First one with a handgun

[coyote101]

I have been hunting from a climbing stand this year. I haven't seen a lot of deer, but everything that I have seen has been pretty close. Most have been 30 to 35 yards. I have never hunted with a handgun before, but I have a S&W Model 29 .44 Magnum that I bought in 1990 and decided that I would take it with me today and if a deer came within 35 yards, I would use the pistol instead of my rifle.

Well about 8:40 this morning, in came a doe from right to left about 50 yards out.  She kept coming and stopped directly in front of me at 34 yards. I let her have it with a 185 grain jacketed hollow point from the .44. I knew I hit her because she kicked up her back legs and took off out of sight. I stayed in the tree for about twenty minutes and then came down and went to look for a blood trail. Nothing; not a sign of blood anywhere. I was certain that I'd hit her so I started zig zagging in the direction she headed hoping to spot her or pick up a blood trail. Well about sixty yards away, there she was. Stone cold dead. There was no blood to be found on the ground anywhere. There was a small bit around the entrance wound and there was no exit wound. I hit her just behind the left shoulder and found the bullet under the skin on the opposite side. It destroyed the lungs and also got the heart but did not exit. It performed well, but an exit wound would have been nice. Never the less, I'm tickled with my first ever handgun kill.

Tomorrow will be another day of skinning, butchering and processing.

Here she is along with the big .44


Another hero shot.


Pat

[possumal]

Mighty fine, Pat.  Man, that gal ought to provide some good backstraps, steaks, and roasts. 

[pitw]

Right on   Good for you and enjoy the proceed's the rest of the year.  Yet another thing I can't o with a firearm up here.

[FinsnFur]

Very nice
It's amazing what a der can take and still run isnt it? How many of us could take a 44 round to the chest and run away

Nice job Pat Thanks for sharing the pics.

[Frogman]

Pat,
      Way to go!  That's some fine shootin with a handgun!

Jim

[KySongDog]

Nice shootin', Pat!  And a real nice doe.   

I bet they'll start callin' you Dirty Harry Pat at work.   

[Hawks Feather]

Pat,

Congratulations on the deer.  Add to that the fact that you got it with a handgun and it gets even better.  Many of us are just wishing that we had one hanging waiting to be processed. 

Jerry

[alscalls]

Awesome Job..........

[weedwalker]

Great job with the handgun Pat.

[iahntr]

It is amazing a lot of times what happens with critters
after ya shoot em, lots of times it isn't just "bang flop",
tough suckers.
Nice job with the handgun. 

[slagmaker]

Congrats on the doe and a big piece of rasin pie for harvesting her with a hand gun.   Like hawks feather said many of use are still waiting on our deer to come along.

[CCP]

Great Job Pat 

I hunted for years with a ruger black hawk in 41mag then the Thompson in different calibers. It is just a whole lot better feeling when it comes together with the pistola.

Once again Congratulations