MC blugrouse are IMHO the finest eating game birds around. That little 32 makes an excellent carry gun for that sort of target of opportunity. Years ago I carried either a 22 or a 32-20, but then they started getting persnickety about using a legal cartridge to finish off an animal, because some bored office person determined the gun used to administer the killing shot was actually the gun used to "take" the animal... 4 5/8 41 mag blackhawk fits that definition
Besides when slow hunting the thick timber I've many times been to close to get a shot with a scoped rifle, how cool it is to smack an elk in the back of the head at about 10 yds, with your handgun, and then listen to all the experts claim you can't hunt with a handgun, it ain't big enough, to much weight to carry..........
Yeah, I've carried my .357 Blackhawk and my .45 Colt Blackhawk in the mountains before. I just did that because....no real need for the handguns I suppose. I hunted the Guadalupe mountains NW of Carlsbad in the Queens, NM area, was within a long day's drive for me. Haven't been out there in over 20 years, though. I also had leases in a hunting club for a while west of the Pecos in west Texas, BIG leases out in the desert where I'd spot and stalk. BOY, I miss THAT!!
My favorite hiking guns, though, have always been medium frame .357s like the M19 Smith, 4", accurate, powerful enough for black bear. Last time I hiked, about 5 years ago in the Big Bend, I carried such a weapon in a fanny pack for self defense. There are signs in that park warning of the illegal traffic, drug smugglers and such. You can never be too careful. Even in my bad shape now, a 4 or 5 mile hike in rough country ain't too much for a 35 ounce revolver.
I carry my .38 ultralite in my right pocket and my NAA in my left daily, every hour of every day, Total combined weight is 22 ounces. Add a 19 ounce polymer .357 on my belt and I can STILL walk. LOL
Tolerable weight is subjective. I do know that lighter is better for the back packer, but I've never really hiked 14 miles in the back country in one day while hunting. I've done it just back packing, but a 5 mile round trip hunting is about as much as I've done. I never wanted to get too far in. If you shoot something, you're going to have to drag the thing out. Mule deer are a might heavier than the whitetails around here.
I've pulled mulies over 200 lbs dressed out while wearing a sidearm and carrying a Savage 110 in 7 mag. Ain't the lightest of rifles. I since acquired (won at a gun show raffle) an nice, light little .308 Remington M7 Stainless. That thing would be perfect for rough country if I could still handle it physically. But, it's short and also makes a great compact rifle for the box blind.
I some times get the big head and think I could handle another trip out there. Then, I go duck hunting in the public marsh and realize I'm not up to it. LOL I used to duck hunt that marsh 2-3 times a week. Now days, one hunt and it takes me a week to recover. Aging sux.