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.
People come from all over the country to try and pursue these beautiful little deer with their bows and escape the relentless bite of winter. As alluring as the gray ghost is, it’s no secret they are tough to get an arrow into. The animal is “on 11” at all times so sneaking up on them is no easy task.
For the better part of the past 10 years, I’ve had some pretty good luck doing so and learned a few things. Secrets if you will, and there is one in particular that has stuck out and proved itself time and time again.
I was dropping a bear off with my taxidermist. It’s always fun visiting this place and getting to see all of the mounts and successes from the year. Of course, he also had pictures of his own successes adorning the walls. I believe he said at the time that he had taken over 20 bucks spot and stalk with his bow. Being a newer bowhunter, and a rather unsuccessful one at the time, I asked him what his secret was. His exact words were “I just go right after them.”
In the past, I’ve always looked at bowhunting coues deer as a “walking on eggshells type of situation. And in many cases it is, but after our conversation, I started to believe that I was building this up too much in my mind. Making a mountain out of a molehill. I’d sit back and overanalyze a situation to what I now know was to a fault. So, I decided to take his advice the following season.
Up until this point in my bowhunting, I hadn’t even missed a deer yet. It’s something I actually longed for to tell you the truth. Imagining what it would feel like to be at full draw on a buck and let the arrow go. Wow. Just wow.
When I first started applying this somewhat aggressive style of spot and stalk hunting to my game, I was amazed. It didn’t take long for that first miss to occur and it was so glorious. Right after that, I missed another buck too. My dreams were coming true.
I didn’t arrow a buck that first year using this tactic. But, I did the second. My first buck with a bow was a mule deer and so was the second the following year. It wasn’t until the next year that I decided to apply the tactic to coues deer. The results were the same across the board and I’m grateful to say I’ve arrowed a coues buck every year since.
Alright, before you start just going and running after coues bucks with your bow, let me break this down for you. It isn’t a mindless run. It’s a thought-out one. The skinny is it’s the rut. Bucks are being aggressive, so you should too.
When I glass up a coues buck, whether he’s nosing does around or by himself, there are a few things I take note of bowhunting coues deer.
If you don’t have the wind, you’re going up a creek without a paddle. Always pay attention to the wind and not just where you are sitting at the moment. I’ll use my glass to look at what the vegetation is doing where the buck is. You can often see which way the wind is blowing there by doing this. The wind doesn’t have to be perfect, but at no point during the stalk can you cross the threshold of that wind blowing at the deer.
What the buck is doing is next up for me. If he’s rutting does, that means he’s going to be there for a while likely. He’ll be all over the place in that general vicinity, but as long as the does don’t leave, he won’t. This is a great opportunity to simply put yourself over there amidst the chaos. If he’s on a walk, however, the only approach is to try and cut him off, which isn’t always doable. That buck likely won’t stop walking until he finds the ladies. Bucks that go over ridges doing this are ones that I don’t waste my time on. And of course, if the buck is bedded, you should beat feet and get over there. He likely won’t be bedded long.
A Note on Does
A buck’s mind is like a pinball machine during the rut. He has no pattern in his movements. The does are on a pattern, though. You can use this to your advantage. Take note of the general direction that the does are moving and put yourself ahead of that. The buck will follow. If the does bed up and the buck leaves for a bit, still put yourself over there and wait. He’ll likely be back or another will roll in.
A good stalking route is gold when bowhunting coues deer. Generally, when looking at a buck you’ll see several different routes. A few of them will be a “I’ll probably be fine” and there is usually one that is “I’ll definitely be fine.” Go with the definite option. Never take a shortcut with a coues deer. They will crush you every time. Use everything you can on your route. Small draws, brush, the backside of ridges, steepness of a hill, etc. All of these will help with your approach.
I will never try and approach a deer from below. It’s always from above or from the side. When they are above you, they have the upper hand in view.
If you have not tried spotting and stalking coues deer with a bow during the rut, let me tell you saying the word “addictive” is an understatement. It can also be quite maddening, but I promise you if you apply what I’ve laid out, you’re gonna be on your way to success. I’m on my way over to enjoying a nice holiday season with my family. Happy holidays and happy coues’n.
Check out my book Becoming a Backpack Hunter: A Beginner’s Guide to Hunting the Backcountry
Copyright 2019 Dialed In Hunter
Design by NXNW.
