Coues Whitetail, Scout
Scout Early for Coues Success!
Coues Whitetail: Scouting – I have to admit, I am not much of a turkey hunter, which bodes well for my Coues whitetail addiction. Once the snow has melted in the high country, I can be found looking for shed antlers and hanging trail-cameras, hoping to find a giant Coues buck. My situation is unique: I live in high country Coues habitat, above 7,000 feet, and my pursuit is geared to the early archery hunt in August-September. However, the same practices apply to Coues whitetail throughout their range. In fact, in the desert, scouting can be a 365-day tool, where access to the “woods” is not hampered by snow and closed forests. Here are three good reasons to get out and scout as early as possible.
- Buck Inventory: The Coues whitetail buck is a unique animal, and unlike whitetail deer in the Mid-west, they don’t lose their antlers until late spring or even early summer. Any scouting you do during this time of year will let you know which bucks made it through the past deer season, and should be around come fall (unless eaten by a mountain lion). I prefer to use trail-cameras as a tool for scouting, which allow you to scout 24/7. That being said, you can’t depend on trail-cameras as your only source for scouting; get out and take a look around when you don’t have to worry as much about pressuring deer.
- Antlers: Finding shed antlers is always fun! You never know what you may find; it may be a huge Coues whitetail antler, and you may “accidently” discover a new buck or location to hunt. Even if you don’t find an antler, you can’t beat the exercise that antler hunting provides.
- Beats Work: Any day spent in the “woods” beats a day at work or doing chores around the house.
To see three weeks of trail-camera activity on our Western Whitetail YouTube channel visit, http://youtu.be/PS777n2ReWw.