# Recently spent a little time south of the border.



## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

Roughly a week or so ago I went on a little Coues adventure in Sonora Mexico. What an exciting and eye opening experience. For those interested, he tapes 104 6/8








My apologies for not getting to this much sooner...

The story-

Day one- After flying into Yuma to meet my contact and a short stop at his place to grab his gear we were on the highway bound for Douglas Arizona where we would be spending the night in the Gadsen Hotel. After nearly six hours on the road we pull into the Gadsen . While checking in, the hot chick behind the desk gave me a brief low down on the COOL PLACE. It was built in 1907 and is where notable people such as John Dillinger stayed and the good ol boy Pancho Villa rode his horse down the marble staircase! There's even a chip in one of them that is purported to have been made by its hooves. CRAZY! Over the years a number of unexplainable occurrences have happened with many reports of strange noises, the televisions turning on and off by themselves, the sounds of foot steps of people walking by the rooms when there has been nobody around at the time, guests being touched by things that can only be described as something cool/cold feeling, and oh the third floor is strictly off limits, its haunted and the staff refuse to go up there. Room 333 is reported to be one of the most haunted areas of the place. With feelings of fuzzy little quaintness overwhelming me while contemplating if Wyatt and Doc would be joining me later after dinner, it was two shots of Jamison and I was off to bed as it was going to an early wake up call to get to the border as the sun was coming up.

Day two- After checking in and getting through all the paperwork and security that is the border, it was time to hit the highway heading south out of Douglas down into Sonora. The drive into the Mexico side of Douglas was sure an eye opener. HOLY LORDY- folks be grateful for what we have in the states, never take it for granted as it is truly the land of opportunity, that's all im going to say. After driving nearly three hours south on paved roads, it was time to hit the dirt. The journey from the pavement to the 40k acre ranch we would be hunting was incredible. Crossing a river multiple times, seeing horses, and just taking in all the different sights was a treat. After what seemed like a short drive which in actuality was another three hours, we pulled into the ranch living area. Now when I describe this place as homey, it was. Two good sized buildings, one for us hunters and one for the help/property owner, both with running water and multiple rooms for everyone to have their own room, which was nice, im a light sleeper and I had already pegged the snorers among us and had beat feet to the one room that was separated by a hallway, perfect! Did I mention heating the water in the hot water heaters consisted of building a small fire under the tank? Yep- it was awesome... im not even kidding. After getting settled in and meeting everyone, we had just enough time to go do some glassing across a large flat into some breaks to a big mesa above where the owner had been seeing two large bucks. When I say large, imagine a 122 and a 138 Coues deer (the owner has dead heads that I taped to these numbers, I didn't get pics but -OMG-!) After spending about fifteen minutes glassing, my buddy Ernesto spots a "good buck". It turns out to be a 105-110 class 3x3 with long hooking main beams and four inch eye guards. ****! im down and ready to dial in for the 686 yard shot when all three of my newly found friends tell me in all the sign language and mixed Spanglish I/we can muster to hold off "there's bigger in the area". REALLY!? For just a split second I contemplate telling them to pound sand and im going to give that dude a dirt nap, but no, I hold off trusting them. Just about then, my buddy Ernesto walks down from his perch where he spotted this brute as tells me the same thing, hold off -for now-. Later at dinner that evening it was decided that myself and "Tavo" the property owner would put glass on the same area we just had and if a "Grande" couldn't be located we would go for a hike.

Day three- Sleep had not came very easily but none the less I was the first of the hunters up, packed and ready. Breakfast down and done, it was time to hit the dirt. While driving up the road to the flat we spotted two small Coues bucks, two does, and some Javelina... Today was going to be a good day I told myself. Getting to our vantage point I could hear coyotes off in the distance towards the area we would be glassing. Signaling Tavo I asked him if he thought they will be a problem? Reading his body language and deciphering what he said, he was not pleased at all that they were there. PISSED would be a good description... After giving the area our best scrubbing through the glasses that we could for three hours and only turning up four lady Coues we decided to pack it up and make a hike into a different area about two miles out. _Oh hey, cholla cactus SUCK, just sayn... wait, so do Ocotillo... everything has stickers down there! even the **** rocks! lol _Ok, back to the hike... Moving slow through this thick prickly stuff we were bumping into deer but nothing worth getting bloody over but we did see some cool stuff. More Javelina, some teeny tiny Inca doves, and a whole slew of birds I don't know the names of ect... We set up at the end of the mesa to glass not finding much at first but after a little while deer started to pop up. (I swear 3/4 of them were rocks earlier tho!) glassing and glassing.. Finally a good buck pops out chasing the ladies! Snorting, grunt wheezing, posturing, chasing other smaller bucks off the whole bit! Although he wasn't the caliber of buck we had spotted the evening before (He was a mid 90's buck), it was awesome to see him do _his thing_. After they moved off, we spent another few hours scouring the area for signs of more deer but the sun was high and we knew they would be bedded for the next few hours, it was time to get back to the house and take a break. Getting into camp, it was discovered that one gentleman in our group had tagged out on a nice buck. Score wise he was in the high 80's low 90's a respectable Coues just about anywhere else but Sonora, it had me thinking just what had happened... After a sort nap, I was informed that a couple guys would be going for a short drive and was invited by Tavo to go explore the area that this smaller buck had came from while doing so. Sure, why not... bumping up the road I had a brief discussion with Harry (the hunter that had tagged that buck) where he informed me that his guide had told him to shoot that buck as it was a "Grande", it wasn't, Harry was pissed and was now hunting for what he knew he had spotted but he wasn't giving me any details. Dropping myself and Tavo off midway up to this area, I tipped my hat good luck to Harry and we were off to hike up to a small flat area CHOCK full Ocotillo to spot from. Separating from Tavo about fifty yards, I get myself settled in and set up to glass. Scanning with my eyes beforehand, water waaay down the canyon, high bluffs/breaks above it with prickly pear ALL OVER the tops, and three very small depressions in the middle, not quite what I would call ravines but low spots that have high yellow grass and more ocotillo, cholla and sparse trees creating enough shade from the afternoon sun to be "bucky" looking. Cool, ill work furthest to closest... Locking in to scan I literally set my glass right on what in my gut i know is a shooter "MASS" is what my brain is screaming but I have one tag and cant afford another so I HAVE to be sure this dude is the ONE. 452 yards out, he's bedded, facing left, 25% quartering away at a 20* up angle and not moving a muscle to give me a better look at that head gear. Ears are scanning slightly but not quite on alert. I decide to make a little move on him chancing blowing him out but he never flinched. Cutting the distance in half I decided I was go time. Prone with the bipod the grass was still in the way, moved left, still to high, moved right, crap still to high... think think think, Cholla for a rest HELL NO, tree, nothing bigger than a sapling...CRAP- AH! Stack the bipod on the back pack and shoot him sitting... set up- perfect... verify range... 240ish... chip shot right? Nope, while I was getting set for position, he had moved just a little to where I only had a two inch opening to lace a bullet into... deep breath... exhale..... BOOM! SH-WACK!! a solid hit, or so I had thought (WTH!) The buck pops up and hits the cover right below him, gone... CHIT!!... I can see all sides of every escape route he has so I wait... In the meantime i wave Tavo down to help me spot him. Scanning scanning-scanning, I catch a teeny bit of a flash that I think was an ear flick, I SLOW DOWN and S.C.A.N and dissect the area I though I noticed movement and find an eyeball, then an ear, then his left antler... GOT HIM... Tavo shows up just then and I put him on the glass, he cant see him... I tell him look for just one eye.. he scans and viola! his eyes light up, he's found him too! while he was doing that I was trying to jockey for a place to shoot again but the grass im in and the thick crap he's in I just couldn't get a lane to poke a bullet through for fear of hitting something errant. Crap- now what? Take the shot off Tavo's shoulder? No, if I miss he'll blame himself (did I mention he's a cool dude yet? ya well, he's without a doubt one of the best people ive ever met. Truly genuine.) Ok so its off my spotter tripod or I make a play on him and shoot him like a jack rabbit... Tripod it is... scanning the brush, moving right and left a time or two I spot a little lane into the last little bit of his ribcage, a tad high but that's ok... a spine hit would at least ensure he's anchored cleanly. Thoughts again at the time were "where the heck did that first shot hit"? Ok, settle down, quick breath, half out, squeeze -BOOM- SCHWACK! -again- this time tho he takes a death roll that only d.e.a.d critters take, I knew he was down for the count. FINALLY! A Coues buck, and a darn good un at that. High fives were exchanged, Tavo instructs me to stay and watch just in case while he heads over to locate him. A short time later I hear the HAA! WOOHOO! and see the big grin on his face through my bino's. Big Coues down, CONFIRMED! ill never forget the feeling I had while walking up to this magnificent little deer, such a sigh, so SMALL! Tavo had signaled me that he hadn't touched him yet, as that was my honor alone as the one that killed him... Not such a big deal when im hunting alone but a very a humbling feeling when its presented to you by someone whom obviously values these deer as much as I do. As I did this I could see just where that first shot had impacted, one rear ankle and one front ankle were shattered, I was pissed at my ineptness to making that shot but he didn't make it off to die somewhere so... We spent the next few minutes of daylight taking a few picture's, capeing and cleaning. A short pack later and we were back to the vehicle where I discover this deer was the one that Harry and his guide thought they were shooting at... More handshakes and pats on the back .

Day four-

To be continued...


----------



## one4fishing (Jul 2, 2015)

Awesome man. Thanks for the pics.


----------



## goofy elk (Dec 16, 2007)

Very nice!
Congrats, good buck.


----------



## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

What the...?

Sorry about the neck kink everybody, I hadn't realized most of those pics were sideways before I posted. :-?


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Sideways or even with a kinked neck that is one nice coues.

We need a little bit of the story.


----------



## weaversamuel76 (Feb 16, 2017)

Amazing buck and looks like the weather great too must have been a heck of a trip!

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk


----------



## BGD (Mar 23, 2018)

Awesome buck. Thanks for sharing!


----------



## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

Awesome buck !


----------



## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

Nice work Longgun! Sounds like you had a great time. 

How did you get him back over the wall?  With all that Greek in you, you look like a Mexican. Good thing your coyote got you back to the states.

(Longgun's going to whoop me the next time he sees me.  )


----------



## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

That's an incredible Coues!


----------



## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

longbow said:


> Nice work Longgun! Sounds like you had a great time.
> 
> How did you get him back over the wall?  With all that Greek in you, you look like a Mexican. Good thing your coyote got you back to the states.
> 
> (Longgun's going to whoop me the next time he sees me.  )


 LOL! Thank god I didnt lose my ID.


----------



## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

Critter said:


> Sideways or even with a kinked neck that is one nice coues.
> 
> We need a little bit of the story.


After reviewing the photos I had been sent of quite a few really nice bucks, I told myself I was going to hold out for something heavy and a little character if I could. I didn't think it would show up on the evening of the first full day we hunted :shock:

... ill try and get to the write up today sometime.


----------



## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

Looks like an awesome adventure - thanks for sharing!


----------



## Roboz (May 30, 2018)

Great buck, someday i would love to do that hunt!


----------



## pollo70 (Aug 15, 2016)

Nice Coues..


----------



## 300 Wby (Aug 14, 2008)

Great buck! Congrats!


----------



## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

Really nice buck. MASS!---SS


----------

