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Few bow hunts can be more challenging than desert whitetail. The coues' deer is a subspecies of whitetail found in the desert southwest and old Mexico. Small, shy and hard to hunt, the keen desert bucks are rarely seen unless you are out in the desert and looking for them.

Rutting in January, the desert bucks can be found frequenting water holes and chasing doe in the flat deserts and mountain fringes of Central and Southern Arizona.

About the size of a large dog, the desert whitetail is a miniature deer, and to look at one without a reference, one would think the deer is just a Midwest whitetail. Sporting much smaller antlers than it's northern cousin, a coues' with 100 inches of horn is considered a huge trophy. Remember 125 inches is Pope and Young minimum for typical whitetail; it's 65 inches for desert coues'!

Hunting the coues' rut is serious business. Glassing thick desert cover for the shy deer is an art, and stalking into range even more so. Tack sharp senses protect these little deer from desert predators like Mountain Lion. Where mid day thermals help hunters with human scent the dry, crunchy desert floor and quiet wilderness surroundings make for impossible stalking.

Cherry Creek outfitters of Young, Arizona, have taken the desert deer hunt to another level. Specializing in tree stand sets, Outfitter Jeremy Human scouts remote canyons for sign and establishes salt licks at crossing trails and water holes.

Stands set in ponderosa pines give a birds eye view and another hunting strategy to the wary bucks.

Much of the coues' deer habitat is unaccessible. Quad's and horses are the only way in unless a hunter wants a four or five mile back pack. Human establishes his stand sets off of ATV trails which allows access to thousands of acres of remote country. And the stands are placed in areas impossible to spot and stalk- so few hunters infringe on the hunt areas... which are located on public- forest service land.

These tree stand hunts are some what laid back.. as the deer sneak into the sets mid-day for a drink or lick of salt, and their stealthy approach means a hunter needs be on his toes for a chance.

For more great whitetail hunting info and exciting bowhunting action... be sure and watch my Advantage Adventures show Sunday on ESPN 2 Outdoors.