How do you carry a sidearm while hunting?

Wolfshead

Wolfshead

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I’m looking for ideas how to carry while hunting.
More specifically my everyday carry sidearm, not to use as a hunting device but in case it’s needed for protection from four or two leggeds.
If you bring along your everyday carry while hunting, how do you bring it?
What holster do you use? Or, do you carry in a pack or pocket?
 
I think your normal edc gun is a great hunting companion. I often carry my LCP while bow hunting, scouting, or fishing. IMG_20210420_161351.jpg
In this picture my LCP is riding only on the techni-clip over the top of my hunting bibs.(empty chamber).
I also like to wear vests, sometimes I carry in the inner vest pocket.
Otherwise, I carry it iwb, as usual.
IMG_20210424_180046.jpg 20230518_171558.jpg
 
Strong side, pancake style holster. Sometimes I use my HPG recon kit bag, it just depends.

I rarely sling my rifle over my shoulder. I carry it cradled in my arms or propped up on my shoulder, therefore nothing is in the way of my right hip.
 
Generally the same way I do every other day. Not like I need something special as I am better armed than normal already.
 
In a scenario where I am not confident with my primary hunting weapon for SD(as in bow hunting or small game hunting with rimfire), I carry my Colt Government in a shoulder holster.
 
I don't carry my little CCW gun in the woods, I replaced my Glock 23 with a 1911 in 10mm. I will either carry this in a serpa holster on my right side, or crossdraw in the holster that is sewn to my hunting vest (which is in fact an old aviation survival vest that I repurposed for hunting).
 
I've used two styles of holster depending on which pistol I carry while hunting. For my SAA .45 colt I use an old crossdraw holster as it keeps the gun handy, and it also protects both the pistol and my hunting rifle from beating against each other. When I carry a semiauto handgun I carry an inside the pants strong side holster that I situate just behind my hip; again to keep the rifle from banging against it.
Anything I carry has to be handy to draw, but also has to ensure it's protected from getting beat up, or from bad weather conditions.
 
I carry a sidearm in a crossdraw holster on my weak side. Otherwise, the rifle, bow, or crossbow hit against it when walking especially with a rifle slung on my shoulder. It works well too when riding a horse out west.

When pistol hunting I also carry it this way. That way it doesn't jab me when riding in the truck.
 
I carry my handgun when hunting the same way as I would any other day. But I don’t pack in it otherwise have issues that would dictate a change.

I carry a Ruger Blackhawk in a Simply Rugged Sourdough pancake holster.
 
I'm another who simply carries his CCW gun - usually in the same way; strong side IWB or OWB, depending on the gun and the clothing.

Of course, folks who carry things like .380 autos will worry that they don't have enough horsepower for the task. I consider that a clue... :neener:
 
I have a dangle holster that attaches to the bottom of my chest bino harness carries a Glock 20 most hunts.

Western Hunter here, so my needs are probably different than some back east. Used to carry it on my hip/waist strap of my hunting pack, but didn't like the fact that if I wanted to leave my pack and hunt/scout without it for a period of time I'm without my Glock 20. Or if I'm field dressing my game I'll have my pack off and be without it. Having it on my bino harness allows for me to always have it on me, as the bino harness is not restrictive and something that I will want on my person anytime out in the field anyways.

As you can see I've gone through several iterations to get here, but feel this is the best solution, at least for where I hunt. Out west here, there are many occasions where I want to ditch my pack at a cache and climb a ridge to see what I can see.


Links, I have a different holster, FHF didn't offer this a few years ago when I set mine up, but its very similar holster, I'll see if I can find my holster as I feel its a little bit nicer than this.
FHF Gear Bino Harness
Glock 20 Holster
 
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Back in my younger days.....
I would carry my hunting revolver as well as my slug gun in case I had a opportunity for a close range shot on a deer.
I used a black cordura (uncle Mike's) holster rigged onto my tree stand safety harness shoulder strap. It was ingenious! It carried like a shoulder holster, and didn't interfere with my long gun.
 
Last time I went bear hunting, I hauled around a rifle and a 8 3/8" 44 Mag pistol for the first 4 or 5 days on horseback. Decided that I'd leave the rifle at the lodge and just carried the scoped 44 Mag in a Uncle Mike's Sidekick Vertical Shoulder Holster for the remainder of the hunt. Did not get the bear but also did not need to visit the chiropractor afterwards. 20+ miles per day on horseback was brutal...
 
I have morphed over the years but for a long time it was an Uncle Mikes nylon best holster. Last few years I have adopted using a Gunfighter's Inc chest holster, either with a G20 10mm or a S&W N Frame revolver. I wear it under my outer garment and carry my Binos over them. That way I can sling the rifle without interference or worrying about scratching the rifle or the handgun.

If I am hunting with a handgun, I use an El Paso Saddlery Tom Three Persons holster on my strong side, either a Ruger BH 44 Mag or 45 Colt or rarely a Freedom Arms 44 mag.
 
Wolfshead said:
If you bring along your everyday carry while hunting, how do you bring it?
What holster do you use?
Click to expand...
You didn't say what kind of hunting, but either of the two rigs in the pictures below should work for carrying a handgun while hunting (any kind of hunting) with a rifle, or maybe even
while hunting with a shotgun.
IMAG2884.jpg
That's my Glock 44 (same size as my EDC - my Glock 19) and while I don't carry a handgun while big game hunting with a rifle, I carry my Glock 44 while "hunting" ground squirrels with a rifle on our friend's ranch. I carry it tucked behind my right hip - the same way I carry my Glock 19 (in a different, easier to conceal holster, of course.)

1000000251.jpg
That's my wife ground squirrel "hunting" on our friend's ranch, and as you can see in the picture, she has a little Ruger Bearcat in a "pancake style" holster that she ordered from Leather Creek Holsters (I don't think they're still in business) a few years back. My wife likes crossdraw, and she has a Ruger Super Blackhawk that she carries the same way in a holster that she ordered from a local guy at a gunshow probably 20 years ago.
BTW, I used to carry a 7.5" Ruger Blackhawk 30 Carbine in a cheap "Hunter" brand leather holster (tucked behind my right hip) while pheasant hunting - in case I ran across a coyote that was too far away to shoot with my shotgun. And once I actually did drop a coyote that was crossing in front of us about 80 yards out. That was the best shot I've ever made with a handgun, and I never did tell my hunting buddies that it was also the luckiest shot I've ever made with a handgun. ;)
 
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