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Coues Deer - Mexico #27917
02/19/2018 05:57 PM
02/19/2018 05:57 PM
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I'll share a few pictures from my January Mexico trip. This was an archery hunt for Coues Deer. I didn't manage to kill one, but did capture a few pictures.

The hunting was mostly from ground blinds over water holes or ponds.

In this area (Sonora), they get zero rain in the winter and the terrain is extremely dry. The deer have to go to water every day.

I had anywhere from 25-90 deer come in every day. Most of them were does.

[Linked Image]


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Re: Coues Deer - Mexico #27918
02/19/2018 06:01 PM
02/19/2018 06:01 PM
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The blinds were not really blinds, rather just sitting under a trimmed-out mesquite tree like this one. In this spot it was about 25 yards across to the edge of the water.

I wore a face mask and full camo, and as long as I made no movements at all, the deer couldn't pick me out against the brushy background.

[Linked Image]


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Re: Coues Deer - Mexico #27919
02/19/2018 06:03 PM
02/19/2018 06:03 PM
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Desert Coues deer are a whitetail species, just a lot smaller than our eastern whitetails.

This buck came right in to get a drink. He needed a couple more years to become a shooter.

[Linked Image]


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Re: Coues Deer - Mexico #27920
02/19/2018 06:05 PM
02/19/2018 06:05 PM
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Birds of all kinds were attracted to the water, and would come and go all day long.

This one is a Vermilion Flycatcher.

[Linked Image]


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Re: Coues Deer - Mexico #27921
02/19/2018 06:08 PM
02/19/2018 06:08 PM
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One of the favored foods for the deer is Cholla cactus. And a lot of them had pieces of the cactus stuck to their face. Doesn't seem to bother them, they just go about their business like nothing is wrong.

I got a piece of it stuck to my boot, and needed a pair of pliers to pull out the spines.

[Linked Image]


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Re: Coues Deer - Mexico #27922
02/19/2018 06:11 PM
02/19/2018 06:11 PM
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There were also Javelinas in the area. You could always hear them coming in because they constantly grunt and vocalize.

[Linked Image]


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Re: Coues Deer - Mexico #27923
02/19/2018 06:14 PM
02/19/2018 06:14 PM
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These two bucks came in to water but at about 90 yards down shore.

They were both good shooter bucks that would score well above the P&Y minimum, but much too far to shoot.

The deer would come down to water, spend no more than 1-2 minutes, then depart quickly right back the way they came in.

[Linked Image]


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Re: Coues Deer - Mexico #27924
02/19/2018 06:15 PM
02/19/2018 06:15 PM
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These are a species of quail known as Elegant Quail. They were very plentiful in the area.

[Linked Image]


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Re: Coues Deer - Mexico #27925
02/19/2018 06:20 PM
02/19/2018 06:20 PM
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This hunt took place on an 11,000 acre cattle ranch. They have the ponds fenced off to keep the cattle out, but this solo Charolais model had been trapped inside the fence and came in to water every day.

[Linked Image]


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Re: Coues Deer - Mexico #27926
02/19/2018 06:22 PM
02/19/2018 06:22 PM
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The mesquite trees were "alive" with hummingbirds most of the day. Something in those trees must be their food source.

[Linked Image]


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Re: Coues Deer - Mexico #27927
02/19/2018 06:25 PM
02/19/2018 06:25 PM
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This nice buck came in to water about 115 yards away on the far end of the pond.

I'd set up a blind on that end of the pond also. But the winds were sketchy and changed direction throughout the day. I'd sometimes have to move 2 or 3 times a day to other spots on the water hole to take advantage of the wind.

[Linked Image]


Even had a badger come in across the pond one morning to get a drink.

[Linked Image]


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Re: Coues Deer - Mexico #27928
02/19/2018 06:27 PM
02/19/2018 06:27 PM
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I didn't score on a Coues buck on this trip. But did manage to take a nice Javelina boar.

[Linked Image]


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Re: Coues Deer - Mexico #27929
02/19/2018 06:39 PM
02/19/2018 06:39 PM
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I never saw a single cloud in 5 days of hunting. Temperatures ranged from the 40's in the mornings to upper 70's in the afternoon. There were virtually no bugs. It was a real nice way to escape the Indiana winter. I enjoyed it so much that I've already arranged to go back again next year!

[Linked Image]


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Re: Coues Deer - Mexico #27930
02/21/2018 03:25 AM
02/21/2018 03:25 AM
Joined: Sep 2006
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PlainField, IN
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Great pics....thanks for sharing


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Re: Coues Deer - Mexico #27931
02/21/2018 04:12 PM
02/21/2018 04:12 PM
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,057
Southern Indiana
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Looks like fun!

Congrats on your trip.

Re: Coues Deer - Mexico #27932
02/25/2018 05:27 AM
02/25/2018 05:27 AM
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Camby
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Congrats. Nicely done with the pics and short narrative. I always look forward to viewing your trips. Thanks for sharing them.


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Re: Coues Deer - Mexico #27933
03/28/2018 01:55 PM
03/28/2018 01:55 PM
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Martinsville Indiana
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Very Cool! Thanks for sharing


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