I had a farmer friend of mine call me this morning and asked me if I'd like to go hunting this afternoon using some Depredation tags. Of course I said yes.

He had 2 other guys hunting one field, he hunted another field, and I hunted a field by myself as well. All of these fields they have tractor tires stacked 3 high to use as blinds. You just sit inside the tires on a bucket and wait.

So I went out to my field and found a set of tires that looked over a bowl shaped bottom that had some CRP land and a small timber close by. The wind was in my favor to look in the direction of the CRP/timber. The fence line that separated the bean field I was in and the CRP/timber was about 225 yards away to the West. About 4:35 I noticed 2 does out in the CRP working their way in my direction. At this point they were about 300 yards out according to my rangefinder. They slowly kept working my direction, came over the fence and into the bean field. So at this point they are about 200 yards away from me. They slowly walked/fed my way to about 175 yards away when something spooked them. They could have run in any direction but they ran right at me!

So they slowed and came to a stop just under 100 yards away from me. I rested the Ruger SRH on top of the top tire and waited for one of them to give me a good broadside shot. BOOM! The first doe goes down hard, gets up and tries to do something but just spins around and falls back down DRT.

The second doe spooked but just ran in a quick circle, went over next to the other doe and stopped and looked at her for a second and took about 2 steps before the crosshairs found her. BOOM! She goes down. Gets up and lumbers up the hill a short ways and lays/falls down.

My farmer friend heard the shots from a couple fields West of me and texts me and asks if I got one. I text back that I got 2.

The other guys saw a few a long ways off as did my farmer friend but I was the only one to be able to get a couple shots off and going 2 for 2 with the SRH was awesome!

I gutted one of the does before he drove out to me, then gutted the other one and we loaded them up in his truck and he asked if I wanted them, and if not, he knows someone that would want them. I said he could have them so we drove back to town and went to the guy's house that wanted the deer and transferred them from the back of his truck to this other guy's truck but before we did I said I needed a quick picture. It was dark and he had his bed lights on so the pic isn't the best but here they are..............

Good deal. That looks like good size does

Well done!! I'm assuming you used a .44 Mag? Or is it a Colt? What bullet did you use?

Great hunt!

Yes, 44 Mag. I'm using some factory Hornady 240gr XTP ammo. It sure drops these deer down hard with a good placed shot.

Handgun hunting is getting really addicting.

That's the same bullet I use in some of my handloads.

Nice work!

Might have to investigate the tractor tire blind idea, although in my area would be a great place for snakes to hole up

I did have a couple of mice scurry out of the tires as I was getting in. No snakes to worry about here.

Awesome. I've done that a few times.

Sounds like you had a great hunt!



Give it a few years, and you'll find your safe populated with more handguns than long guns.

AWESOME SHOOTING

Great Post!

You aint kidding its addictive, I shot another doe with my GP 357 Friday night...Gonna move to a big boy gun next year..

Congrats! What scope is that?

Around here, it would be mosquitoes in the water inside the tires, hornets nesting at the top of the tires, and snakes at the bottom.

Good job managing the resources and sharing.

Bushnell Elite 2-6X32

nice shooting,looks like some good eating,congrats

Congrats! That's some nice shoot'n! Those Ruger Hunters are some real shooters.

dogknott, Why switch to a larger caliber if you are doing so well with your 357? I killed a doe with my GP100 this season also. I love shooting the 357. I have a new Blackhawk with a ultradot scope on it that I hope to bloody next season.

Good shooting!





Same here.

Zee, I would assume you hunt in Arkansas!

layin em down! good shooting