Coues Hunting in Arizona Unit 35A update

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Lennyjoe

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So no luck yet on downing a Coues Whitetail in this unit but I did have an interesting experience this morning.

While sitting on a ridge, glassing the side of the mountains about 2 miles north of the border, I had a scout walk up on me. He was in Army ABU's, had some type of satchel on his side and a big pair of binoculars. No guns of any sort so I knew right away he was a scout. For those that aren't accustomed to border goings on, scouts are sent out by the smugglers to identify a clear path and to keep an eye on the Border Patrol.

He got to about 10 yards from me before I exposed myself and he just about crapped his pants when I stepped out. I told him to move to his left and go that way because I was hunting this area. He moved over to he end of the rock formation and acted like he was glassing the ridge with me. About 10 minutes later he walked down the ridge to the road. Headed east a bit and then down south towards the border.

I headed to my truck about 10 am as I had to get to work and just down the road was 2 border patrol trucks. I stopped and told them what happened and they were standing where the scout left the road and headed south.

They were pretty casual about it and didn't seem to excited about going after him. I told them my story and headed out.

Back at it Thursday after this wind and front passes through.

On a sad note, I decided to stay home Sunday and spend some time with my girlfriend and do "honey do's". Yea, not a good choice as the place I am hunting, 2 bucks were taken out of tht area............:(
 
Crazy stuff, that's all I don't miss about hunting down south is having to worry about illegal aliens. I hunted 36B and never really had a problem although the illegal alien sign suggested there was no shortage of them. I had border patrol in my cell phone in case I ever saw one. I had agents stop me a time or two to ask questions. One time I asked them of any particular areas to avoid and the response was "everywhere."

I disagree though, this is my country and I'll hunt where I please. The incidence of hunters being injured by illegals is extremely low but stay safe out there man, and good luck. I want to see some dead buck pics.
 
Oh yea, I'll stay safe alright. Had my hand on my FN40 (still in the holster) when he noticed me. He was unarmed and my rifle was slightly out of reach. I've never really felt threatened when I've run into them in the past, but never want to keep my guard down either.

Will do my best on the pics. Have til Sunday to down a deer.
 
Good luck with the hunt. Post pics if you get something. I hunted 36B for two years, and I never saw any illegals. You know they were there though because border patrol trucks were everywhere along Ruby Road. I never went anywhere down there without a sidearm (I think Brian Terry was killed in 36B). I can't imaging the border patrol agents would get excited about hearing about illegal aliens...finding them is probably like shooting fish in a barrel down there.
 
20+ years ago I used to hunt that area - mostly 35A and 30B. I lived in Vail at the time.

In the late 1980's you didn't see any illegals - smugglers or otherwise. We would camp out and hunt from sunrise without being bothered by anybody.

I drove through the area about 15 years ago and was surprized how they were literally everywhere. Driving down 191 south of McNeal you would see a group every 1/4 mile to 1/2 mile. Are they still that thick along the roads?

I hope you do well on your hunt. I wish I could join you just for the memories.
 
I think Brian Terry was killed in 36B

If the info I got was correct from my hunting buddy (border patrol), it was in 36B in an area I scouted but never hunted. My buddy killed a buck or two in there.
 
I hunted 36B in 2006 and took a mulie out of there. Did a lot of bird hunting in that area from 2000-2007 and just about every time we ran into a group or a single looking for help. Called BP on multiple occasions and always had a GPS to mark/report locations and activity.

Very active area then, and still is. From Nogales to Yuma, that whole area is pretty active still.

This was my first time hunting in 35A and figured at some time I'd run into a group or two. First time I actually ran into a scout though. Most of the time the scouts are supporting the drug mules and not the illegals coming North. Knowing that, my defenses were high when I spotted him.
 
My job often takes me into the back country near the boarder. I always carry and keep my eye open. Once drove down into a wash and into a temporary camp. Folks scattered in double time. Never had one walk up on me. That would be interesting.
 
I just got back today from 34A, so I'm more than accustomed to running into both BP and those smugglers. We glass up dozens of illegals every year.

BTW, I got my daughter in law her couse deer on Tuesday morning, little 2x3. But my son and I got my other son into a real good buck yesterday, he successfully smoked a 4x5, he was in the 100" class. If he hadn't broken one of his G1's off in the pre-rut, he would have scored even better. His neck was extremely swollen. We saw a lot of them though.

I'm going to be in 36B for the late hunt to help out a friend in getting another big boy to add to his wall, can't wait. Too bad your hunt is almost over, I would have offered to get out there with my boys and put you on a booner. Keep in touch, we'll see if we can't maybe swap some stories, or even do a hunt or two?

GS
 
Will do. Took my daughter out yesterday. Was her first experience hunting in Arizona. We got into deer, but all does. Didn't get out today but will try one last time Sunday.
 
Only saw does in 34B. Only got to hunt for a couple of days, because my parents came to town from out of state and I had to spend some time with them - won't see them again til next summer, probably.
 
Same here. Work and homework pretty much kept me out of the woods. Spent 3.5 days out there off and on, pretty much on my own. Had my daughter out one morning but other than that, was just me. Hard to glass and stalk when your running solo. Had fun though when I did get out so even though I didn't harvest an animal, I spent some peaceful time in the woods.
 
You know what, for me it's mostly about getting to see the smiling faces of a first time hunter dropping his / her first game animal. And the experience of being out in the wilderness is something that simply doesn't compare to being any where else. Some get their joy from a shopping mall, for me, sitting on a high peak glassing wild life in their natural state of activity. I absolutely love watching deer chase each other around, bucks sparing, turkey doing their thing, and all the other cool stuff you can't see in a metropolitan setting. A couple years ago I had the once in a life time opportunity to glass a mountain lion stalking a heard of does and yearlings. I also saw her cubs hiding several hundred yards away on a bluff. She didn't make a successful kill, but I did get to see her launch after them, so awesome.

GS
 
I agree. Being outdoors is the draw for me, not so much the harvest. Don't get me wrong, I love wild game and enjoy taking it, but being away from the hustle and bustle of daily life and enjoying the peaceful outdoors is tops.
 
Yup. I'll never forget going over a map with my hunting buddy, figuring the most probable spot and where we would have a good view of it, driving out in the dark, hiking in a few miles, settling in - then seeing three does and a spike come right up the draw and sit on the back side of the hill crest we had expected them to. Nothing we could shoot but it was quite a feeling to be able to read terrain and how the game would use it.
 
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