quote:

Originally posted by Scott Powell:
SONORA DESERT MULE DEER 2023 HUNT REPORT

Dates: JAN 9th - 17th

Outfitter: Rincon Outfitters - Robert (Rom) Dryden

Booking Agent: None

Airline: United

Travel Agent: None

Location: Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico

Duration: 7 days

Rifles: Old, beat up (but accurate) Rem 700 in 7mm Rem Mag


I have hunted with Rom in the past for bears and currently lhave an Arizona Couse deer scheduled with him. Rom is a serious hunting machine and has an excellent ranch a short ride outside of Hermosillo where he hunts desert mule deer and coues deer. I have been wanting to hunt big mulies and when I saw at the SCI convention in Vegas last year it was just perfect timing.

I flew to Tucson and met up with Rom and we drove to Hermosillo, entering at Nogales. Border crossing was easy as we did not take any rifles. I did not bring a rifle as the plan was to use Rom’s. Well best laid plans… his gun paperwork never made it in time but the landowner had a friend in Hermosillo that has legally owned hunting rifles that we were able to use. Note - in the future I think I would bring my own rifle even though it is a MAJOR hassle..

The shots are close at this ranch - almost always less than 200 yds so I was not worried about an unfamiliar rifle…


We stayed at a wonderful hotel in Hermosillo - the Hotel San Sebastián: http://www.hotelsansebastian.c...x/english/index.html. Nice rooms, a pool bar and a restaurant with gated security.



We hunted in the morning, came back for lunch and hunting in afternoon until dark. We ate at some fantastic restaurants in town - the food was awesome!

[img]https://i.postimg.cc/34DQW8dw/69509424632-608053-A2-1-ECF-4-DEE-B355-2-F2520-BEAA02.jpg"> [/IMG]


https://www.dropbox.com/s/ne9p...d/IMG_4640.jpeg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/nq0r...9/IMG_4671.jpeg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5r62...k/IMG_6854.jpeg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/i70p...d/IMG_4582.jpeg?dl=0


The ranch is around 9000 acres, low-fenced against another ranch on one side and mountains on the other. There is water on the ranch and it is an active cattle ranch. Surprisingly the deer did not frequent the water - they went straight to the choya fields, which is where we found them. We missed the peak of the rut by maybe 5 days - it was just getting started while we were there - seemed a bit late this year.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/uvcu...G_4679%202.jpeg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2llp...9/IMG_4678.jpeg?dl=0


We saw a lot of deer! One buck confirmed well over 200”, 2 or 3 in the 180-190 class and several 160-170 along with little guys and lots of does. There were two of us hunting and due to the rifle menagerie we had to share the rifle. This was not a problem for me as Rom and I could stay as long as needed to get my buck so I waited until the other hunter had tagged out.

This is high-rack hunting, the shots are quick and most of the time made from the high-rack. You can definitely hunt it on foot or a blind but the deer move constantly so finding them would be difficult with something to draw them in. I told Rom I would like to bow hunt one at some point by setting up blinds..

https://www.dropbox.com/s/uok1...e/IMG_4698.jpeg?dl=0

I shot my deer on day 5 - in the choya chasing does..


https://www.dropbox.com/s/7aqz...6e/IMG_4669.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ncou...4/IMG_4651.jpeg?dl=0

We still had time left and the landowner said I could use another one of his tags if I wanted to we hunted hard the next twos days a a monster buck we had seen the first morning - a confirmed 200+ (estimated 215) buck with drop times. He was an incredible deer!!

I finally got one opportunity but I had about 3 seconds to shoot before his disappeared and it was simply too dark…

It was a great trip, Rom is an amazing guide and I never felt the slightest bit unsafe at any time during the entire trip.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ne9p...d/IMG_4640.jpeg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/6x8g...d/IMG_4592.jpeg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/5mfg...g/IMG_4657.jpeg?dl=0

Here is a short video of a smaller buck we watched chasing a doe…

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6dj8...qx/IMG_4680.MOV?dl=0



Scott

quote:

This is high-rack hunting, the shots are quick and most of the time made from the high-rack. You can definitely hunt it on foot or a blind but the deer move constantly so finding them would be difficult with something to draw them in.

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:

quote:

This is high-rack hunting, the shots are quick and most of the time made from the high-rack. You can definitely hunt it on foot or a blind but the deer move constantly so finding them would be difficult with something to draw them in.

So true. I know, I hunted desert mule deer there years ago north of Hermosillo. In addition, once you get on the ground, many areas are so thick that it is hard to see. I had never thought that the Sonoran desert would have been so thick, but I quickly found out why they used high racks with a string tied to the driver's finger so they could pull on it to get him to immediately stop if you saw a good buck. There were Coues Deer available as well, but I didn't hunt them then, but have so on four different occasions and have taken some really great Coues Deer with a different outfitter. Flew into Hermosillo and went by SUV north to the ranch where we hunted for a week. I shot a nice mule deer buck on the last evening of the last day. Saw one huge buck that went 220 or better, but a long way off. Now hunting Coues deer...that gets to be an addiction!

quote:

Originally posted by Scott Powell:
SONORA DESERT MULE DEER 2023 HUNT REPORT

Dates: JAN 9th - 17th

Outfitter: Rincon Outfitters - Robert (Rom) Dryden

Booking Agent: None

Airline: United

Travel Agent: None

Location: Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico

Duration: 7 days

Rifles: Old, beat up (but accurate) Rem 700 in 7mm Rem Mag


I have hunted with Rom in the past for bears and currently lhave an Arizona Couse deer scheduled with him. Rom is a serious hunting machine and has an excellent ranch a short ride outside of Hermosillo where he hunts desert mule deer and coues deer. I have been wanting to hunt big mulies and when I saw at the SCI convention in Vegas last year it was just perfect timing.

I flew to Tucson and met up with Rom and we drove to Hermosillo, entering at Nogales. Border crossing was easy as we did not take any rifles. I did not bring a rifle as the plan was to use Rom’s. Well best laid plans… his gun paperwork never made it in time but the landowner had a friend in Hermosillo that has legally owned hunting rifles that we were able to use. Note - in the future I think I would bring my own rifle even though it is a MAJOR hassle..

The shots are close at this ranch - almost always less than 200 yds so I was not worried about an unfamiliar rifle…


We stayed at a wonderful hotel in Hermosillo - the Hotel San Sebastián:http://www.hotelsansebastian.c...x/english/index.html.


Nice rooms, a pool bar and a restaurant with gated security.



We hunted in the morning, came back for lunch and hunting in afternoon until dark. We ate at some fantastic restaurants in town - the food was awesome!







The ranch is around 9000 acres, low-fenced against another ranch on one side and mountains on the other. There is water on the ranch and it is an active cattle ranch. Surprisingly the deer did not frequent the water - they went straight to the choya fields, which is where we found them. We missed the peak of the rut by maybe 5 days - it was just getting started while we were there - seemed a bit late this year.


[IMG] https://i.postimg.cc/1XYztXYy/IMG-4678.jpg[/IMG]



We saw a lot of deer! One buck confirmed well over 200”, 2 or 3 in the 180-190 class and several 160-170 along with little guys and lots of does. There were two of us hunting and due to the rifle menagerie we had to share the rifle. This was not a problem for me as Rom and I could stay as long as needed to get my buck so I waited until the other hunter had tagged out.

This is high-rack hunting, the shots are quick and most of the time made from the high-rack. You can definitely hunt it on foot or a blind but the deer move constantly so finding them would be difficult with something to draw them in. I told Rom I would like to bow hunt one at some point by setting up blinds..

https://www.dropbox.com/s/uok1...e/IMG_4698.jpeg?dl=0

I shot my deer on day 5 - in the choya chasing does..





We still had time left and the landowner said I could use another one of his tags if I wanted to we hunted hard the next twos days a a monster buck we had seen the first morning - a confirmed 200+ (estimated 215) buck with drop times. He was an incredible deer!!

I finally got one opportunity but I had about 3 seconds to shoot before his disappeared and it was simply too dark…

It was a great trip, Rom is an amazing guide and I never felt the slightest bit unsafe at any time during the entire trip.






Here is a short video of a smaller buck we watched chasing a doe…

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6dj8...qx/IMG_4680.MOV?dl=0



Scott

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:
Scott -

Thanks for the great report. I live in Arizona and absolutely LOVE hunting Desert Mule Deer. October, in our deserts, (the usual season) is fantastic. 80's and 90's temp, great sleeping weather.

If I wasn't allergic to Mexico, I'd love to do that hunt.

Thanks again.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Ahrenberg:
What unit are you hunting for Coues?

I just drew a 6A Archery early bull tag. That's a good tag, but not a great tag. Bulls ~320-330 are pretty common. They bigger bulls are there, just not in the amount you'd see in unit 9 and 10.

Best part of that tag, I have a log cabin in the unit. Sleep in my own bed every night!!

I agree Arizona is a great state for outdoorsman. Sun almost 365, great fishing and world class Mule Deer, Elk and Antelope, not to mention easy to draw Coues units. Great state for Adventure Athletes as well.