Well, not entirely at least. After getting a hot tip from a buddy, the lazy man’s euro mount sounded like it was a perfect alternative. Now, a few years later, I’m happy to say it was.

Coues Deer – Bowhunting the Rut in Arizona- 5 Tips to Help Fill Your Tag

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Dec 13, 2021
Coues Deer antler from a successful archery hunt in Arizona

We were young. For the entirety of our friendship, my buddy John and I have shared the wild hills and waters of Arizona together. In our early 20’s John was suddenly captivated by bowhunting and soon after I caught the bug as well. When we first started trying our hands at archery hunting during our OTC deer hunts here, we swore off hunting coues whitetail deer. They were too hard, too jumpy, and way out of our reach given our limited bowhunting skills. Fast forward to present day and I have become obsessed with them. From their cagey nature to their beautiful coats, unique antlers, and second to none tasting meat. Hunting coues deer with a bow and arrow is the ultimate test for a bowhunter. While they are arguably the hardest animal to spot and stalk with a bow in North America, they are not impossible. Here’s a few proven tidbits of info I’ve gathered bowhunting the gray ghost through the years.

TACTACAM 5.0 Hunting Camera: Gear Review

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Feb 21, 2020
TACTACAM 5.0 camera on Josh from Dialed in Hunter's bow

If you’re anything like me, you spent quite a bit of time as a youngster, and even an adult, consuming hunting media. Watching others embark on adventures around the world, doing something that we love is just downright inspiring. It pushes us to chase our dreams out in the mountains. As I got older, documenting such adventures became more and more appealing to me. Not so that I could be like the TV personalities I’d watched as a kid, but to simply have something to look back on. Something that I could share with my future kids and grand kids. “See? Your Dad used to do some pretty cool stuff.”

Carrying a DSLR or mirrorless camera around is hard work though. It just is. They are cumbersome and can be a distraction from the whole hunt, especially if you’re filming alone. GoPros revolutionized this and made it simple for us to strap a camera on our head or bow and go. All the while, we are capturing quality footage with just a push of a button. What if I told you that there was a camera specifically made for this? A GoPro made for hunting. Something made by folks who are like minded. The company is TACTACAM and their 5.0 camera is built for us hunters.

Fall Hunting Season: Episode 3 – Coues Deer

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Nov 18, 2019
Josh from Dialed in Hunter processing his Dad's 2019 Coues Deer taken in Arizona

Here is a continuation of the coues deer hunt I was on with my Dad and Brother. In the last episode you saw how my brother was fortunate enough to tag his first coues deer ever. What a special day that was. Kid has been working at that for years now and getting to see it all come together for him was pretty special to say the least. Now, that my brother is all tagged out, my Dad is up on deck. Each morning we were seeing bucks and big ones at that. Today was our last day, and as you’ll see in the video, we made the most of it. Just in time too. The weather was calling for 50 mph winds, and while we’d stick it out if we had to, it was a relief to wrap this up before that. Heavy winds are no bueno for coues deer, or any game for that matter.

Fall Hunting Season: A New Video Series

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Nov 6, 2019
Josh's brother Jake and their Dad with Jake's first deer on a hunt in Arizona

Hey, everyone! I hope all of your fall hunting seasons have been treating you well! It has been a busy one for me, but definitely have made some incredible memories along the way. The best part is, it’s not over yet! I just got back from helping my Dad and Brother on a rifle coues deer hunt a few weeks back and my Dad also has a late rifle bull tag. Definitely excited to help out on that. Before then, I’ll be joining a good buddy for a few days on a late archery bull hunt. After those are all said and done, it will be time for me to start scouting for our late archery deer seasons here in Arizona. Rutting bucks, bowhunting, and good times!