Glassing paid off for author Trent Swanson with his Boone and Crockett-class Red Zone Coues deer from Unit 36B. Its green score was 105 2/8. Photo by Trent Swanson

Within the Red Zone, trophy Coues deer bucks can be found from the low desert mesquite flats to the tops of the highest mountains. Most of the deer are found in the oak woodland vegetation type as well as large ocotillo patches. If the ocotillos are difficult to glass into and even more difficult to walk through, that's where you are likely to find the largest bucks.

Chris Denham, an optics expert and Coues deer fanatic, has been hunting these desert ghosts since he was a kid growing up along the border. He concentrates on hunting at higher elevations but sometimes changes tactics. "Most Coues deer hunters will be glassing the mountains," he said, "but don't overlook the rolling hills at lower elevations -- climb up and glass back down."

Some of the wisest and wariest bucks have found sanctuary out in the flats. "There are some great Coues deer down there but they are hard to hunt on the relatively flat ground," Denham said. You won't see many deer down on the flats, but the buck you spot might just be that trophy you're searching for.

When glassing in the morning, put the sun at your back and look for deer as they move from feeding areas to bedding grounds. When it gets hot in the middle of the day, continue to search for bedded bucks. Often deer will get up and move throughout the day with the shade. Rarely will you ever see a whole deer -- look for small parts like the tail, legs or twitching ears. In the evening, face east and look for deer out feeding.

Many of the bucks you find will be yearlings; use your optics and be selective. You might have to look at 15 or 20 bucks to find an older age-class deer. Once you find your trophy, keep an eye on him. Sometimes one step is all it takes for a Coues buck to seemingly disappear. Before you take your eyes away from the binoculars, pick out nearby landmarks as reference points so you can find him again.

A good pair of binoculars mounted securely to a tripod is a must for finding these elusive critters. Quality optics paired with a tripod are absolute necessities here. If your checkbook can't stand a $2,000 hit for optics, don't worry, just buy the best binoculars and tripod you can afford, learn to use them, and use them a lot.

RED ZONE UNITS
Arizona's Red Zone includes Management Units 34A, 34B, 35A, 35B, 36A, 36B, 36C. Each year, there are three separate rifle seasons. The October season gives hunters the chance to locate and pattern bucks during the hot summer months. These hunts are the easiest to draw with a nearly 100 percent draw rate. Success rates average 24 percent. The November hunt typically lasts 10 days and while harder to draw than the October hunt (average draw rate is 84 percent), the success rate drops to less than 19 percent. For a chance to hunt every year, apply for any of the units in the October or November seasons. But beware; hunting pressure may be high with over 3,500 tags allocated across the seven units for each of those seasons.