Carrying a self-defense gun while hunting

Man, I love hunting private land......

My state allows it, even while bow hunting. I don't carry a (SD)firearm while gun hunting, just my personal preference. I do, however, ALWAYS carry while fishing.

My Jframe goes with me just like it does most other places.

Just about any center fire caliber is legal for deer around here. I do not think that has always been the case though. I believe there was a minimum case length at one time. I am not sure as I only recently got into hunting.

We can carry a firearm while bow hunting, but only for the more dangerous game like bears. Not for deer.

I carry a concealed handgun almost all the time when hunting. If the caliber is legal for the game I'm hunting, I may carry it open. With no dangerous game around here, 2 legged predators are the primary concern, not only while in the woods, but on the way there and back. Many has been the time when I come back to the truck to see someone else or a strange vehicle there and all I had for hunting was a bow.

I carry a handgun with me when ever I hunt. I do hunt on private land but one never knows. I just don't believe a sign will stop people from being stupid or evil. Just my thoughts from the Big Sky Country, Montana.

Always carry, everywhere. I hunt my own private land, but it is in the middle of meth head land. Too many whack o people around today regardless of where you are.

Well, don't mistake, I carry 24/7 whenever I have pants on, hunting or not. The handgun is my weapon of choice for self defense. It would behoove me to have one on me if and when I might need it. You just never know when you're going to need it, though I must admit, all I've shot recently with my .38 is a chicken coop marauding stray dog and 3 cottonmouths. My revolver comes in handy for more than bad guys out here in the sticks.

I started about fifteen years ago while carrying a bow.

Spring of 2000 or 2001, dad was flint hunting and got backed a couple hundred yards to his truck by several tick infested chows and two boxers.

Later that same fall my brother was bowhunting a newly acquired property and had quite a time and numerous threats from some of the locals.(You know, killing their deer and all)

That year convinced me that it's never a bad idea to have a back-up plan.

Until it was legal in my state, I'd keep my SP 101 unloaded but handy with ammo in easy reach, once it was legal it was a no brainer.

It sure doesn't hurt to prepare for the unexpected.

I have a carry permit issued by my county Sheriffs Department. I carry 99% of the time anyways and do while hunting also.

If one thinks that they will have to defend against someone armed with a rifle, it is foolish to carry only a pistol. I typically do carry a pistol as a backup while hunting.

I carry a Glock 19 and two spare mags when hunting or in the woods for any reason. You never know what you are going to stumble upon.

I have always carried a sidearm while hunting...just one of the things I do. I carry an assortment of my favorites, mostly 44 specials...mainly though, a Cimarron, but sometimes, one of the Ruger flattops.

I have either my G19, or G29 on me most of the times I'm hunting. It depends on the areas I'm hunting.

Man, I love hunting private land......

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Why would you think the possibility of a confrontation is any less on private land?

I carry normally a .357 mag up to a .44 mag in a shoulder holster depending on my mood, not just for defense against an angry boar, buck, or human filth but also loaded with snake shot, I'm more concerned about western diamond backs than meth dealers in the woods or brush don't mean it ain't a possibility however.

MCgunner said:

Man, I love hunting private land......

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Me, too, but I still carry a CCW in addition to the rifle and hunting sidearm. I live not far from where six people were gunned down on their own land by a tresspassing hunter.

+1 for the always carry crowd.

Most of my hunting is right outside my backdoor and I carry whatever I would normally be carrying that day in addition to whatever I'm hunting with.

If I am venturing out onto public land I always bump up to a midsize (12 rounds 9mm) or full size 1911 and carry a spare mag or two. There is lots of meth and other drug problems in the areas I hunt and trail ride. I've never come across anything but I have passed some pretty questionable people on forest roads and had a few bug me about where I'm am going and what I am doing. We were riding in a new area once and were taking a shortcut back to camp down a forest road and had a young guy come flying up on us in an old truck and demand to know where we were going, and kept telling us the outpost was the opposite direction. He seemed kind of strung out and was very insistent that we must be looking for the outpost and were going the wrong way. I was glad there was a trailhead 100 yards away and we could get off the road as soon as I got him to leave (wasn't going to turn my back to him and ride away). You just never know who you're dealing with anymore.

I don't know what I'd do if I was warned that there was a gang of criminals roaming the woods causing trouble. When you hear a warning like that about a particular part of town you don't go there anymore. I'm pretty good about seeing other folks before they see me in the woods, and I'd hate to give up hunting but that is a tough call.

I stopped deer hunting years ago, but when I did, I always carried my S&W 686.

It was common back then for drug runners coming up from Mexico to blend in with hunters when hunting in southern Arizona.

dirtengineer said:

If one thinks that they will have to defend against someone armed with a rifle, it is foolish to carry only a pistol. I typically do carry a pistol as a backup while hunting.

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When a man with a pistol meets a man with a rifle, the man with a pistol is a dead man.

The Alaskan said:

When a man with a pistol meets a man with a rifle, the man with a pistol is a dead man.

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If the man doesn't even have a gun then he will surely will be a dead man!!! He may at least have a chance with a pistol. The first rule of a gun fight is have a gun!!

Man, where you are at where you have poachers with suppressed weapons and leopards to deal with? I'd like to make sure I'm not wandering around in your woods even with my .38spl...

But a Glock will change the odds to your favor

I carry a sidearm when I hunt. For every thing but deer rifle season I carry my para warthog ( normal concealed carry gun ). For rifle season I carry a hot loaded ruger black hawk in 45 colt. It is used as a utility gun to finish off deer or maybe a close deer while stalking. Good defense sidearm too as it really packs a punch!