Hello again everyone, I haven't been around for while. but It's good to be back.
As the subject states, I took my first deer with a handgun Thursday morning November 29th, the first morning of Illinois second firearm season. It took me two years of hunting with the pistol but I finally pulled the trigger. If your not familiar with the Illinois firearm seasons, we get three days the weekend before Thanksgiving and 4 days following the weekend of thanksgiving, then three days in mid January. I had a chance during this years first season, but I got greedy, let the doe walk but the buck hung up and never came into range. But in very dimm light at 6:25 in the morning Thursday, I took my doe.
She's no trophy by any standards, but I am very proud of her. If you are interested, I will post a pic later.
Shooting time was 6:20 (a half hour before sunrise). The first doe came through my area right at 6:20. She was moving slow but when I raised the pistol, I could not find her in my 2x scope. I could see her fine with out the scope, but is was just too dark to get a good picture in the scope. I had to let her go. I was a little upset about that, but a few minutes later I was over it when another larger doe came along the same path as the first one. The second doe stopped in a nice clearing about 45 yards away. I raised the pistol onto my shooting stick and this time for some reason, I could see her in the scope. So I eased the hammer back and found her in the scope and darnit, I got so excited, I pulled the shot off. I hit her, but I hit her in the back leg. I could see her take two steps sideways. She didn't run yet, she must have still been stunned by the 180 grain federal cast core. I realized that I better hit her again before she realizes she is supposed to run away, so back again with the hammer and this time I am able to concentrate and I put a 180 grain partition gold hollow point right on the money. She jumped up and this time when she landed she ran about 20 yards, turned around and showed me a clearly visible exit wound and laid down under a brush pile. Wow what a day. My first Handgun deer and the earliest deer I have ever shot. She was down before 6:30. At least down for the first time. I watched her for a few minutes and she didn't move (that I could tell. In the dimm light I was really watching a grey lump under a buch of deadfall.) Well I got up and grabbed my camera out my backpack and light up my celebratory cigar and sat back down waiting for the sun to come up a little more. After all I could see some more deer this morning and since my tag was full I could still shoot them with the camera. After smoking about half of my cigar I look back over to my deer and to my astonishment she is getting back up. So down goes the camera and the cigar and I pick up the pistol again. For some reason she decides to walk towards my stand. But she is moving through some pretty rough deadfall with a useless back left leg. I stood up again, and raised the pistol for another shot and my steady stick wasn't at the right hight for a decent shot so I took one off hand. Well I didn't hit her, but she walked about another ten feet and laid down a second time. This time about 30 yards from my stand, only right under fallen log with her head held upright between two trees. The only shot I had to finish her was right in the eye. So I waited. she had to be hit hard, remember I saw the exit wound when she turned at 40 yards. So I sat back down and tried to find my cigar. Well that went all the way to the ground. (better the cigar than the digital camera) Now it's time to wait her out again. Would you believe aftre about ten minutes, she got up again? I still can't figure out why, but she started walking towards me again. she got to about 15 yards away and I couldn't take it anymore I shot her one more time. she hit the ground like a ton of bricks. That was the last time she got up.

Congratulations! Sounds like a great hunt! I would like to see the pictures. Any animal taken under fair chase conditions is a trophy. Many times a wise old doe or cow is harder to take than a buck or bull.

Sounds like Straps for dinner tonite!!!


Remember my first like it was yesterday..........yesterday about 16 years ago!


Way to hang in there!!


Dave

The first handgun deer is always memorable. CONGRATS!! I took my first with a revolver at 35 yards 18 years ago. I got 2 doe that year and have been hooked on handguning ever since. I have either traded or sold of all my rifles.

You need to post pictures.

congratulations, it is indeed a trophy when you think it is a trophy, and you are the one that counts the most.... let's see some pictures,.... actually you did a great job of telling the story, you know these pages are off limits to anyone that is not a serious racounteer(sp?- spell it like you meant it) great job on all counts
Hogg

A trophy is in the eye of the beholder!! Congratulations on the hunt. Thanks for sharing the story!

Duane

Yessiree, that first handgun kill is like that first....well, it ain't that good but it runs a close (or distant) second!

Congrats, with many more to come!

Good job! A little more "field position" shooting will cure some of those wobbles.

I took my first handgun deer exactly 10yrs ago....medium doe, T/C Super 14 .44 Magnum, H110, 180gr Sierra, 4X Tasco Pro Class, and 90yds away. I can still see the fireball from the muzzle and her flip feet over head.

Oh yeah...took two shots. First was a clean miss, she stood still wondering what the sound was and I cranked hr with the second one.

The first one is always special-Congrats!!!

Congratulations! I know the excitment. I just recently took my first deer with handgun this year as well, definately exhilerating.

After getting skunked two mornings in a row, I took a walk
in the afternoon along the bank of a small stream behind our house. After walking about a
1/4 mile in reeds, I heard some shuffling to my right, and just a bit
beside and 10yds. in front of me this huge body exploads up of of the
reeds. I leveled my S&W Performance Center .357 on it and hastily fired one shot, missing,
and then gaining my composure I quickly followed up as it was going
away from me at about 25-30 yds out. The gun howled, and immediately
following I watched the Buck take a header. The handloaded 180 grain hollow-point entered just
below it's right antler, and exited the left cheek.

The face was VERY gray, definately an old boy, survived a lot of
years, and probably past it's prime, but still a nice trophy for a first time deer. It was definately a great experience.

You can see a picture under MY FIRST in the bragging board.

Good luck to you next year. From what I understand of the deer in your area, it won't be long before you have a handgun deer bagged that will make the deer in South Dakota look like button bucks.

congratulation, and as was said earlier, any animal taken and especially with a weapon that limits your playing field is a trophy.

Sorry it took so long, but here are a few pictures of my first handgun deer.
This first one is taken from the stand looking down at the scene of the crime.


Here she is close up along with my Smith and Wesson.


Finally here she is stretched out in the tree with the next generation!

Nice shot from an elevated position. Those are much harder!

Duane