'17 Arizona deer rut

nickpaolini81

Member
May 24, 2012
69
0
Stoneboro, PA
Wondering if anyone has any visual or second hand intel on rut activity with Coues or Mulies in southern AZ. We're starting on 1/1/17 near the border.

Is it slow? Has it gone full swing? Is it mostly done?
 

B&C Blacktails

Active Member
Mar 1, 2015
237
0
A buddy and myself were hunting in central AZ between Dec 7-12 and the muley bucks were just barely joining the does for minimal rut activity. Good luck down there, some beautiful country to hunt in!
 

Umpqua Hunter

Veteran member
May 26, 2011
3,576
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North Umpqua, Oregon
I've never hunted there, so take this with a grain of salt. My understanding is that far south that the rut is going full bore at that time of year.

I've been told if we draw a late rifle Coues tag to hunt as late in December as possible to best catch the rut.
 

gonhunting247

Veteran member
Jan 21, 2014
1,218
795
I was told when researching for late season Coues, that I should hunt as close to the end of December as I could. Most folks said the rut actually wouldn't kick in good until January(for Coues). I was there the end of the second week in December and the bucks were kind of sparring half-heartedly. They were still hanging out with other bucks at that time. So I think you should hit it about right! Good luck!
 

cmbbulldog

Active Member
Jul 18, 2011
264
21
When I used to hunt down by the border, Mulies best rutting action was from Christmas thru about Jan 10th. January 1st was always a great time to hunt, they should be on fire.

COues are typically a week or so behind that schedule.
 

JimP

Administrator
Mar 28, 2016
7,310
8,689
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Gypsum, Co
I just finished up my coues hunt in 36c and the rut is just kicking in and bucks are chasing the does but not that heavy. The two bucks that I had a chance with were with does and sniffing them and we saw a few bucks sparing around. The archery hunt should be real good.
 

nickpaolini81

Member
May 24, 2012
69
0
Stoneboro, PA
Update on the hunt and how the rut hit in SE AZ:

We hunted from 1/1 to 1/8 and it was in full swing with both Coues and Mulies. Tons of activity and chasing. One guy in our outfit saw a buck mounting a doe on the 3rd day. 3 guys out of 6 killed. 2 Coues and 1 Mulie.

Some say the Coues rut is a bit later, IDK. We saw activity from day 1 with both species. We go out every winter to try our hand and this was our 6th year. Just for shits and giggles, I put together this spreadsheet to see if there were any discernible patterns with the moon phases and the rut. Before anyone jumps @ me, I completely understand there is little to zero science behind the rut and moon phases. All this is based on perceptual data (out there observations) and moon phases. It's weird; we hit the rut every other year when we hunt 1/1 to 1/8. IDK. Just thought this might be interesting.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1o1FUV5kxqAxlOadQcFLdAD1q-2D_VQfPxoy8ilyO4Cs/edit#gid=403370207
 

ssliger

Very Active Member
Mar 9, 2011
900
0
Laramie WY
Update on the hunt and how the rut hit in SE AZ:

We hunted from 1/1 to 1/8 and it was in full swing with both Coues and Mulies. Tons of activity and chasing. One guy in our outfit saw a buck mounting a doe on the 3rd day. 3 guys out of 6 killed. 2 Coues and 1 Mulie.

Some say the Coues rut is a bit later, IDK. We saw activity from day 1 with both species. We go out every winter to try our hand and this was our 6th year. Just for shits and giggles, I put together this spreadsheet to see if there were any discernible patterns with the moon phases and the rut. Before anyone jumps @ me, I completely understand there is little to zero science behind the rut and moon phases. All this is based on perceptual data (out there observations) and moon phases. It's weird; we hit the rut every other year when we hunt 1/1 to 1/8. IDK. Just thought this might be interesting.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1o1FUV5kxqAxlOadQcFLdAD1q-2D_VQfPxoy8ilyO4Cs/edit#gid=403370207
Any pics?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

gonhunting247

Veteran member
Jan 21, 2014
1,218
795
Boots on the ground info is usually my favorite! Did you have any weather data to go along with your spreadsheets? Thanks for sharing, very interesting to me!
 

JimP

Administrator
Mar 28, 2016
7,310
8,689
72
Gypsum, Co
On my coues hunt on the Mexico border the bucks were chasing the does pretty heavy and we did see a couple of young ones sparing around. This was the week after Christmas just before New Years.

The first week of January they should of been going whole hog.