Missed opportunity

[Frog123]

Saturday was opening day for modern gun here in Tennessee,  within an hour of shooting time I had a deer within twenty yards feeding, never knew I was there, the deer then turned and fed within seven yards of my stand broadside then turned and quartered away. Not a big deer, but a  chunky little spike in the 90 lb dressed range. Then this morning I had three mature 90-100+ lb does feeding broadside to me in the twenty to thirty yard range. One again turned and quartered away at 25 yards oblivious to me even being there. Why couldn't I have packed a pistol along with the rifle this morning?? All four deer would have been great first handgun deer. I know there's no such thing as a sure thing but twenty feet away.

[Graybeard]

I often take handguns only with me but I NEVER go without a handgun even if I do have a rifle along. Saturday I shot one from the stand with the rifle, got down to go check on it with only a handgun and ended up shooting another with it on the way to get the other one. Never go without a handgun.

GB

[Myk]

In IL we can carry any legal arm with us while hunting. I carried my shotgun and pistol. The 8pt I got was close enough for pistol but he didn't give me time to draw it.

I didn't even bother having the pistol out when I went to get him (finishing shots is the main reason I brought it since it's a .357). I saw him go down and knew he was done.

[Bullseye]

In Indiana we can carry multiple guns as long as they are legal for deer.  I have been carring my 44 SRH along with my ML Rifle if I am hunting with it.  If I take a handgun I usually only take one, but the other night I did take my Contender and the 44 SRH.  I do not take a long gun and a hand gun to choose my weapon based on shot distance though.  I mainly carry with the ML because there have been times I have shot a deer and had another come by before the ML could be reloaded.  So far I have not needed the 44 SRH since a buck fell to the ML and I did not see another deer that night.

[Mikey]

I'm with GrayBeard on this one.  I never go out without a hunting caliber handgun, whether in rifle or shotgun zones, and usually have another in my belt.  Mikey.

[Gregory]

like GB and Mikey, i take to the woods always with a hunting handgun even if a rifle is toted along as a primary.  while in the stand, the handgun stays where it was designed to be (in the hand) and the rifle is nearby in an easily accessible place.  the close in shots materialize much to quick to have to get the handgun ready, and the rifle shots usually allow plenty of time to get the rifle in action

Chris you've got the right idea. I used to carry the handgun in case a close in shot presented itself.  But after shooting a small buck at 10 yds with my 30/06 rifle because I feared spooking him trying to get my Contender out of my shoulder holster, that is when I started just leaving the rifle at home.

I took one gun to my stand for opening day: a Contender in 300 Whisper.  Two other guns were in the truck however, a 12 ga with slugs in case I ended upwith a long tracking job, and another Contender in 357 Max that I wanted to use to tag my second deer.

[markc]

atleast you are seeing some deer!  If you want to take a deer with a handgun, leave the long gun in the truck.  Go to your stand with only the handgun.  Like most of us who take or used to take both a rifle and handgun,we usually used the rifle and then thought, darn, I coulda, shoulda,  woulda used that handgun.  Keep practicing with your handgun until you are confident, and then be brave man, take just the handgun.  
:-)  Good luck!


Way to go GB, two deer in one hunt.  Good going. What did you get em with?
markc

[GBO MGMT]

Mark, the one shot from the stand was with my R700 LSS Mtn. Rifle in .30-06. I've had it a long time and not used it on deer until now. I think a hog is all I'd taken with it prior to this. I just don't take it much.

The second one from the ground was taken with my new Taurus M44 using Hornady 240 XTPs in my reloads.

Today I was back in same stand. Watched a parade of maybe 40 turkeys go passed me in three waves. After the last wave I heard a deer behind me. Today I had my R700 LSS Mtn. Rifle in 7-08 with me and the Ruger Bisley .45 Colt. I grabbed the Bisley and turned to find a spike at about 15 yards. The land owner doesn't allow shooting of spikes so I had to lower the hammer and pass on him.

GB

[freddogs]

Our season opened last Sautday here in WI. We can use shotguns, muzzleloaders, or handgun in this area. I took the shot gun because my buddy said there may be a lot of running deer and I can't get a running deer in my 7x30 contender scope (experience). I ended up shooting a 6 pointer which I could have made a better shot with the contender. However, I got him. I left the shotgun at home and used the contender the rest of the week. Yesterday two deer run over the hill and stopped in the brush about 70 yds away from my stand. The sun was bright and winds were calm. When the first one walked out about 70 to 100 yds away and stopped I shot her. I was using a stick for support (rest) from a treestand. An hour later a doe came limping down the tractor trail at 35 yds broadside. She went right down. I had filled both my antlerless tags. I should have left the shotgun at home the first day too. I feel for some conditions the contender is sometimes better than a shotgun. I used to take the contender and the muzzleloader both out hunting. I think I'm getting too lazy as I get older. Good luck with those 7x30's.

[myronman3]

i too hunt in wisconsin and after 7 days i havent even seen a tail.  i am trying really hard to take a deer this year with a handgun; but they just arent cooperating.   i have two more days to go... and am headed out bright and early in the morning.

[Possum]

When I started I found out really quick that if I had both I would usually use the rifle.  As my confidence with the pistol grew I started carrying the pistol over the rifle. Now I most always carry the pistol for morning hunts and sometimes the rifle and pistol on evening hunts (the 50mm lens comes in handy late in the evening).  To me the satisfaction gained with the pistol far outweighs killing a deer with the rifle.  Of course, that's a choice I make.  I would say that 85% of my shots could be made with the  pistol if the need arose.

I hunt from a portable treestand and a guy from Jesse's Hunting Page gave me the idea about a rest that attaches to the tree.  It takes just minutes to set up and I can shoot 360 deg. no matter where the deer comes out.  Great for longer shots in a treestand.  I tried the "sticks" in a treestand, but they just would not give a completely solid rest.  E-mail me if you are interested.  The rest can be made for about $10 and all you need is a hand drill and 1/4" bit.

[BruceP]

I seem to be having trouble getting my first handgun deer also. I have only made it to the woods three times but I have had my chances. The first time about three weeks ago I only had until about 9am because I had to go to a funeral. Even with the short amount of time I did see a doe that came in behind me. If I had noticed her sooner I could have had about a 40 yd shot but when I did see her she had just went through an opening and got behind some brush. She then moved slowly away and directly behind my stand. I turned around and sat on the seat backward and waited for an opening. At about 90 yds. she turned broadside with a small opening in the tree limbs to shoot through. I braced on the tree and pulled the trigger. To shorten the story I'll just say I could find no blood, no hair, or no sign of the deer after searching the brush(which was not real thick) and a large area around the brush. Hopefully it was the clean miss that it seems to be. This past Saturday was my second time out and my brother had brought my 12 yr. old neice over. I sent them one way and told them about where to set up and I went back to my stand. Around 8:30 to 9:00 I notice a doe in a small opening to the other side of the patch of brush where I had missed the doe on the first trip. I tried to turn in my stand and get steady, as I did another doe joined the first. At the angle I had to turn I just could not get steady. They then started moving closer but at about 70yds and behind brush and treelimbs they bedded down. I watched for about 45 min. all the while trying to find a steady rest if they were to go back into the opening away from me. At around 10:00 the larger doe stood and looked away from me and I knew by her actions that my brother and neice must be comming out. One doe went into the brush on the left of the opening and the other to the right. I did not see either for about 15 min. then the one to the left came back out and did walk through the open twice at about 80yds. While I did get a little more steady than before, and my brain kept telling me to jerk the trigger, I just never felt right about taking a shot. about that time the doe to the right walked quickly out of the brush and blew twice then they both took off away from me. You guessed it after about an hour and 15 min. of watching them the wind had changed on me. The best part was that the two does had came by my brother an neice at also about 80 yds. and it was the first time she had got to see deer while hunting with her dad. He did not shoot because he said both deer kept looking back and he thought a buck might be following them.
I did get back in the woods yesterday afternoon and stayed until dark, close to where I had sent Kevin and Keri, but saw nothing. After it was to dark to see into the hollow to my left and behind me. I heard either a deer, dog , or coyote trot down the hollow.
Needless to say I am interested in the info on the rest that Possum mentioned.
For those interested I have been carrying my Contender 300 Whisper along with either my Blackhawk 45 colt or my Blackhawk 41 mag.
BruceP

[4xdakota]

I allways take both.  But if the shot is close enough for me I DO use the pistol.  I hunt with a group of 15 people all of which I have known fore ever and a day.  Only myself and one other use a pistol.  I have taken 4 and the other has taken 2.

[Van/TX]

Yeah I hear ya.  Few weeks back I get out of my truck at O dark 30 with my Rem 700 .243 with 2X7 scope, grab my open sight Dan Wesson .357 and Dang I left my belt!    Not wanting to stick the thing I my pocket I leave it in the truck and walk to my ladder stand.  I'm going to shoot the first legal deer for the freezer.  :-)  Sure enough at 0700 5 does walk right under my stand at about 10 yards.  No handgun.    Shooting a deer at 10 yards with a scoped rifle is not exactly what I would call an accomplishment.    Would have been much better with the handgun.  Got meat though .....Van

[4xdakota]

Got out of the truck pistol in the backpack walking to the blind with riffle in hand.  Got to the blind and saw movement in the feeder, can't get to the pistol so I get the riffle, haited 5 minutes for the animal to move to an area just to see what kind of horns--GOODNESS THE BEST BUCK I HAVE EVER SEEN.  Now for the rest of the story. Wanting to use the pistol I did not chamber a round in the riffle when leaving the truck------CLICK and thats all it took. Maybe next year.