Hi all. For some reason I like to strap on my GP100 when I hunt and it really doesn't matter what we are hunting. I don't see many people doing it. Is it odd or bad protocol of some kind? Just getting back into hunting after many years. Had a good time on opening day of dove season here in NC. Didn't fare very well myself, but fun nonetheless.
Carry a sidearm during a hunt?
- Thread starter baddarryl
- Start date
rotten mick
New member
Yes I do. I know some states require a min length barrel and caliber though to use it for hunting small vs larger game but as a SD gun Im always carrying.
tahunua001
New member
I carry my XDM45 every time I go hunting in the woods, that's bear, wolf and cat country. if I'm going to be in lower elevations in fields and drainages then I normally don't since the only thing there is cats and they are few and far between.
most of the time I'm only after deer, elk, and turkey. all the other critters are not something I normally hunt but have the tags incase I encounter them.
most of the time I'm only after deer, elk, and turkey. all the other critters are not something I normally hunt but have the tags incase I encounter them.
Most of the time no. I see no real need for the extra weight for hunting. I do at times hunt on some public land where I have to park miles from civilizaton. Leaving the truck before sunup and returning after sundown I often carry either my G-19 or G-26 in the event I had unwanted visitors waiting at the truck when I return. Never had a problem, but I have encountered some people in these areas that left a bad feeling as to why they were there. No way I'd carry a steel revolver or 1911 up and down the mountains along with everything else that has to go in the daypack.
Mountainman6
Inactive
I don't really feel the need to carry a hand gun on a hunt! But some time times I do take my gun with me mainly because I drive a jeep wrangler with a soft top and depending on where I leave my jeep I don't want it to get broken into and loose a firearm! But there are times when I've had to track a wounded deer and I carry my handgun cause when you are crawling around in thicket and briars that big bad rifle can really get in the way!
big al hunter
New member
That depends on the state you live in.
In Washington if you are hunting, or traveling to or from hunting, you can carry concealed without a permit.
Not all states are so inclined.I usually carry either my Ruger single six 22 lr ( if I'm headed for an area with grouse) or my Ruger redhawk 44 mag. Occasionally I only carry handguns
then it is the Ruger redhawk 44 mag as backup for my super redhawk 454 scoped.FrankenMauser
New member
I usually carry something. What I'm hunting, where I'm hunting, what firearms are legal, how much weight I want to deal with, and which holsters I remember to bring factor into what I choose to carry. Sometimes it's a Browning Buckmark. Sometimes it's a Ruger P95. Sometimes it's one of my .327s. For most big game hunts, it's my Super Blackhawk.
Sometimes I carry to bag dinner. Sometimes I carry as a close-range or coup de grâce option. Sometimes I carry for 2-legged and 4-legged predators.
During big game hunts, I cannot carry the .22, even if I want to. They are prohibited on the "temporary game preserves" that exist any time a big game hunt is going on. And, depending on the state I'm hunting in, and the animal I'm pursuing, I may not be able to carry the .327s, 9mm, or even a .357, either.
Sometimes I carry to bag dinner. Sometimes I carry as a close-range or coup de grâce option. Sometimes I carry for 2-legged and 4-legged predators.
During big game hunts, I cannot carry the .22, even if I want to. They are prohibited on the "temporary game preserves" that exist any time a big game hunt is going on. And, depending on the state I'm hunting in, and the animal I'm pursuing, I may not be able to carry the .327s, 9mm, or even a .357, either.
357 Revolver with 190 grain cast loads.
Used it to put down the last gemsbok I shot, last month.
I regard a sidearm as essential because a rifle at short range makes a mess and you don't want to grab a critter by the horns to cut its throat and find out it's still got some life left in it. I have some friends to whom this has happened and while it's entertaining to listen to their stories I'd rather not go there myself...
Used it to put down the last gemsbok I shot, last month.
I regard a sidearm as essential because a rifle at short range makes a mess and you don't want to grab a critter by the horns to cut its throat and find out it's still got some life left in it. I have some friends to whom this has happened and while it's entertaining to listen to their stories I'd rather not go there myself...
bamaranger
New member
yeah, but not what you think
I used to carry a full size pistol of some sort when gun hunting deer, on the premise that I would plink a close range one with the handgun. That never seemed to happen, and it was just more stuff/ammo/holster to tote along and I quit doing it.
What I AM doing on a regular basis, while bow hunting deer in fall, and spring gobbler in April, is dropping the little Ruger Bearcat in my pocket. Its near unnoticeable, and 50 rds neatly packaged is no big deal either (the old GI FA pouch and a ziplock bag works well). No real design on it as a SD weapon, though in a pinch?????, and no real survival on small game intensions,.....what I see it as is a signal device if I suffer a fall or illness. Think of it as a phone you can shoot!
I used to carry a full size pistol of some sort when gun hunting deer, on the premise that I would plink a close range one with the handgun. That never seemed to happen, and it was just more stuff/ammo/holster to tote along and I quit doing it.
What I AM doing on a regular basis, while bow hunting deer in fall, and spring gobbler in April, is dropping the little Ruger Bearcat in my pocket. Its near unnoticeable, and 50 rds neatly packaged is no big deal either (the old GI FA pouch and a ziplock bag works well). No real design on it as a SD weapon, though in a pinch?????, and no real survival on small game intensions,.....what I see it as is a signal device if I suffer a fall or illness. Think of it as a phone you can shoot!
I used to carry a revolver when I first started hunting. Then I finally got tired of checking the regs everyplace I went, having to worry about transporting it and lugging the weight of gun, holster and ammo over hill and dale.
So I stopped. That was 20+ years ago and I've never found an occasion when I needed one.
So I stopped. That was 20+ years ago and I've never found an occasion when I needed one.
Yes, I carry a sidearm while deer hunting, normally before the first frost. Here in deep South Louisiana, we're normally hunting for several weeks before the first good frost and the snakes are known to be active during late mornings. I carry a revolver loaded with shot cartridges.