Chasing the Gray Ghost South of the Border
January’s darkness still cloaked the ridges of Sonora’s Sierra Madres when we reached the summit of a commanding knoll. We set up our spotting scopes, but it was too early to see, so we kicked back and watched as black turned gray, then golden as the sun peeked over the eastern horizon.
A decade since I’d seen dawn in Coues deer country. I’d forgotten how much I missed it. Guide Charles Oberly, from Montana, had a few Coues deer seasons under his belt. Still, I figured I could hold my own spotting deer.
At first that worked pretty well. It was still gray when I saw the first deer, a doe crossing a ridge behind us. At 10X she was a mouse-like form moving through yellow grass. Maybe I saw the second one, too, but then younger eyes and recent practice bypassed experience. The deer were on parade, and as the sun hit the lower ridges, they gleamed like silver dollars.
Charles found most of them first, some at great distance, others right below us. Two hours after dawn and we’d glassed more than 20 deer—at least a half-dozen small to medium bucks. Going back 40 years, I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen this many Coues whitetails from one vantage point. Clearly, we were in a special place.
Deer of Legend
Elliott Coues (1842–1899) was a U.S. Army medical officer and naturalist of the U.S. Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories (1876–1880). Coues pronounced his name “cows,” which is thus correct, but today it’s common to say “cooz.” During his wanderings in the Southwest, he observed a small, iron-gray deer with a long tail and big ears. It was very different from the “Virginia whitetail.”
The Coues whitetail has a distinct range, usually found in mountains, in elevations from 4,000 to 8,000 feet. It is ideally adapted to desert environment, thinly distributed in arid habitat. The Coues whitetail not only is smaller, but also follows Bergmann’s Law perfectly, with outsized tail and ears for heat dissipation.
Hunting this gray ghost offers a marvelous experience. With comparatively light pressure, Coues whitetail are not nocturnal or crazy-wary. Once located, they can often be stalked, but they are thinly distributed in vast habitat and are small and well camouflaged. I have never experienced a more optics-intensive hunt.
Coues South of the Border
I first hunted Coues deer in 1978, in Arizona’s Chiricahua Mountains, with Marvin and Warner Glenn, also legends. We got a nice buck, and I fell in love with the desert mountains, missing few seasons over 30 years. Arizona tags soon got hard to draw, so I switched to Mexico. Over the years, I’ve hunted many times in both Sonora and Chihuahua.
In January 2018 Mossberg’s Linda Powell and I found ourselves hunting the Gray Ghost on Rancho Mababi, in northeastern Sonora, outfitted by Ted Jaycox of Tall Tine Outfitters (talltine.com).
Rancho Mababi really is a special place, made more so by its owners, Roberto and Alice Valenzuela. Both were in the middle of successful careers in Silicon Valley when the ranch needed to be managed. They decided to return and, decades later, are still there. Like ranchers the world over, Roberto and Alice faced a dilemma. How do they maximize yield from their land? In addition to livestock, at Rancho Mababi they bring in carboneros to make charcoal, grass-cutters for thatch, and gringos to harvest game.
Previously, most of my hunting in Sonora had been on the west side of the Sierra Madres. Here on the east side, the country seemed gentler—more grass, less cacti, and much of it not as steep. It’s still a tough hunt, and footing in crumbling granite is murder, but there aren’t as many thorns. My guess is this country supports a higher density of deer.
Mind you, this is post-graduate glassing. The country is big, and these little deer are hard to see. Ted said, offhandedly, that on a good day he expected to glass a couple dozen deer and eight or ten bucks. I didn’t believe him, but that was exactly what we saw every day.
A Special Deer
On that first morning, Charles and I saw our full complement, but by midmorning it was warm and movement slowed. A buck materialized in a grassy swale right below us, tall and perfect, and in possible range at about 400 yards, except he was facing away, looking at a doe. I was uncertain, but it didn’t matter. Keeping his rump to us, he followed the doe and was quickly out of sight in a gully.
That was a beautiful buck, but it was early in the hunt and we were in the land of giants. I could keep looking, but somebody needed to take the first shot. At a minimum, we had better try to get a better look. Charles and I circled around to come in at the head of the draw. As we closed, we saw the doe and guessed the buck was below her out of sight. I crept forward until the ground started to drop. I pushed my pack onto a bush and started to get into position.
I was almost face to face with another doe. She blew up and ran, picking up the other doe, a small buck we hadn’t seen, and the big buck. Dodging through brush, they ran across the draw and up onto a big ridge, and then they stopped in some thick stuff, almost invisible. A few minutes later, the big buck walked off the ridge and vanished into dense oaks.
By now it was pushing midday and was so hot we assumed the buck had gone to bed in the deep shade. Sooner or later he would reappear. We circled back around and camped out in a shady clump that gave us a good vantage point about 300 yards from where the buck should be. An hour passed, then another. We munched Alice’s delicious lunches, wondering if we’d guessed wrong. Maybe give it one more hour.
Charles moved to the right to get a better view of a draw that was the only escape hatch. That’s when I saw a big buck stroll out of the oaks and saunter down the ridge straight toward me. Charles crawled over while I shifted my tripod and rested the Mossberg .300. The buck must have been following an unseen doe. He was moving with purpose, nose down, in and out of brush. He looked too good to pass, but every time he stopped he was hidden. Out of sight for a few minutes, he crossed the brushy bottom, then stood broadside in an open lane at 200 yards. The setup was perfect, but I knew I wobbled as the trigger broke.
The buck jumped high, as if chest shot. There was no sound of the bullet hitting, and he ran left into a thick patch. My brain told me I’d hit low in the chest, but my gut told me I’d shot just under him. If the former, he wasn’t going anywhere. We had a good vantage point and should see him if he came out. We waited an hour and were just about to go down and check when I caught movement to our left, across another draw on an ocotillo flat. A doe. Where had she come from? To her right, behind a yucca, were those antlers? There was our boy, hale and hearty, following right behind her.
The doe went straight away and the buck followed her, offering nothing until they dropped into another cut at 600 yards. The wind was in our faces, so we went fast across the first cut, over the flat, and then slowed down. As expected, they’d stopped in the next cut, doe visible, buck thrashing a mesquite. When he stepped out, he was still straight away, but just 150 yards and going up the far slope. I had a long, narrow target. This time, the Edge TLR bullet impacted and easily brought down the Gray Ghost. I had glassed, hiked, and hunted hard for a true trophy.
Read more:
http://www.petersenshunting.com/deer/a-coues-deer-hunt-in-mexico/#ixzz5Sg4bboWS
Choosing The Best Big Game Hunting Scope
Whether you are an experienced hunter or just beginning, there’s one thing that all types of hunters can agree on. Big game hunting is is one of the most exciting hunting experiences for any type of hunter.
Sure, there are other hunting situations, like varmint hunting and even predator hunting, but these don’t even come close to the amazing adventures that big game hunting brings. If you want to hunt big game, it takes skill, dedication, persistence, long days, potential danger, and the will to go day after day without seeing your chosen game.
It’s a big challenge, especially if you are hunting bear, mountain lions, or even moose. Even deer and elk can be underestimated depending on if offspring are involved or not.
To be successful hunting big game, a hunter not only needs the skill, dedication, and persistence to succeed, but the right equipment is necessary as well. Big game hunter’s need the correct rifle , the correct ammo, and the best rifle scope.
For example, if you are using a .308 or .30-06 what are the best scope options?
Finding the best rifle scope for big game hunting isn’t easy and varies depending on a lot of factors. Hopefully we can narrow down these rifle scope options for you.
Important Considerations for Big Game Hunting
When considering the best optic for hunting big game, there are a few considerations to go over:
- Shot placement
- Environment
- Your skill level
- What are you hunting?
1. Shot Placement
One of the most important considerations for big game hunting is the shot placement. The weapon you use is a factor. Are you bow hunting, using an Airbow, or a rifle? Assuming that you have the correct rifle caliber for the correct amount of range and power, shot placement is critical for a couple of reasons.
To be a great hunter, you need to have a large amount of respect for the game you are hunting. This respect involves making sure that you are shooting in the right spots to increase your chances of a clean and humane kill. There is no reason to cause unnecessary pain or suffering in the game we are hunting.
Another thing to consider is that when you have wounded an animal, that animal is going to try to survive at all costs if you haven’t killed it immediately. Wounded animals are generally much more dangerous. A one shot kill when hunting big game will also ensure your safety from any retaliation if the animals spots you.
This is where your rifle scope comes in. In order to have the best chances of the correct shot placement, you need to have the proper optic that is capable of placing an accurate shot at the range you intend. In most cases, if you are shooting long range, the typical range that most hunting occurs at is around 300 yards or so. The more experienced hunters can shoot at even longer distances as they are still able to have good shot placement from farther out.
Make sure you properly zero the rifle optic. Sometimes your shot can be way off and you potentially shoot something entirely different, like a rabbit instead of a deer.
Keep in mind that though the animal you are hunting is typically a larger animal, their vital organs for a clean and quick kill are still small and you need to be able to be very precise to hit the target for a successful humane kill.
A typical clean kill shot on a larger animal has a vital zone that is around 1 foot. So the challenge here is that you have a 1 ft area to shoot at with other factors that include the animal likely moving, wind factors, treed or wooded areas, etc. It’s a big challenge, and the correct rifle scope will increase your success dramatically.
2. Consider Your Environment
Since hunting big game is pretty broad, environments may vary greatly. For example, some big game includes lions or the elephants in Africa. For some, big game means elk, wild hogs, deer, or bear near the Rockies. For some it could mean an alligator in Florida.
From this small list of animals, you can already see the different kinds of environments that different big game animals can live in. One scope does not suit every environment.
When considering your environment you need to take into consideration the rifle scope’s eye relief.
If you are hunting elk in the Rocky Mountains at long distances you will want a scope with a short eye relief. What this does is gives you a wider field of view which allows the hunter to see more at a magnified level.
A long eye relief in contrast is perfect for hunting up close, as you don’t need a wide field of view to see your target. Long eye relief scopes are better for large and powerful rifles and are usually made in a way that makes it easier to rapidly load the weapon. After all, if you are that close and you miss, you’ll likely need another shot, or two.
Depending on the environment, you will need to ensure that your scope can handle the conditions. Is your big game near water? Is there lots of rain? Are you hunting wild hogs in marshes and swamps? Are you hunting white tail deer in the dry plains? Is the environment open and bright or is it treed with lots of shade?
All of these factors will help you determine the correct rifle scope. And there are scopes and some scope accessories that help in every environment.
3. Your Skill Level
So how skilled are you? Your skill level will determine the scope that you should get. You should always know the distance that you are comfortable shooting. Can you only shoot up to 150 yards comfortably or are you in the 500+ yards range?
Something to keep in mind, if you get a high quality scope that you know is reliable, are confident in your shot placement, and understand your animal and environment, then you will have more confidence which will increase your chances of a successful kill.
BUT, if you ever feel uncomfortable and doubt yourself, just don’t take the shot. Wait for the next opportunity to come.
4. What are you hunting?
The last thing that you need to consider when hunting big game, is what animal are you actually hunting? You need to know and understand what exactly you are hunting. This will help determine which rifle scope is appropriate. Combine this with the specific environmental and your personal skill factors and you can usually make a great decision.
For example, an elk is much more likely to attack, and charge if it spots you, whereas as deer will likely run away. If you are hunting elk, you will need an optic that can handle long range as well as close range. If you are hunting elk in the mountains, or across very long distances across long plains, then a charge isn’t as likely so you will still need great long range capabilities and a scope with higher power magnification, but can also focus at closer ranges.
If you are hunting a bear or mountain lion, you could be in a situation where you are getting stalked right back! This is another situation where having a closer range optic is superior to a longer range optic. In a situation like this, you don’t need a scope with a lot of magnification power and may just need a 1x reflex sight.
Hunting wild hogs is another situation of an animal that can be very dangerous. If you are hunting wild hogs, you need a scope that allows for fast target acquisition as hogs are always on the move and can potentially charge you as well if you are spotted. They also gather in small groups so you have the potential to get more than one.
A recommended scope for hog hunting would be to get a low powered rifle scope with a wide field of view.
What Should A Great Big Game Scope Have?
For great accuracy and precision for a successful hunt your scope needs to have a few things:
A One Piece Tube Optic
There are lots of different styles of scopes. The recommended scope for big game hunting is a tube style optic. Scopes that have tube style construction are more precise and are more durable. Hunting big game requires a higher caliber, and you will need a scope that can handle the recoil.
You’ll also want to make sure that the scope is lightweight and not too bulky. Some tube style scopes can get heavy and bulky, but if you are hunting all day, your rifle will get heavier than it needs to be with the added weight.
Parallax
A scope with a parallax adjustment allows shooters to adjust from a closer range out to infinity. This will be extremely important if you need to hunt in a wide range of distances. The closer range varies but is commonly 50 yards, but can be as close as ten.
To test for parallax, look downrange at a target at 100 yards. As you move your head from side to side, if your reticle moves off or around the target you have a parallax issue and it will need to be adjusted so make sure you get a scope that allows you to adjust the parallax.
This is usually advertised as a side focusing rifle scope, but just keep in mind that it doesn’t focus the scope, but corrects the parallax.
Glass and Lens
Pay attention to the lens coating, lens quality, and objective size. When considering a good lens coating, it prevents flare and a good lens coating will have better light transmission which will help with brightness and clarity. A fully multi coated lens is the best route to take for reduced flare and maximum clarity.
A high quality glass usually has amazing optical clarity for higher precision, but usually comes at a higher price. Low quality scopes use low quality lenses and this creates distortion and can decrease precision.
The objective lens size affects the amount of light transmitted through the image which creates a clearer and brighter picture as well. If you are hunting big game close to dusk and dawn, you will want a scope that has a bigger objective lens to gather more light into the lens. Typically a 40mm – 42mm objective lens is the best option when it comes to lighter weight, lower profile scopes.
Magnification Power
Getting the right magnification power will determine the distance you will be able to hunt. The 2-7x range are usually the best choices, with the 3-9x coming in a close second.
When approaching a wounded animal you will want to lower the magnification power as you get closer. The 2x option allows for close range shooting with nearly the same efficiency of an AR-15 red dot sight, and even the 3x is typically low enough to ensure a rapid sight picture.
If you are hunting big game at 200-300 yards, like most hunters, a 7x – 9x rifle scope is plenty to place an accurate shot at this distance. This magnification power also allows you to scout and see at further ranges. Keep in mind that as the magnification is increased, the field of view decreases.
You don’t need an optic with really high magnification power. Instead of improving your accuracy, it can actually impair it.
Reticle
The last thing to consider in finding the best big game rifle scope is to figure out which reticle is best. The reticle is the aiming point that you see through the rifle scope. It’s sometimes called the crosshairs.
If you are hunting big game at longer ranges, one of the best reticles you can get is the Duplex reticle. This reticle has heavy side-bars that usually taper to fine crosshairs in the center. This allows for faster target acquisition with the thicker lines but you will still be able to see the target at the intersection of the finer lines.
A big game hunter needs a coarse crosshair. Anything finer is hard to see in poor light.
BDC, Rangefinders, Mil-Dot and Tactical reticles have their place in scopes, but not for big game shooting. These reticles are too complicated and clutter up too much of the field and hide too much of the animal.
Final Thoughts
Remember, look for an optic that’s light and not too bulky, has low to medium magnification, a wide field of view and the proper reticle – these are the worthwhile features of a good big-game hunting scope.
Tie this with the factors of your environment, skill level, the type of animal you are hunting and correct shot placement and you are well on your way to finding a great scope for hunting big game.
Finding the best big game hunting scope can be difficult, but as you consider all of the factors we’ve talked about, your success in finding the right optic will greatly improve. Good luck!
Do you have a favorite big game rifle scope that you prefer over another?
