Carrying Pistol While Hunting

[RoninAmok]

Originally Posted by 1142

Are you squirell hunting?
I never feel a need to carry a pistol into the woods with me when I have a high powered rifle. But then again I usually walk several miles in rugged terain when Im hunting so weight is a factor. What's the purpose of a sidearm when hunting with a rifle and in what situations would it be required or useful?

Spent a lot of time in the Far North in Bear country have you? Or Calif or Texas in this brush hog country?

Get back to us when you have. And *thousands* of folks in those locales will dispute your rather overbearingly delivered opinion above.

[RockyMtnGobblers]

I always take my rugar 357 mag. in just a plane nylon holster on my hip and use hollow point ammo.

[delphidad]

I have a very sad story about carrying while hunting. I was 15 or 16 and my dad gave me a nice gp100 .357. Then one day (that same year) I went hunting with a friend, and his family. His dad dropped us kids off to walk down through an area to another road where he was to pick us up. I was proudly wearing the revolver on my hip in a leather holster with a thumb break strap. We walked through over fallen logs and dense brush and came out on the other road. Once there I noticed the holster was empty. We spent the better part of the day backtracking and searching to no avail. Lifes hard lessons.

[old corvus 41]

Yes I carry a pistol while hunting. There are snakes, coyotes and other critters that I might need to deal with. And you never know what kind of people might be out there. Sometimes I carry a Springfield XD because it's light and easy to conceal. Or I might opt to pack the Ruger Redhawk as it's powerfull enough to drop large game.

[Scotticus]

In Iowa, if you are BOWHUNTING for deer, legally you can NOT carry a gun even if you have a CCW permit. Really sucks because even though we're not much for bear or snakes around here but there are some mountain lions in the hills.

[old corvus 41]

Originally Posted by Scotticus

In Iowa, if you are BOWHUNTING for deer, legally you can NOT carry a gun even if you have a CCW permit. Really sucks because even though we're not much for bear or snakes around here but there are some mountain lions in the hills.

That sounds like a potentially dangerous situation that hunters in your state need to bring to the attention of the legislators. The laws should permit hunters to at least carry a handgun for protection. Everyone concerned about the problem should pressue the state to change the CCW permit to allow hunters to be safer. A good place to start might be with your distric rep. and then your state reps. And keep trying. Considerable effort was made to get Ky. to bend on the issue.

[Scotticus]

Thanks, Corvus, for the suggestion. Our DNR just had statewide public input sessions regarding next fall's hunting regs. I requested that section of the regulations be removed and the DNR said they would discuss it. That's a start.

[larryp]

I usually carry a 5 1/2" Colt SAA in .44 special in a western holster when out hunting or doing anything in the woods. I wear a straight belt as opposed to a buscadero rig and the holster is an authentic reproduction of a style popular in Montana in the 1880's.http://www.oldwestreproductions.com/...ails.cfm?id=13

[DeltaS]

Originally Posted by WonderMonkey

I carry my pistol while hunting. Snakes, bear, brontosaurus, etc. However I carry it in my Maxpedition, not exactly accessible as quickly as I would like. How do you, if you do, carry yours? I carried on my hip once as I would in public but kept getting in the way of everything.

Any suggestions, photos, paypal donations, etc. are appreciated.

Like this:

[44 Flattop]

Originally Posted by larryp

I usually carry a 5 1/2" Colt SAA in .44 special in a western holster when out hunting or doing anything in the woods. I wear a straight belt as opposed to a buscadero rig and the holster is an authentic reproduction of a style popular in Montana in the 1880's.http://www.oldwestreproductions.com/...ails.cfm?id=13

Our tastes are awfully similiar, Larry

I pack either a 4 3/4" or a 5 1/2" Ruger Flattop in .44 mag in an El Paso Saddlery 1880 crossdraw holster http://www.epsaddlery.com/pc-25-68-1...r-holster.aspx on a 3" belt by the same company. Been using it for over 30 years and it is more comfortable every day I strap it on. Don't even notice it due to the wide belt.

44