Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Coues or Muley--- which would you hunt??

If your tag was good for either, which would you hunt? And why?

Here's the back story:

I drew a deer tag in New Mexico that has both species of deer, in seemingly equal abundance. The tag is good for either species. I'm relatively new to hunting-- as someone once said "adult-onset hunting", and do not have much experience hunting either species, so my goal is to 1) see deer, 2) put one on the ground. I live about an hour away from the unit and with a whole summer to scout, I'm trying to decide if I should focus on either species. A pic of the unit:

Mule Deer.

Mule deer generally are in easier habitat to hunt in. If you find deer scouting in the lower rolling areas, hunt there. There's always an exception, and if a coues gets in your sights... take'm.

Kent

Here's a coues I shot in low muley habitat (2200ft) a couple years ago. I'd been noticing them moving low in this area for a few years and was specifically hunting it for coues.

Let your scouting dictate your decision.

Mule Deer would be my first choice, but if a good Coues showed up.....

For sure Mule Deer

I've never had the chance to hunt Coues deer and would love to do it. That being said, given the choice it would be mule deer all the way.

Coues for me, I can hunt mulies at home here

Coues! Although depending on what Unit in NM, you may want to target mulies...

I'd look at it from a different angle - which species do I have a better chance of shooting a larger specimen for that particular specie. I'd also factor in tag availability - if one was harder to get than another, I'd likely hunt the harder tag.

Can't lose either way.............

Good luck and pictures + story are a must.

Muleys! Although I would love to hunt Coues as well...

Another vote for a mule deer!

+1

Blasphemy !

Seriously. I would seem the Coues deer hunters are a distinct minority!

Thanks to everyone who weighed in with their opinion and advice. I have the luxury of time and proximity to the unit so I'm going to try and get some good scouting trips in. The unit is relatively small acreage wise, but runs from 4500' to nearly ~11,000' and I know there are probably pockets of both species throughout.

KRP: that's a nice Coues! Was that in AZ, NM or MX?

Big mule deer still make me shake like a dog pooping peach pits.

Usually a minority cause those coues deer live, at times, in some vertical and inhospitable terrain.

Az... he'd score mid 80s, decent enough but not a monster. I had broke my leg on an elk hunt two years prior, then my wife had medical issues the next year, I hadn't hunted for deer in three years. My 80 year old dad was jonesing for a deer and gravy breakfast and I'm his supplier... so I shot that buck first 10 minutes of the hunt.

Anyway, coues hunting is generally a much tougher hunt because of habitat. It's also addicting... As a new hunter I'd suggest hunting the easier habitat and taking the first legal buck. Much of hunting is the scouting then meat care after. Until you get some experience under your belt, keep it simple as possible.

Kent

Mule deer, a no contest.
The most beautiful deer, only challenged by Chital if, free range.

Good advice, especially in the SW deserts