I had a situation squirrel hunting yesterday where the animal did not die immediately after being shot. I had to finish him off with my knife and that wasn't instantaneous either. Like all ethical hunters I want the quickest and cleanest kill possible, but things won't necessarily always go that way. I still feel terrible about it and want to figure out a corrective practice.

To dispatch a wounded animal I assume you'd have to use something otherwise legal as an arm for hunting that animal. So that could mean a centerfire revolver at close range to the head for a deer, or a rimfire revolver for small game. But the special regulation areas do not include any handguns for legal hunting.

It just seems like ethics don't line up with the game laws in this situation.

Who carries a revolver for this purpose? What does everyone do in the situation of a wounded animal? Any comment for special regulation areas specifically?

Thanks.