10-04-2001, 11:03 AM
PISTOLS CAN SAVE THE DAY<br>by Bill Vanderford<br><br>The first fingers of light that shot through the red and gold leaves which glistened with the morning dew gave the hunter perched twenty feet above the forest floor in a portable tree stand an eerie feeling. Nevertheless, with no wind blowing, he could practically hear every leaf that fell, so he slowly scanned the woods for any sign of movement.<br><br>Suddenly, he heard the distant sound of crunching leaves as something or someone in a hurry approached his position. He strained his eyes to see through the limbs and the mixture of sunlight and shadows of the beginning daylight, and quickly spotted a running deer. This, however, wasn’t a deer like any he had ever encountered in the past. It was a huge animal with a rack that would surely break any of the Boone and Crockett records.<br><br>The big buck finally stopped just below his position and slightly to one side. He had no time to shoulder his rifle, and the shot with a scope would have been too close and from an impossible angle. The frustrated hunter could only watch helplessly as the massive deer made a quick turn below his tree and bolted away on the blind side of the tree stand.<br><br>Though killing a big buck is never a "sure thing", thanks to a change in the Georgia laws several years ago, this hunter might have been more successful by taking a page out of the "Old West". A big caliber pistol would have at least allowed the hunter a shot at the deer with a good chance of making the kill.<br><br>Any pistol over a .357 magnum has the killing power to down a deer that comes closer than fifty yards, and for many deer hunters has become an integral part of their arsenal. The pistols smaller size makes it much easier to handle in the close quarters of a deer stand, and most any hunter can turn his body enough in the stand to find an opening for a good shot.<br><br>Pistols are only legal to carry during the gun seasons, and though smaller calibers with higher loads are allowed by Georgia law, most hunting experts agree on the need for big bore weapons like the .44 magnum. A deer shot in a vital spot with one of these big bore pistols usually goes down with one shot. The smaller caliber pistols, however, often allow a deer to run a good distance before bleeding to death, which sometimes makes them hard or impossible to locate.<br><br>Like any firearm, the pistol is only as good as the person using it, so one must stress safety and do some homework to be successful. A few sessions on a good firing range becoming familiar with this particular firearm will greatly enhance one’s chances if that buck of a lifetime comes close.<br><br>Bill Vanderford has won numerous awards for his writing and photography, and has been inducted into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Guide. He can be reached via his website at http://www.fishinglanier.com/.<br><br><br><br>Living to Fish and Fishing to Live<br>Bill Vanderford<br>www.fishinglanier.com<br>770-962-1241