Another one with the handgun

coyote101 · November 14, 2009, 10:01:21 PM

I went out today for opening day of the modern gun season. Spent nine hours in the climbing stand with a short break for lunch. I saw two does about 6:30 and one about 8:00 and then nothing until almost 4:00 this afternoon. A little six pointer was chasing a doe around the woods. I had a .308 Encore and a S&W .44 Magnum with me, and wanted to take another deer with the handgun. (I took my first one last year) The two deer came close behind my stand and stopped. The doe was about five yards away and the buck less than fifteen, both of them standing broadside. I didn't really want to take the little buck cause we can only take one and I'm kind of holding out for a real nice one I saw last week while squirrel hunting at a different place. So I shot the doe. She kicked up her back legs and took off. I waited about ten minutes and came down out of the tree hoping to find her before it got dark. I went to where she was standing when shot expecting to find blood. All I found was hair. Just like last year, no exit wound and no blood trail. Anyway, I knew she was hit good and where I last saw her, so I started walking that way. About sixty yards away, there she lay, stone cold dead. I shot the deer last year at about 34 yards with a 185 grain semi-jacketed hollow point. It didn't exit but lodged under the skin behind the off side shoulder. This year I changed to a 240 grain lead semi-wadcutter hoping for more penetration. This time the bullet took out one lung and the heart and hit the bone in the off side shoulder. It broke the bone but did not exit. So once again, no blood trail. These are UMC medium power loads, so I guess I'll have to step it up to a more powerful load. Any way, here she is, my second deer with a handgun.

Here she is with the S&W Model 29

Hero shot

Flat Jared went with me.

Hidehunter · November 14, 2009, 10:14:10 PM

Good Job and nice pics. Good Luck with the nice buck!

golfertrout · November 14, 2009, 10:27:34 PM

good one. i never have shot one with a pistol

GunDog · November 15, 2009, 12:17:48 AM

Congrats to ya on the fine freezer meat and good luck with the buck!

FinsnFur · November 15, 2009, 01:07:21 AM

I got a buddy, that wont even hunt with a rifle anymore, no fun he says.
I'll admit it's quite a feat.
Nice job Pat

pitw · November 15, 2009, 04:12:09 AM

Whoa, that is awesome

. We can't do that

. Good trip out I'd say and anyone who can sit in one spot for 9 hours should be congratulated

.

alscalls · November 15, 2009, 06:52:10 AM

Carolina Coyote · November 15, 2009, 06:58:09 AM

Big Old flop ear Doe , best eating there is , 9 hours in a Tree Stand ' Whew" Pat you really earned that one. Congratulations.

cc

Frogman · November 15, 2009, 10:09:44 AM

Pat,

That's some good shooting with a handgun. WTG!!

Jim

JohnP · November 15, 2009, 11:55:06 AM

Like the others I also have never killed one with a handgun. Congratulations and good hunting for that buck.

iahntr · November 15, 2009, 12:28:21 PM

Super job Pat.
Congrats.

msmith · November 15, 2009, 12:56:52 PM

Nice job, especially with open sights!

FOsteology · November 15, 2009, 01:55:35 PM

Open sighted pistol.... way to go Pat!

Hawks Feather · November 15, 2009, 02:47:16 PM

Congrats on the deer and even more for doing it with a pistol.

Jerry

coyote101 · November 15, 2009, 04:46:54 PM

Thanks for all the comments guys, I really appreciate them.

Quote from: pitw on November 15, 2009, 04:12:09 AM
Good trip out I'd say and anyone who can sit in one spot for 9 hours should be congratulated

Quote from: Carolina Coyote on November 15, 2009, 06:58:09 AM
9 hours in a Tree Stand ' Whew"

A couple things help with that. First, that old stand is pretty comfortable which helps make it tolerable. Second, it is a climbing stand, so going up and down the tree is a little bit of work and makes some noise. I know if I was in a ladder stand that I could get in and out of easier, I wouldn't last as long. I actually came down after six hours for lunch and a pee break. I went back up and had been there for another three when the deer showed.

Quote from: msmith on November 15, 2009, 12:56:52 PM
Nice job, especially with open sights!

Quote from: FOsteology on November 15, 2009, 01:55:35 PM
Open sighted pistol.... way to go Pat!

I'm not that great of a pistol shot so I limit my shots like I would if I was bow hunting. I feel pretty confident that I can hit the vital zone of a deer inside 35 yards under the right conditions. Anything farther than that and I would use the rifle or let them walk. This deer was five yards at most so it was a pretty easy shot.

Quote from: coyote101 on November 14, 2009, 10:01:21 PM
This time the bullet took out one lung and the heart and hit the bone in the off side shoulder. It broke the bone but did not exit. So once again, no blood trail.

When I skinned her today I found that the bullet actually had exited. It had completely shattered tha upper leg bone and gone on through. The hole was not visible from the fur side and there was not a drop of blood around it. So, there was an exit hole, but still no blood trail.

Pat

Silencer · November 15, 2009, 04:55:27 PM

Nice job Pat, I cant hit didly with a leg iron

KySongDog · November 16, 2009, 06:12:40 AM

Nice job, Pat! It has been years since I hunted with a handgun and now ya got me thinkin' I should try it again.

HuntnCarve · November 16, 2009, 08:07:58 AM

Pat, I don't know if you reload? But I use the 300g Hornady XTP's in my .44 Magnum. It's dropped every deer I've shot with it in their tracks. That big slug punches right through. I am using a Ruger Super Redhawk with a stout load.

Dave