Who carries a sidearm while hunting?

[Ben Shepherd]

Only other critter that ever scared me that much was coming across a badger at about 12'. Them little fellers have no sense of humor.

They ain't got no quit neither, if you get 'em riled.

And as others have mentioned, with a scoped rifle, if it's up close, personal, and fast, what do you do with a scope full of hair, assuming you can bring it to bear in time?

 

[ftballgod]

i started to carry a handgun with me 2 years ago. i made sure it had a long enough barrel because i wanted to take a deer with the handgun. i still carry my rifle becasue i dont want to miss out on a monster buck becasue he is 200 yards away and all i have is my handgun. plus, i live in wisconsin. in milwaukee. we can "open carry" but its hard to do without getting in trouble. so this just gives me an oppertunity to carry.

 

[AZAK]

Always and for many years; since I first started hunting. Also carry bear spray for quite a number of years now. (Where I live there are more moose and bears than people by far.)

I generally view handguns and bear spray as "defensive" weapons, and long guns as "offensive" weapons. Kind of like football, and there have been times when the "other team" has had the ball and been awfully close.

 

[BillCA]

Thirty years ago the thought wouldn't have occurred to me to bring along a handgun. Typically we'd drive out to the mountains for a 3-day weekend hunt and I'd bring the .30-06 and a .22 bolt rifle for potting game or plinking.

That all changed when I went bear hunting one year. Bruins have no social graces and will come visting after you've gone to sleep. Trying to maneuver a 28" long rifle inside a small tent with a bear outside can really stress you out. Fortunately it ended well.

Since then, I've always taken a handgun with me. Camping, fishing or hunting. A .357 or larger is preferred. In some areas, closer to the cities, I might carry a 9mm in case of the two-legged varmints show up. As I get older, I'm more likely to end up the cook for a hunting trip so I keep a .357 holstered for any kind of unwanted visitors.

 

[darkgael]

yes

I carry a .22 snubbie when out hunting with a rifle or shotgun.
Pete

 

[rantingredneck]

Here in Texas if you have a CHL, you can carry out carry piece while even bow hunting!

Sadly, that is one thing that we can't do here..............

 

[shortwave]

Yes, I do ccw when hunting.
About 15 yrs. ago during our deer bow season, I ran across a fellow that had set up camp on the back side of Lake Logan in Southeastern Ohio.

Friend of mine lives very close to this remote spot. Told him what I found and he, in turn, called Lake Logan Patrol. Patrol investigated and come to find out, this guy was an escaped felon.

Moral of the story, You just never know!

 

[OkieCruffler]

Yeap, everytime, it's the rifle I don't carry.

 

[Couzin]

Yes, carry a revolver everytime in the woods. There are way too many meth camps and the cooks in these parts.

 

[Willis83]

Like the other guys that posted, I carry my CCW when hunting for personal protection. Same reason I carry my CCW all the time. That is minimal bulk and weight though. Less than two lbs. counting gun, holster and reload.

In my hunting area, the only very remote dangerous game is the very, very, very rare mountain lion. So I see no reason for carrying a powerful (e.g. .357 or .44Mag) and heavy (3lbs plus) full size gun meant to do what the rifle will. After a few hrs. it will feel like a boat anchor and I wish I would have left it home. And the rifle does the job so much better and easier. I carry a few extra rounds for my rifle instead.

I do like the idea of carrying a light, compact and accurate .22LR sidearm for squirrels and rabbits. Carried my RugerMKII .22LR w/ 4 3/4" bbl. part on one deer hunting season but found it too heavy and bulky. A S&W Model 63 w/ 3" bbl looks to be a good option.

 

[alienbogey]

Lots of good reasons given for carrying a sidearm while hunting with a long gun, I'll add mine:

• While hunting wild pigs on a buddy's ranch in CA it's usually better to go into thick brush with a (big) handgun over a scoped rifle - it can be brought to bear much quicker and multiple shots are quicker, too. (That said, my buddy brings a 12 gauge with slugs for brush busting)

• Backup firepower - One time on a pig hunt per the above we got into a big group of pigs (the ranch has a depredation permit, there is no limit, and his dad wants to eliminate as many as possible). My friend got the first shot, the herd scattered like quail, and after I emptied my .30-30 I dropped it, drew my Blackhawk and got 3 more shots off. ( The two of us got 13 pigs from that one group )

• I hunt deer on another friend's ranch in Eastern WA. The river bottom is choked with brush and for some reason ( ) I'm often the guy picked to go thrash around in it to try and stir things up while the others are on stands on the hillsides. My '06 stays on my shoulder for that and my Blackhawk is in my hands to give myself a chance at a shot while in brush that is sometimes over my head.

• Finally, fifteen years ago I lucked out and drew a desert bighorn tag. On the 9th day of the hunt, solo, I got the ram. I came down off the mountain to my truck with my pack loaded with head and cape and my unloaded rifle over my shoulder. Unbeknownst to me, just one ridge over was a criminal subject to an enormous manhunt - the night before he had stolen a truck, killed a Nevada cop, run the truck out of gas, then hiked into the desert. One ridgeline prevented him from seeing my truck and waiting there for me, and I would have walked up to it tired, loaded down with a heavy pack, and (essentially) unarmed. I ALWAYS carry a sidearm now regardless of the hunt I'm on, whether pigs, deer, ducks, whatever. Sometimes it's OC because it might be used on the hunt, other times concealed.

 

[Jamisjockey]

What do you do with your rifle while you're:

-Entering/exiting your vehicle

-Climbing or crossing a fence

-Cleaning a kill

-Working around camp

-Taking a whizz

Also, a long arm is, well, long. If you're surprised by a top-tier predator, you might lose control of the long arm. Another factor, ammunition capacity. Some states limit the amount of rounds you can carry in the hunting weapon. What do they call that, a New York Reload?
Another consideration is the type of hunting you're doing. A small bore bird or small game rifle/shotgun isn't much match against a 2 or 4 legged predator. And then there is the archery or BP hunter.

I carry my GP100 in the woods. Period.

 

[HighExpert]

I carry an S&W Model 66 2" with 3 rounds of snake shot backed up by 3 rounds of JHP. Have you ever tried to hit a snake with your high powered rifle from 4 feet or use your crossbow? It is not easy.

 

[Winterhawk56]

Never leave home without it! Depending on what I am hunting, it will be one of three, S&W 500 Mag, Ruger Super black hawk .44 mag, or S&W 686 .357 mag. Hiking I always carry the S&W 686 or Colt .357 mag with 125 Grn JHP's

Great reading!

 

[rickdavis81]

I do while bow hunting, rifle hunting, checking trail cameras or pretty much anything outdoors. Where I hunt we've seen emus (farmer lost them out of pen), hogs and a big cat.

 

[mchgnmike]

I always carry a side arm when firle hunting. I had a basic but custom rig made for me. It is a Cross-Draw Flap Lined Holster for my New Model Ruger .45LC/.45ACP 4 5/8" convertible with a Ammo Wallet that holds 6 .30-06 rounds and 12 .45LC rounds and a leather AR-15 Magazine Pouch for when I am hunting with my new 6.8SCP Carbine.

I really like this rig because I can sit down without having to adjust my holster around the chair. The revolver is totally protected by having the flap over it and the to different ammo carriers so I can hunt with either of my two .30-06 rifles or my AR Carbine.

I decided two years ago when all the deer I shot were in pistol range that I was going to start carrying the revolver. I think it would be so cool harvesting deer, hogs and varmints with my revolver.

Now I have two choices, the long gun and the pistol. The rifle or carbine always has a sling on it and the revolver rig is not a problem to wear so I do wear it. Unfortunately I cannot wear the revolver rig when I am bow hunting it Texas. I don't understand why, I mean anyone can tell if a deer was shoot with a pistol or an arrow.

Here is a pic of me and my youngest turkey hunting last season with my revolver rig on.

 

[bamaranger]

not legal but

I normally bow hunt deer 40-50 hunts (not days) a year in our 100+ day season. Though not legal in AL, I will typically have a Ruger Bearcat in the pocket of my big wool pants.

For two reasons:
-though not a SD firearm or ctg, it sure beats my bare hands, or my bow. It is not unusual to see thugs on the roads or in the parking areas. The little Bearcat is a comfort.

-unless I'm afoot, scouting, all of these hunts are from treestands, usually
the climbing variety. In the event of a fall, and subsequent suspension, and I am unable to recover to the stand, I figure I can signal with the little revolver. A box of 50 ctgs fits easily in my climbing vest. Somebody will start looking, eventually, and find my rusty old Bronco. It won't be long till they hear the std 3 shot signal. Louder than any whistle, but I keep one of those on a lanyard as well.

 

[Remington 51]

I carry a .22 auto when deer hunting with a muzzleloader. When using centerfine rifle, usually not.

I carry a centerfire pistol/revo, usually concealed, when just hiking around.

 

[OttoJara]

I will carry my Taurus Judge while hunting, heck, that's one of the main reasons my wife was OK with the purchase. I told her it was for snakes while I'm hunting with my sons.

 

[GunsAreGood]

The two of us got 13 pigs from that one group

Thats a lot of pigs to clean.