Sidearms when hunting

Colt45 mentioned extra shells for distress needs and I was wondering how many carry a pistol when hunting? Since I do I was wondering how many more take some extra firepower if needed. Only used it once and that was for a hog that was close enough for me to put down.

I think technology has surpassed the three shot distress criteria.

I carry same gun every day, only time I’ve switched was when hunting griz country and I switched to my 357 sig from my 9. . Not sure if switch next time. A lot of weight difference

BOBO I agree on the technology aspect I was just mainly wondering who carried a pistol with them while they are hunting.

I think it's second nature if you EDC already, at least in my head it seems that way

If I'm carrying a rifle, I don't see the point in the extra weight. The only exception is specifically hunting bears, just in case something goes horribly wrong. Hunting other game in grizzly country, I carry bear spray in addition to the rifle.

I always have a pistol with me hunting or not. Rarely use it but I EDC so it's not really extra. For the farm it's mainly used dispatching coons caught in hand traps. Some times snakes if they're venomous and I'm in a bad mood.

I always carry a 9mm just because.

I always carry my .45 when hunting or just messing around my place in East Texas.

I carry my 1911 when I bow hunt, mostly for pigs.
I carry my S&W .357 magnum when I hunt in the mountains. Mainly for bears, cougars and piece of mind.
I never carry while gun hunting in Texas. My rifle is enough for me.

Normally, I do the same with a 9mm.....being in the East Texas woods.

Hunting, especially rifle hunting is about the only time I don't carry a pistol. I mean I've already got a rifle if I can't handle it with that I probably can't handle it. I figure I'm about a million times safer stumbling around in the woods at night than at a gas station in the middle of the day

I keep a glock 43 in my bag.

I don't normally take a sidearm when I'll be hunting from a blind (with rifle) but anytime I am going to check game cameras, fill feeders or check fence-line I carry my
1911 45acp.

As above... this is East Texas woods. I have walked up on hogs on more than one occasion. So its nice to have a way to shoot them.

Sometimes. If a 22 rimfire- for small game up close when I am really hunting deer. If you sit on the ground- also handy if a deer comes in on the "wrong side" and you can't move the rifle to your other shoulder without being noticed.

I carry daily so when hunting the 38 is still there

Always carry when hunting.

Always have a 40 or 45 on my side........ALWAYS!

Always carry.

In city FN 509c.

Hunting XDM 10mm, loaded with buffalo bore.

When hunting ?

Sometimes nothing.
Sometimes a MK II Ruger
Sometimes a SBH Ruger
Sometimes a 45ACP something

Depends on where and when

"I figure I'm about a million times safer stumbling around in the woods at night than at a gas station in the middle of the day"

Exactly! I almost always have a stainless SW 63 22 on, when it the woods for shooting grouse or varmints. As for gas stations, I only go there, and pay at the pump with a card. NEVER go inside a convenience store at night! If the sign says no cards, see cashier, or pay first I just drive on to another one (in a better part of town).

If hunting hogs or just working at the ranch I always carry a sidearm. If spot-and-stalk hunting, same thing. If I'm just going to go sit in a blind, it's hit-or-miss.

10mm to 500jrh usually 44mag.

Am I completely reading this wrong, or are you saying you carry a .22 pistol to shoot deer with if they come up on the wrong side of you?

I started carrying my 9mm when I first got on my new lease just in case I stumbled on some meth heads that had bad intentions..... when I got comfortable with the area, I stopped toting the extra weight.

Always...the firearm in my collection that has taken more animals than anything else is the Glock 43 9mm I carry every day (When not carrying a Glock 22 Gen 4 .40 on duty).

Around two dozen Raccoons, 6 Possums caught in Raccoon traps, numerous Armadillos, numerous Rabbits, numerous Copperheads.

As many have mentioned so far in this thread, I hunt East Texas also where you are almost as likely to encounter a two legged varmint as a four legged varmint.

Carry all the time, or get real good at guessing.

Yes, carry a pistol. I’d rather have it and not need it than not have it and need it.

Yes… Sig P220 Hunter 10mm

Charlie

I was wondering about this the other day and if anyone would even recognize the three shots anymore and come to help. So I tried it out while out pig hunting last week. Shot three times in the air and waited, and waited. Nothing. Shot 3 more and waited. Nothing. So I gave up and spent the rest of the night looking for my arrows.

1964 Ruger Bearcat is always on me while hunting.

Sometimes I will strap on the old holster and carry a old revolver.

Kel-Tec P32 fits nicely in a jacket pocket.

When my dad had property in denton, he would ask me to go check on it. One time I ran into 3 trespassers and I felt very vulnerable. Never again I go into the woods without rifle/shotgun and 357revolver.

Eugene

I carry a minimum of 1 handgun 24/7 everywhere, always have a pocket pistol. When deer hunting, I typically carry an old High Standard Double 9 - 22 on my hip for popping rabbits or rattlers on my way back to camp for a snack. That pistola has also been used to finish off chingos of critters, and that's all I use for killing pigs in traps. Depending on where I'm hunting in S Texas, the 22 stays in the truck and I carry my XD 40 with a Streamlight. Once you have a group of illegals walk up on you at camp and surprise you, you'll change your way of thinking about carrying a sidearm while hunting.

Ever had an illegal try to get in the blind with you? I pretty much carry an AR pistol chambered in 300 BO everytime I go to the stand now.

One time. I felt the blind moving and then heard someone coming up the steps. I opened the door and yelled about as loud as I could, scared the bejesus out of them. I almost fired a couple warning shots, but didn't. You never know which one of them is carrying a gun and what they may do, so being stuck in an elevated box blind is a bad place to be if they return fire lol.

Yeah, that's good gun control. Remember the part about always knowing your backstop?

LOL. Which one of you had to clean out your drawers?

I carry every day regardless. When I am in the woods, I sometimes switch to .357, but always carry. My Blackhawk has probably killed more pigs than any other gun that I own.

Wondered how bad it had gotten

Actually pretty funny joke.

HA - i took the bait. Touché COKEMAN, good one.

Not sure on that, but sure got both ours attention.

If I had to guess, it was them. They jumped down and hauled azz!

I've seen them while hunting, that's not unusual. They often use deer blinds as shelters, always have....if they would just be so kind to close/latch the damn door back when they leave, that would be great......half the time they don't though, then you show up to hunt in an owl chit house.

This

Around 30 plus years ago I was hunting outside of El Indio, it was my first and only guided deer hunt. We left the lodge that morning and a married couple was with us as we were being dropped off at our blinds. We dropped the guys wife off and waited for her to get in the blind, she had about a 50 yard walk, we shined lights on her and her path as she went. She opened the door of the blind and let out a blood curdling scream. As she comes running back to the truck there was 6 wet's came running out of the blind. That blind didn't get hunted that morning as she decided to hunt with her husband. The next day in another blind she smoked a damn nice buck with about a 300 yard shot, biggest one of the trip.

Like some of the rest of you, I always carry (where legal) and have since 2000. So, I am going to have a pistol on me when I hunt. I usually to just carry my normal daily carry and after going down in the mud a couple of times, I carry a much less expensive Keltec PMR30 .22 mag for the occasional finishing shot, but sometimes I will have my regular daily carry on me chambered in 9mm or .45 acp. For the most part, if a hog is still obviously alive and conscious, I will finish it off from a distance with my rifle and not worry about being up close to use a pistol.

Good stuff.

My BIL's Dad found a dead wet in his blind one day, while trying to hunt. Big bloated body.

You missed the "point."

The end of bow season this year I found myself in a very uncomfortable position and was fortunate enough to have my sidearm. Years prior or if rifle hunting, I never took a sidearm unless it was hot enough out to dispatch rattlers. I do not hunt out of bow blinds or bow stands. I simply find cover behind natural vegetation and play the wind around my deer feeders. This evening I was watching a nice 8 point buck at the feeder when I had roughly 20 javelina walk through. One of the largest groups of Javis I have seen on the lease in a while. Half of them came down across the fence line and were of no immediate threat. It was actually quite interesting to hear them feed through and make noises/communicate to each other. Half of those 10 cut the fence and started to feed towards me as the remaining 10 came up over the pond damn right towards. I now realized this was about to become an uncomfortable situation. I am sitting in a chair on the ground. No where to go and no mesquite trees big enough to think about climbing. If it came to it, running to the feeder and jumping the hog panels was my last option. I unholstered my .40 and held it at my side while intently watching the javelina. One very large boar was headed right towards me. At 10 yds I decided to start talking to it and waving my hands. Probably a bad idea as it only peaked his curiosity or pissed it off. The hair on its back stood up like a mad cat. He started snorting and taking quick false bluff runs at me but would stop as I would lung back at it out of my chair. At this point I was shaking like a leaf and concerned things we’re going to get Western real quick. I had my handgun sights aimed right on the back of his neck as he was at 5 yds poised and staring straight at me. It was though it happened in slow motion & I could tell he was coming before he actually did….he lunged and that was it. One down. I was scared to death….adrenaline pumping. Of course this peaked the interest of the others…..and here they came. I had dispatch one more, meeting my annual limit of two for the year but I can guarantee you I would have emptied the mag on every last one of them if necessary as this was no longer hunting but nothing more than self defense.

Lesson learned……..I don’t go any where without a sidearm while bow hunting….ever. I have been caring it more frequently now rifle hunting also.

from the moment I get to the ranch, I have a sidearms on me....10mm on my hip from when I wake up til I got to sleep. So, yes, always while hunting.

Always carry at the lease. My EDC. 14 pills of .45ACP at the ready. Only thing I do is switch to OWB and from HP’s to Underwood Extreme Penetrators in case I meet up with an unhappy hog or two. Also have snake shot in spare mag during warmer months. As was mentioned above, better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. That old adage applies to a lot of life’s activities.

I have that same double-nine in chrome. Great pistol. Also have an xd .40.

Great choices to have.

Never

Sidearm on my person EVERYTIME I leave the house & always while hunting.

Yeh buddy, I have two old Double 9's that are blued (well, I bought one for my oldest daughter). Great shooters and light weight.

Let me know if you ever want to sell yours!

Because of all the problems on the border, we were advised to not leave the house without with less than two guns, a rifle and pistol. Hate that it's come to this.

Yes, & had one tail me in the dark too. And had one harrowing encounter with a Mountain Lion on a fresh kill. And, a surprise meeting with a pack of hogs. That is why I never ever go afield without my 1911 45 Super.

Runnings has bolts, (crossbow) with lighted notch...
Beem using them for a few years... it kinda like shooting tracers, for that reason....

looks pretty @ night....

I keep a 1911 on the tractor when out working on the property, but never carry a pistol while rifle hunting. I work off of the theory that in a bad situation my pistol is there to get me to a rifle.

3 shots where I'm at will likely only get applauded by anyone who hears it, the assumption being that you might have killed more than one pig.

I always have my Ruger P90 45 on my hip when hunting
Not an expensive pistol, but for what it is, it's a great pistol, and goes bang when I want it to lol

I took 20 dollars from a guy at the range once upon a time...I was shooting a Ruger P90 and he was shooting a Gold Cup.

It is not a concealment piece, but that P90 was one of the most accurate .45 ACPs I have ever owned.

A good solid handgun.

I have the 9mm version P95 and it’s also a solid shooter. I’ll never part with it.

I feel the same about my P90
I will never get rid of it

As old as I am the only sidearms are in the truck, kubota or mule. I don't need to pack around any extra weight.

You did continue on reading to where you got to the part that said he gave up and spent the rest of the night looking for his " ARROWS", right ??

i've periodically carried a .22 pistol in a backpack but its only seldom that i've ever had any real use for it and it generally is just something else to carry. speaking for myself...i'm a poor shot with a pistol, i just don't practice much. so anything that i would shoot with it would need to be close and not moving. Its been very rare that i've encountered the situation that i've wounded an animal that was so nearly dead/disabled that i would have had enough confidence to approach it with the sidearm instead of just shooting again with my hunting rifle.

something i do with more frequency is carry a 22. rifle with me. although this is really cumbersome to carry two rifles. its handy though for shooting at hogs without making as much noise. Its not effective for killing them unless you just really get them close, but sometimes you do and the rest of the time its sufficient just to run them off so that the deer might come out.

yes i Carry all the time mostly for them dang rattle bugs at lease

If hunting out west for lion, I carry my Ruger Single Seven in 327 Federal Magnum because it is smaller and lighter weight than my Ruger Super Blackhawk in .44 Magnum. The Single Seven has factory iron sights which I love while the Super Blackhawk is topped with a Trijicon RMR.
When calling fox, I prefer the Ruger Single Nine or the Ruger 57. The little grays are a pretty challenging target if they are nervous.
Adios,
Gary

Muzzleloader yes.

If I was bow or crossbow hunting yes

hunting with my AR no

bolt action maybe but probably not in most situations like sitting in a blind

Virtually never see one in the shop for repairs either, any of the P Rugers. And never saw a FTF on the range with one either. Tanks, but reliable.

I seldom carry two guns while hunting. For specific reasons, I might carry a Ruger Mk II 22 in my pack on occasion. I do have a beater Sig P228 that I'll carry if not carrying a rifle while filling feeders, working, etc.

I never carry a pistol when I am hunting.

^^^^^^^
This.

X’s2

Just the rifle when hunting.

Always.

I rarely carry a sidearm.

I carry a 38 in my pocket.

Its about 50/50 for me

If I do, I prefer a pocket pistol G42/43/PPK

380 or 9mm, light and small

I hunt as light as possible. I also normally hunt 1-2 miles deep in some good public ground. Even if I am just squirrel hunting.

No first aid kit, no extra ammo or anything like that. Maybe a bottle of water in my back pocket, or if it’s cold enough I need extra layers then in a pouch in my jacket.

I just don’t feel the need for all that. I have my cell phone, service is marginal back there but I can get by pretty good.

If I had a deep back country hunt to a place I had to spend the night back there I would bring extra.

I carry every time I leave the house, so a sidearm is always with me when I go hunting. Not that I'm expecting a charge by an aggressive feral hog or a mountain lion with an attitude; it just feels right to me. In 30+ years of carrying in the field, I've used a handgun seven times that I remember: rabid skunk, wounded hog, wounded deer, four rattlesnakes. When I run my traps, a handgun is what I carry, and generally have a long gun either slung over my shoulder or in the vehicle I'm using that day.

Yes Sir. Never know what kind of snakes one might come across in todays world.

Always.

Hip pocket Seekamp .32 in a Recluse at all times and P95 out prowling...

I don't leave home without a sidearm. Ever. Hunting is no different.

And there have been times in the city I thought I might actually need my CCP. Fortunately, I didn't. But you stumble into a train of drug mules 5 miles from cell service and that trusty bolt gun might be less than ideal.

I always carry a sidearm especially if I’m bow hunting. Too many close calls with hogs to chance it

I usually carry, here lately it has been my Bond derringer with one barrel loaded with shot and the other with a bullet

Dang that's funny.

Always carry my glock, unless I am gun hunting.

Back in the mid-90's I had 2 wets try to walk in my hunting cabin about midnight. All I had was my high country bow in it's case. Skeer'd the hail outta me. When I got back home my first stop was at Carters Country!