Mexico Coues Advice

[Country Bumpkin]

3 friends and I are booked with Jay Scott (Jan 15-20 or so, South of Douglas AZ).

I'm looking for folks to offer up suggestions for gear and best practices. Assume that we have all of the standard hunting gear covered, we've all been on backpack hunts and 3 of the 4 have been on adventure/out-of-state hunts.

We've never hunted Coues before, all are avid mule deer hunters. We can all glass, have good optics and are bringing tripods with seating pads or backpack chairs.

Logistically, I'm driving and pulling my trailer with 4-seat RZR. Right off the bat, the looming concern is diesel fuel at that point. Legally we cannot cross with containers full of fuel, we must buy at the border.

We are paying for "all the extras" that Jay offers (fixer at the border to assist with paperwork/entry, escort to ranch, cook for the week, cook to go buy groceries at our cost). We have read through Jays list of things to be aware of, the do's and don'ts about border crossing, etc.

We have shared a gear list to make sure we are all equipped, but considering that we will be hunting out of a ranch house, it's not imperative that we be ultralight, we just need to be comfortable for day hunts and carry a lot of water.

Advice I'm looking for, things like the following:
Things to bring- DOT fluid, small vice grips and tie wire in case a brake line breaks (done that before and got off the mountain).
Spare tires and Jack: tires for Truck, RZR and Trailer.
Misc stuff that I have in either truck or RZR: Air compressor, zip ties, duct tape, tie wire, tools, belts, fix-a-flat, plug kit, chain, tow straps, battery jumper, cables, extra fuel cans for truck and RZR, water wilder, a few Mtn House meals and jet boil in case we get stuck somewhere …

The list above is obviously not all-inclusive, just examples of the things I'm thinking about.

What are the things I'm missing?

Thanks everyone.

 

[LVJ76]

Fill up in Douglas before crossing the border to Agua Prieta. Gas and Diesel quality improved down in Mexico when some US gas companies opened shop down there. I've used Shell and others, except Pemex when I go down there and it has been alright, but avoid Pemex if you can.

And gas stations only take CASH, no cards. I was down there a couple of months ago and Gas was at $5.00/gl, and Diesel I'm guessing around $6.00 or $6.50.

You can exchange dollars for pesos when you cross the border, look for money exchange signs right before or right after you cross, they tend to be right at the border on both sides. Gas stations will screw you on the exchange rate, and that's if they even take dollars instead of pesos, some won't.

You will need to glass a lot, the last 2 years we've had a lot of rain and grass is high, in some areas above the waist, and coues aren't very tall. 2 weeks ago on our coues hunt, in some areas we could barely see their heads above the grass. I'm sure you know this but, look for things that don't belong and the slightest of movement. In January they should be easy to find as they are finishing the rut and are still hanging around with the does.

When towing a trailer I always have a portable winch just in case, I didn't see it on your list. I'm sure the ranch has good potable water so you'll be good there, but you can take extra water if you like. Shovel and axe, I never leave home without them

Hope this helps and good luck, there are some nice bucks down there.

Luis

 

[Country Bumpkin]

Thanks Luis, all very good advice, I appreciate it.

For the portable winch, is that to get a machine back onto a trailer if there's a total failure?

 

[LVJ76]

I don't have a winch installed in my truck, so I take a portable one just in case we get stuck or something. In some places where we hunt down here, the dirt is clay, and when it rains for a couple of days, the trucks ride like they are dancing on the roads, all over the place.

Usually there a at least two vehicles, but when it's only my truck, I have it with me just in case. 25ft cable and a 25ft chain, put them together and I'm out of any bad place.

As for a total failure of say a razor, yeah, it can help with that.

If you see an ok 8 pt buck, I would say hold off, there are some nice big 8 pt and 10pt in the northern part of Sonora, especially if you happen to be hunting in a ranch that doesn't get hunted much. Again, should be easy to see some bucks that time of year, especially big ones because they have the does still.

When we hunt down there, it's usually mid January, when the rut is at its end, and the big bucks are still hanging around the does, and in some cases two or 3 bucks at the same time. If you see does, most likely a buck is around.

 

[LVJ76]

Also, coues aren't as social as mulies. Mulies you'll see from 5 to 40 hanging around together, does, fawns and bucks together, rarely see just 1 or two. Before the rut you can even see 5 or 6 bucks together.

Coues is very common to see a doe by herself or with her fawn(s) and that's it. Bucks usually don't roam in groups.

But again, if the ranch isn't hunted much, that can be the opposite.

 

[Country Bumpkin]

Awesome. I have winch on my truck and on RZR, with extra chains and straps. I typically bring some concrete stakes to pound into ground to winch for the RZR, the truck is too heavy, need a tree or vehicle to winch to.

Good intel on the deer habits. I'm trying to assess what size deer I should be looking for. I hate the thought of spending money on a hunt and coming home with nothing, but I also want to hold out for something decent ( in case I never go this again).

 

[LVJ76]

This is around the size buck you'll easily encounter

 

[LVJ76]

This is what you want to hold off for

Especially this

 

[LTH181818]

3 friends and I are booked with Jay Scott (Jan 15-20 or so, South of Douglas AZ).

I'm looking for folks to offer up suggestions for gear and best practices. Assume that we have all of the standard hunting gear covered, we've all been on backpack hunts and 3 of the 4 have been on adventure/out-of-state hunts.

We've never hunted Coues before, all are avid mule deer hunters. We can all glass, have good optics and are bringing tripods with seating pads or backpack chairs.

Logistically, I'm driving and pulling my trailer with 4-seat RZR. Right off the bat, the looming concern is diesel fuel at that point. Legally we cannot cross with containers full of fuel, we must buy at the border.

We are paying for "all the extras" that Jay offers (fixer at the border to assist with paperwork/entry, escort to ranch, cook for the week, cook to go buy groceries at our cost). We have read through Jays list of things to be aware of, the do's and don'ts about border crossing, etc.

We have shared a gear list to make sure we are all equipped, but considering that we will be hunting out of a ranch house, it's not imperative that we be ultralight, we just need to be comfortable for day hunts and carry a lot of water.

Advice I'm looking for, things like the following:
Things to bring- DOT fluid, small vice grips and tie wire in case a brake line breaks (done that before and got off the mountain).
Spare tires and Jack: tires for Truck, RZR and Trailer.
Misc stuff that I have in either truck or RZR: Air compressor, zip ties, duct tape, tie wire, tools, belts, fix-a-flat, plug kit, chain, tow straps, battery jumper, cables, extra fuel cans for truck and RZR, water wilder, a few Mtn House meals and jet boil in case we get stuck somewhere …

The list above is obviously not all-inclusive, just examples of the things I'm thinking about.

What are the things I'm missing?

Thanks everyone.

PM you if you would like to call

 

[Country Bumpkin]

This is what you want to hold off for
View attachment 408015


Especially this
View attachment 408016

Wow, that's a GIANT!!! Drooling…

 

[JAYgs8163]

Bring bottled water. A small tire inflator compressor in each SxS, rough country eats tires. Be prepared to hike in rough country, comfortable boots, bring mole skin in case of blister's, there's a reason they call this "the poor man's sheep hunt". Good quality 2way radios. Trekking poles can be a help also, especially on a climb and descent from a buck up high. Dress in layers for sure. I just hunted down by Douglas last week, 29 degrees in the early AM and 60 degrees by 10am. Practice your long range shots. 500 yards is not uncommon. Set a goal, if looking for a trophy, 100" is the number many look to achieve. There are some cool bucks though under 100" that can be very unique and hard to pass. We just killed a 114 5/8" and also a real tall 92" buck that would be hard to pass up for a first time Coues. Most of all, have good time and be safe.

 

[LVJ76]

Bring bottled water. A small tire inflator compressor in each SxS, rough country eats tires. Be prepared to hike in rough country, comfortable boots, bring mole skin in case of blister's. Good quality 2way radios. Trekking pole can be a help also. Dress in layers for sure. I just hunted down by Douglas last week, 29 degrees in the early AM and 60 degrees by 10am. Practice your long range shots. 500 yards is not uncommon. Set a goal, if looking for a trophy, 100" is the number many look to achieve. There are some cool bucks though under 100" that can be very unique and hard to pass. We just killed a 114 5/8" and also a real tall 92" buck that would be hard to pass up for a first time Coues.

View attachment 408025

That is one nice buck Jay.

Temps do change, they normally increase anywhere from 30 to 40° in a few hours, and Jay's mention of the radios is right on.

 

[Schw15]

I'm from Colorado hunted my whole life and in 2020 we went to AZ for a coues deer hunt around Tucson. I was amazed at how small they were and the first day it was very hard to spot them specially in the terrain we were in. It was very thick and rough. By the 3rd day I was spotting a lot of deer by myself I would say totally different hunting than mule deer. Where we were we didn't walk and look you paid attention where you were walking because all the cactus and jumping cactus. It was one of the best times hunting though I ever had and an experience that is unmatched. Me and my dad went and we don't go on guided hunts but luckily we were fortunate to be able to afford it. We wanted to hunt then in Mexico so bad but haven't been able to do it with life and $$$$. Also i found coues deer to be some of the best meat. My buck from 2020 scored 103. Then there is pic of some bucks from the camp.

 

[Schw15]

12 miles from Mexico boarder. Also don't be fooled by the desert and how hot it's suppose to be I know others have talked about this but I thought I was tough since I was from Colorado. The morning we left it was 22 degree 6 inches of snow on ground and when we got to Tucson it was 96 lol time we got to where we were hunting the highs were 60 to higher 70s one day hit maybe 80 but nights were in the 30s and 40s and it was cold. The morning I killed my buck it was 23. The first morning I left my jacket in the pickup because it's the desert and I'm from Colorado well I had to run back to pickup to get my jacket.