5 Excellent Coues Deer Hunting Tips To Remember

For Western hunters, the two animals that take the limelight during the fall are elk and mule deer. It’s not even a debate. With that said, there is another big game animal that offers a fair amount of hunting opportunity in the southwestern deserts of the United States. The Coues deer may be small in size, but they are highly addictive.

I have been successfully hunting Coues deer in my home state of Arizona for right around a decade at this point. Here are 5 Coues deer hunting tips that have helped me be successful year after year.

A Solid Glassing System

In order to hunt Coues deer effectively, you first need to be able to find them. The most efficient way of finding Coues deer is, without a doubt, through the art of glassing.

Binoculars

A good glassing system starts with a good pair of binoculars. The most important feature of a binocular is that it gives you the ability to look through it for long periods of time without reaching for the headache medicine. A 10×42 has always been my go-to magnification for both freehand and tripod glassing. The 15×56, though, is a favorite among Coues deer hunters. Whatever you choose, just make sure to buy the best quality you can afford.

Tripod/Fluid Pan Head

I mentioned glassing from a tripod. This is non-negotiable with Coues deer hunting. You are going to spot so many more deer using a tripod; it’s not even a debate. Along with the tripod, make sure you’re using a fluid pan head. This combo is going to allow you to gently survey the landscape and spot movement much more easily. Once you do see a deer, lock your optic in place so you don’t lose them, because it’s easy to if you don’t.

Spotting Scope

With how small Coues deer are, I really like carrying a spotting scope with me. This will let me get a closer look at a buck to judge age/size, yes. Also, I said these deer are small. So, when they bed, they can be increasingly difficult to see in the tall grass or whatever brush they decide to lie down in. A spotting scope will help pick those more dense areas apart for deer. I like a 65 mm for this, but I’ve also had luck with a smaller 56 mm scope.

How to Use Those Optics for Coues Deer

A general rule of thumb when it comes to glassing for Coues deer is to put the sun at your back in the morning and the sun in your face in the evening. This translates to glassing sunny hillsides in the morning and shady hillsides in the evening. The logic behind this is that those sunny hillsides are where deer will be feeding, and they will retreat to shady areas to bed for the day, which is where you’ll see them get up in the evening.

Spotting Coues Deer

Grid searching with optics is king. This is a meticulous way to search the surrounding landscape for deer. It’s also a great way to efficiently look at everything in front of you. Vast country often leaves folks overwhelmed, and the result is glassing too fast. In order to mitigate this, I’ll break up the surrounding landscape into smaller sections and grid search each one of them. And in more dense sections, I’ll lock my optics in place and grid search just within that view.

Aside from a deer standing out in the open, you are looking for pieces of a deer. An ear, leg, antler, etc. Look for horizontal lines too (deer’s back). These are breaks in the natural flow of things. A dead giveaway for Coues is the white V that is made from the shape of their tail when it’s down.

While you’re doing this, be sure not to write spots off too quickly. There is likely deer in front of you that you are not seeing. I like to give areas at least an evening and a morning glassing session before checking a new area due to the crepuscular nature of deer.

They Are Patternable

Something important to note about Coues deer is that they are patternable. They have a small home range of only about 1 mile. Bucks will range out from that for the rut, but the does are still patternable during that time, and that’s where the bucks will be.

To know where a buck is going to be before he gets there is a massive advantage for a hunter. It offers the element of surprise, no matter what weapon you choose to hunt with. Be it in a ground blind or treestand with a bow, or from across a canyon with a rifle.

In both the early archery velvet seasons and the later rifle seasons, bucks are going to be on a fairly tight program. They’ll hit the same water sources, stick to the same trails, feed in the same areas, etc. So, if you see a buck one day but can’t quite get over there in time or lose sight of them in the brush, not to worry. You’ll see that buck again the next day, or even just later that same day. These are bucks you can set up on pretty easily.

As for the rut, focus on the does. They are on a program, and the bucks will just follow them around. Setting up in front of a moving group of does can lead to a shot opportunity. Positioning between two doe bedding areas can also do the same, as bucks will be on the move, scent checking for hot does.

Water is a Must

Unlike mule deer, I’ve noticed that Coues deer are much more attached to water sources. I don’t blame them, as a great deal of their habitat is in the desert after all. Paying attention to this is a must during pre-season scouting. If an area doesn’t have water in it, I won’t give it the time of day.

Look for stock tanks, springs, creeks, and even small pools of water in the bottoms of canyons. It doesn’t take a lot of water to hold Coues deer, but you do need it somewhere. When you do find it, don’t think you need to sit right over it either, unless you’re archery hunting, of course. Look for the travel routes that deer are using to get to the water. It could be a ridge, bench, canyon bottom, etc.

This all plays back into the fact that they are patternable. A water source gives you a defined point that they are traveling to and from.

Field Judging Coues Deer

I’m far from a trophy hunter, but it is nice to know when you’re looking at a big buck or not. Here are a few basic features to look for:

• Width. Antlers that come out to the tip of the ear and hook back in (ears are about 6 inches or so in length) 13″+ width is solid on a Coues.
• Mass. An antler as wide as the eye or more. Look for the mass to carry throughout the frame.
• Look for long G3’s. 4-5″ is solid. If there is a G4, all the better.
• 3″ eye guards or more.
• Roman nose, deep chest, and overall big body indicate an older deer.

Final Thoughts

I used to say I’d never hunt a Coues deer, especially with a bow. They were too difficult. Ever since I harvested my first one, though, it’s been Coues or bust for me here in Arizona. They may not have the big towering antlers of elk or mule deer, but Coues deer have captured the hearts of many hunters throughout the country, including this one. What they lack in size, they make up for in challenge, a rich experience, and exceptional table fare. All of which keeps me coming back for more, year after year.

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