Wayne — Like most hunts, it went … way too fast. I spent 12 days on the road, 9 of them camped alone and hunting every day. Yet again I “failed” to kill a Coues. But I’ve never had so much fun in failure. First morning a nice buck came to drink within range, but facing directly at me, sitting in a brush blind. I was at half-draw and just waiting for him to finish and turn broadside, a moment for the climax, when a flock of mallards scame jetting in the slapped down on the small pond right in front of the buck. Several other bucks came by that day and the next, but all were out of range. The weekend came and with it a swarm of local hunters so I moved to a more remote spot for the next week. First day there I had 7 deer come in, including 4 bucks, 3 of which were nice. Being new to tree stands I failed to clearn enough limbs in front of me and was plagued all day by bucks standing where I couldn’t shoot. Only chance I had there was two bucks standing in a window through the limbs. But while one drank the other watched, seeming to look right at me, then they swapped places. I’ve seen elk do this also. At day’s end I cleared the offending foliage … then the rest of the week no more shootable bucks came by. I did have the privilege of photographing a big flock of Gould’s Mexican turkeys, very rare north of the border. And the last day a batch of javalina came in and I could have shot the biggest, if I’d had a tag. The whole time it was very windy and sometimes cold. Nights alone were very long but I got into the rhythm of it right away and caught up on my reading. I’m returning mid-month for a second try. It has become a quest. And this time I’ll have a pig tag also. Odd to be an old man and have whitetail hunting as a new experience! Thanks for asking, dave