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Russell Graves - Believes whitetails shouldn't be photographed in the back of a truck with their tongue hanging out.
Location - Texas
Brian Strickland - Has 369,518 acres of land that you can hunt on. Call him at (555) 281-HUNT.
Location - Colorado
Tony Hansen - Is pretty confident Michigan will release at least 300,000 archers into the woods this fall.
Location - Michigan
Jake Fagan - He's really just here to hang out, so don't mind him.
Location - Georgia
Will Brantley - Loves hunting in a dorag because it makes him look Ramboish. Some may call it Little Man Syndrome.
Location - Tennessee
Monday, August 25, 2008
A Western Whitetail Smorgasbord
You're probably going to think I'm some kind of whitetail nerd, and maybe I am, but I found something interesting not long ago. Did you know that there are as many as 17 whitetail subspecies running around in North America; 5 of which live out west. In fact, it is possible to kill all 5 of these western subspecies in a single season, that is if you have enough time and greenbacks to do so. I guess you could call it a western whitetail super slam. Here is what the west has to offer the willing.
The Couesi or the Coues whitetail deer were discovered in the 1800's by naturalist and Army Officer, Elliot Coues (hence the name), and are now found in good numbers across Mexico, southern Arizona and in small pockets of New Mexico. Properly pronounced "cows," these are one of the smallest deer roaming in North America. But don't let these pint-sized bucks fool you; they can be tough to hunt. In fact, Chuck Adams said in his autobiography, Life at Full Draw, that his world-record Coues was his toughest North American challenge. No wonder they've earned the nickname "gray ghost."
The Ochrourus or Pacific Northwest subspecies is typically bulkier in size with mature bucks weighing in excess of 180 pounds. Because of their northern environment, their legs, ears and tail tend to be shorter compared to the southern subspecies, making them appear stocky. They are found in excellent numbers in Idaho, northwestern Montana and eastern Washington. For a hunter looking to spend some time chasing these tough northwestern monarchs, heading into any one of these states is a good bet.
As far as western whitetails go, the Dacotensis or Dakota whitetail is perhaps the most-highly prized of all of the whitetail subspecies. These brutes are distributed throughout central Canada, the Dakotas and the river bottoms and foothills of eastern Wyoming and Montana, as well as in northeastern Colorado. Typically, these whitetails have lighter colored coats, and once a buck reaches maturity they can possess an impressive set of antlers.
The Leucurus or Columbian whitetail are only found in two isolated pockets in south-central Oregon. In the Umpqua River Valley near Roseburg and along the Columbia River as it runs along the Washington and Oregon borders. Their historic range was in the tidal spruce along the Pacific Coast and was once believed to have thrived by the tens of thousands. Now, they are the least distributed western subspecies, and until recently were off limits to hunter. Now, Oregon offers six limited hunts - two rifle, two archery, one muzzleloader and youth hunt.
The last of this Western whitetail smorgasbord is the Texanus, and as you can guess its dominant range stretches across much of the Lone Star State. However, tentacles of these subspecies also reach into eastern New Mexico and southeast Colorado, which makes them another western opportunity. They are found in riparian habitat of southeastern Colorado and eastern New Mexico. With limited populations out west, don't expect to see a parade of bucks while on stand, however, head-turners do exist. Back in 2004 New Mexico spit out a 167 3/8 inch typical stud.
From The Wild West
-Brian Strickland
The Couesi or the Coues whitetail deer were discovered in the 1800's by naturalist and Army Officer, Elliot Coues (hence the name), and are now found in good numbers across Mexico, southern Arizona and in small pockets of New Mexico. Properly pronounced "cows," these are one of the smallest deer roaming in North America. But don't let these pint-sized bucks fool you; they can be tough to hunt. In fact, Chuck Adams said in his autobiography, Life at Full Draw, that his world-record Coues was his toughest North American challenge. No wonder they've earned the nickname "gray ghost."
The Ochrourus or Pacific Northwest subspecies is typically bulkier in size with mature bucks weighing in excess of 180 pounds. Because of their northern environment, their legs, ears and tail tend to be shorter compared to the southern subspecies, making them appear stocky. They are found in excellent numbers in Idaho, northwestern Montana and eastern Washington. For a hunter looking to spend some time chasing these tough northwestern monarchs, heading into any one of these states is a good bet.
As far as western whitetails go, the Dacotensis or Dakota whitetail is perhaps the most-highly prized of all of the whitetail subspecies. These brutes are distributed throughout central Canada, the Dakotas and the river bottoms and foothills of eastern Wyoming and Montana, as well as in northeastern Colorado. Typically, these whitetails have lighter colored coats, and once a buck reaches maturity they can possess an impressive set of antlers.
The Leucurus or Columbian whitetail are only found in two isolated pockets in south-central Oregon. In the Umpqua River Valley near Roseburg and along the Columbia River as it runs along the Washington and Oregon borders. Their historic range was in the tidal spruce along the Pacific Coast and was once believed to have thrived by the tens of thousands. Now, they are the least distributed western subspecies, and until recently were off limits to hunter. Now, Oregon offers six limited hunts - two rifle, two archery, one muzzleloader and youth hunt.
The last of this Western whitetail smorgasbord is the Texanus, and as you can guess its dominant range stretches across much of the Lone Star State. However, tentacles of these subspecies also reach into eastern New Mexico and southeast Colorado, which makes them another western opportunity. They are found in riparian habitat of southeastern Colorado and eastern New Mexico. With limited populations out west, don't expect to see a parade of bucks while on stand, however, head-turners do exist. Back in 2004 New Mexico spit out a 167 3/8 inch typical stud.
From The Wild West
-Brian Strickland
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