Take a gun fishing
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gamestalker
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For me the question should be, "when do you not carry a gun?". I carry all the time, every where I go, and I will drive way out of my way to avoid doing business with merchants that prohibit me from doing so. This was the first question I asked my banker, when I was deciding which institution to do business with. So to answer your question, yes I carry while fishing, golfing, grocery shopping, ect..
GS
GS
Gotta think it was the sound, not the "warning shot just in front of it's front legs"...bears aren't dumb, but I doubt that seeing a puff of dust at it's feet would turn around a charging grizzly.
Now the sound of a 500 S&W - that just HURTS!! I can't really even imagine how your cousin (or anyone) would fire one without hearing protection - and I can't imagine anyone having the composure to put "ears" when facing a charging bear (let along a grizzly). Plus most of the 500s I've seen have compensaters, so that makes them even louder (for the shooter). Just recently I was at the range (outdoors) and switched guns and was talking to my brother - I forgot to put my "ears" back on, took one shot with my .45 (a relatively quiet round compared to even a .357magnum, let alone something like a S&W 500) and my ears hurt! I've never fired a 500, but I owned a .44Mag and the thought of shooting it "Dirty Harry" style is just unimaginable.
Is your cousin deaf (now)?
I fly fish a lot in Northern Michigan. I carry a 4" Kimber Pro CDP in 45ACP. I'm far more worried about coming back to my vehicle alone and encountering a break in, than most critters. But I had to shoot a dog years ago, a rotweiler mix along with three other dogs had packed up and were feeding on a doe when I stumbled across them on my way out. The rotty came at me and I disposed of him with my Glock 23. The other dogs ran. It's the only time I've ever presented a weapon in self defense.
I do worry about the possibility of inadvertently getting between a Sow Black Bear and her cubs. Our streams are pretty tight up here and I encounter Black Bears usually a couple of times a season. As far as big Brown Bears, I do Katmai every other year in AK, but those bears are well fed and don't worry me too much if you use your head. But the bears in Montana worry me, they have to scrounge for a different meal every day, and I'm pretty slow in a pair of waders. I do have my eyes on a 4" 629 w/ 300 grain Buffalo Bores for some out west fishing.
I do worry about the possibility of inadvertently getting between a Sow Black Bear and her cubs. Our streams are pretty tight up here and I encounter Black Bears usually a couple of times a season. As far as big Brown Bears, I do Katmai every other year in AK, but those bears are well fed and don't worry me too much if you use your head. But the bears in Montana worry me, they have to scrounge for a different meal every day, and I'm pretty slow in a pair of waders. I do have my eyes on a 4" 629 w/ 300 grain Buffalo Bores for some out west fishing.
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mljdeckard
Member
My dad was a serious fly fisherman, and reflected how he wished he had a Ruger Bearcat .22 for snakes. (He had a Mk I and a Woodsman, but they wouldn't feed birdshot.) For father's day I got him a Single-Six, and he carried it with .22 mag birdshot for snakes, and he did kill a couple. My sister has it now.
Amen to that. I've killed a few cottonmouths with 9mm snakeshot here in FL when bass fishing.
slumlord44
Member
I live in Illinois and fish on public lands. Carrying is not a legal option at this time. Doubt if it will change with the new concealed carry law next year. Lots of restrictions. Never had a problem but would feel more comfortable armed.
Duff_McGruff
Member
What states require you to have a CCW to carry out in the woods? Here you don't need any permit to carry a gun outside city limits and off public roads. Concealed may be a different story but I generally just carry in a hip holster when out exploring/hunting/fishing
Duff_McGruff
Member
I've got my weapons permit so it doesn't matter for me, was just curious if anywhere required you to have a handgun license to carry it anywhere, not just concealed
In MI you can open carry outside pretty much anywhere short of the typical CCW exceptions (bars, churches, etc.). If you're fishing, open carrying, and you don't have a CPL I suggest you have a small game license. The other issue is if it's raining, snowing, and if you conceal them under your raincoat or inside your waders you'd better have a CPL. I carry inside my waders, and yes I have a CPL. MI use to have a limited "Hunting-trapping" CPL,, but that was before we became a shall issue state.
benEzra
Moderator Emeritus
When I was a young child (mid-1970s), my dad was accosted late one night in a deserted National Forest river access area while getting set to go gigging for flounder. The two guys looked at each other, backed off, and left when they saw he was wearing a Ruger .22 pistol on his belt. I'm glad he had it.
smalls
Member
Not necessary. But if you're fishing, I recommend a fishing license
. I usually take my shirt off at the lake, which means I'm OC'ing while fishing, and I've never even been asked about my pistol by DNR. I fish on Lake St. Clair, and there's always customs officers either driving or walking up and down the pier, and they've never even looked twice at it, either.
lemaymiami
Member
I've already posted on this thread but it was brought to mind last Friday morning when I came off the water at 4Am after a late night charter.... I normally use a local Biscayne Bay urban ramp with a bad reputation... and this morning was no exception. Im still not carrying a sidearm and haven't regretted that choice (so far....). Nothing like the urban jungle to keep you paying attention to your surroundings though.
Flintknapper
Member
I can easily believe it.
While I would not argue that a 'committed' charge by a Brown/Grizzly bear is unlikely to be thwarted by a single 'warning' shot, we don't know the true intent of the bear mentioned.
In the two videos below (both involving a sow with cubs), the bears are making a calculated 'charge' with the expectation that the intruders will be intimidated and flee. When that didn't happen, they quickly broke off the aggression, but the 'charge' certainly was NOT entirely bluff!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3VdxHvQqsk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUG8UPsgE3U
Esoxchaser
Member
I always have something in the glove box of the boat. I just have to make sure I stay off the Canadian side of the lake and rivers........
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