I've killed a few stillhunting, and counted coup on some others during squirrel season, which is a great time to practice. The problem around here is finding a place where it is safe and effective due to hunting pressure.
My best buck ever was taken by following up after a miss with a handgun. I was hunting with my son and we followed the tracks verrry slowly down the narrow ridge the little herd had taken. After a bit, I spotted some deer below me and then the buck, at about 75 yards. My son couldn't see them in the heavy cover, so I said, "Gimme that rifle", rested it against a tree and shot him through the shoulders. He reared up like a horse and fell over backwards. When we got close, we couldn't see antlers and my son said, "Dad, what did you do?", since only bucks were legal. I walked over and pulled his head out of the leaves, revealing a nice 8-point rack, not great, but solid, and better than any I'd taken before or since. The rifle was a J.C. Higgins Model 50 .30/06 with a Williams receiver sight and a front blade I made by cutting down a brass sight made for muzzleloaders and painting it orange. Probably the toughest shot I've ever made on a deer.
