On whim I took my new-to-me SBHH .44 mag with me on the last day of buck season. I passed up an 8 pt in the morning with the rifle so I thought I might give him a chance to meet my new toy that afternoon. I went out to the feeder and found a promising mesquite to lean up against. I loaded up and no sooner than I sat down to get a feel for the location a doe came in. It was still over an hour before the feeder would go off so I hoped she might wander on by and I would have time to settle in. Since I really hadn't planned on using the SBH I didn't bring the gear to set up a ground blind. I really just had a seat cushion. I was planning to trim a few limbs and build a quick blind.
No such luck. She stayed for about 2 hours so I stayed in basically the same position for those 2 hours. I didn't want to spook her as I hoped she would be a living decoy but at the same time I was in a soon to be very uncomfortable position. She would walk behind a couple of bushes in her circuit and that afforded me a little wiggle room but no real relief.
A wary 8pt came in shortly after the doe but would never walk into the shooting lanes and drifted off.
The doe just kept circling with an side trip into the brush from time to time. At one point she walked straight towards me and stopped less than 15' in front of me. I had the gun up and the scope just covered her nose. She just sat there and stared with big black eyes at this unmoving but very uncomfortable lump. I didn't move a muscle and she drifted off to the right and behind me.
Another 8pt came in from the rear to my right and passed no more than 30' from me. As he hopped into the pen he looked right at me and bolted for the hills. I guess he saw my eyes and thought "predator". I didn't have head gear and was only wearing a beanie toboggan. Since I didn't have time to set up I was sitting right out in the sunlight with no shadows to help hide me and not much brush around me.
In the end I finally gave in to the aching tailbone and leg spasms and retreated to the box blind and watched my friend the doe feed just a few feet away.
I didn't get anything but I count my first handgun hunt as a success. I learned a few lessons and got to enjoy the good Lord's creation.
This handgun hunting is going to be a blast. I'm hooked. I won't give up my rifle but I will be spending more time with my SBH.
Thanks to all here for all the help. I hope I can add to the knowlegebase soon. In the meantime I'll read more and ask a few more questions.
