Well, after a mediocre season, I was finally able to get out and hunt during our Iowa late muzzleloader season. It's legal here to hunt with a handgun during this season, plus it's a little longer than most, so I wait until its cold and head out.
I had only been able to get out and spot around a couple of mid-days and hadn't seen anything to get too excited about. Well Christmas night, my wife gave me a kitchen pass and I was able to locate one that was worth getting excited about. I shoot 44 specials, and I know that I am part of a little cult, but I just love the round and love shooting it and know its limitations. So the Freedom Arms 97 that I bought this off-season and topped with a Leupold 2.5x8 made the trip with me. I had a Python on my hip in case one got super close, but it was all for naught.
The temp in Iowa was about 17 with 15 to 20 mph winds, about 6 inches of snow on the ground, perfect. I was able to get into a terrace about 40 yards short of where I wanted to be when I spotted deer coming down the fencerow at me. I was stuck. After a short wait and being perfectly still, the little bucks and does fed off. As the last of the deer I had seen bugged out, I look up and see a dandy in the timber 200 yards out. He gave me about 10 seconds of wonder-lust and disappeared. Crap! God bless the neighbor, he missed the deer I had been watching 5 minutes later and he came blasting out 150 yards in front of me. At least he was still alive, but gone for the day.
December 26, I got off work late and subsequently am late getting to my fencerow. As I pull into the cornfield to glass, then get dressed, I see one deer out. It's him! I can't get dressed fast enough or low enough behind the pickup, but finally get it done and off I go. He's at 200 yards and moving my way. I tuck behind the drifted over fence and start his way. As I peek over the top to check him, he's at the end of the terrace that I wanted to be in, 125 yards away. Ugh! I sneak about 10 more steps and check again and he has stepped away from the terrace, 102 yards away, but straight on. Well, I thumb the FA and wait. He takes 2 or 3 steps, and turns broadside. I remember the recoil, but never heard the gun go off. A big classic kick/buck and he off. He went about 150 yards, stopped, stood there for about 5 minutes, then bedded. I snuck up and put a finisher in him taking out a shoulder. My biggest buck ever, and by far with a handgun.
It was truly a Merry Christmas for me. Hope the pics turn out on here okay. Pythonhunter
