Coues #1 for Robert...

Robert has always had a hankering to go after a good coues buck.  He grew up and has always lived in mule deer country, and mule deer has always been Roberts first choice for a hunt.  2011 found Robert with a coues tag in his pocket, now he was going to get his chance.

The morning of the first day of the hunt, Robert and his hunting party glassed up something other than coues deer.  The crew watched as four lions, a female and three yearlings, hunted along a hillside for about 30 minutes before they finally disappeared into the drainage below.  It was no wonder no coues deer were found that morning.  Four lions in the area would have any of these little deer hiding out.

At about mid morning, a couple bucks were finally glassed up.  Turned out to be a small 3 point and a spike.  Robert decided to hold out, since he had five days to try and find a good buck.  A quick lunch and a nasty hike put the bunch up on a high rim trying to glass up some deer in 40 mile per hour wind!

Robert glassed up a good buck feeding in the thick brush below, and that's when things got crazy for Robert.  Buck fever set in, Robert could hardly contain his shakes or his breathing.  A couple buddies tried to calm Robert down, going through some breathing exercises, and telling him "it was okay, it happens to everyone".  Robert was so excited he fumbled with his gear dropping his binoculars and nearly knocking his rifle over.  Stumbling and tripping, Robert finally sat down to try and relax.....

Okay, maybe that's not exactly how it happened...

Robert glassed up the buck and started to look for a way to get a little closer for a shot.  The buck was feeding in a small wash, and we were all in the only high spot that would allow us to see the buck in the thick brush.  With no other options, Robert set up for a shot.  Laid across his pack on top of the rim, he was probably as steady as if he were at the shooting range.

As Robert was set up, we watched the buck as he fed through the brush.  This is where a little frustration probably set in.  The buck would hang out behind a thick spot and feed, but any break in the brush that would allow Robert a shot, the buck moved through quickly, then hung up behind another clump of brush.
This went on for quite a while before the buck finally stayed in a small opening long enough for a shot.  And that was all it took.  The gun went off, it looked to us like Robert had hit the buck, the buck stepped behind some scrub oak and tipped over.

Robert had his first coues buck!  At 103 1/8", his first buck will a tough one to beat.

Not a bad start to a coues hunting career...