Bow Hunters and Side Arms

[Beendare]

I have bowhunted for over 3 decades without a firearm, thinking as Matt B does above.

Its only in the last few years my thoughts have changed. The world is a different place for one- there is a higher probability of bumping into some truly evil folks in the woods...where it seems it didn't used to be that way. We were hunting Coues deer along the Mexican border in Az without a firearm- as at the time it was forbidden. After bumping into drug mules carrying and having multiple border agents tell us we were nuts to be in there with out a firearm- the was a bit of an eye opener. That area is an example of violence in the woods increasing dramatically, albeit drug related. But there have been a couple cases of bumping into some crazy folks in other locations....

Then there is other instances of animal behavior changing;
Myself and friends being charged by hogs more regularly now. It used to be they would charge when cornered by dogs and such- sure- but if they had an escape route...they would always run. Now it seems they choose to fight more and more. One hunter in Mendocino county on a ranch my buddy guided on was walking through the tall grass and was charged by a big boar he never saw.

The increase of Mountain lions stalking bowhunters- and not just in the states that banned hunting of lions. My buddy in Co being one- he had to use his bow in self defense against a lion. Lions have gotten more aggressive over the years it seems.

Grizz bears

Bottom line...I used to be one of those guys resistant to packing a pistol in the woods...my opinion is changing.

...

 

[GordonFreeman]

10mm Glock 20 w/ Galco chest rig under my FHF Bino harness.

Been screamed at by a lion in Colorado and nearly had a heart attack. However, as everyone has mentioned it is the two-legged creatures I worry about more than four-legged.

 

[jonpall]

CZ P-07 or XDS usually

 

[Fox30buck]

M&P 9mm, everywhere I go. Plenty of other things to focus on while hunting than worrying about not being prepared. I have crossed paths with plenty of sketchy folks, had bear trail me, mtn lion sightings etc while hunting. Do what works for you, not what others opinions are here, best of luck.

 

[Bld6159]

Yeahp. will be carrying 40cal XDm compact this yr. Dont want to have to worry bout cats or bears.

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[Crider89]

I always carry a side arm. Pa resident but hint maryland. Maryland is a very gun controlled state but they let bowhunters carry side arms for protection against bears.

 

[Highestrider]

Not always since pretty much the nastiest predator in our Michigan woods are humans. That said, (when) I carry it’s a human repellant in the form of a Sig 1911 .45ACP. I have a concealed pistol license so it’s concealed most times...

 

[zog]

I took a great class in Bozeman last year called "Surviving the Grizz". Two day class, First day is bear behavior, case stories, and bear spray. Second day is all pistols. You gear up with pack, water and clothing and your bow as if you are hunting; they set up a course, a bear target comes at you at 35 mph from 50 yds, first with warning, then with no warning. First day you deploy bear spray and hit her, then second day you shoot her with a pistol, and you better get her between the eyes or you probably won't stop her!

The takeaways are what you might expect -

1. bear spray doesn't require much skill so it better when you are panicked, but is no good in the wind and no good if you don't practice at least once. When you are hiking and can't hear very well due to rushing stream noise you better be walking with the spray already out and ready.

2. Pistols, of course, are even less good if you aren't very practiced with one, and you need to shoot quite a bit to be good when panicked and full of gear. You need to learn how you want to holster both the pistol and the spray. I thought I liked chest holsters until wore one with my binos, backpack, and sternum strap! So I went to a hip holster which had to be added to my backpack belt cuz I couldn't figure out how to belt my backpack above or below my holster. What a pain in the a$$!. You really need to gear fully up and decide how you are going to draw whether its spray or pistol. And didn't even think about having gloves on cuz it was summer!

If you think about situations you could get into, you'll probably decide to carry both spray and pistol. And hopefully won't confuse yourself in the heat of the moment.

3. Unexpected for me - marine flares look to be a very effective and easy to deploy deterrent - look them up as bear deterrents on youtube. Our course instructor has yet to use them but plans to add them to his class when he is knowledgable enough with them.

It sure is an eye-opener when you actually practice reacting and really think about scenarios. We actually had one guy in the class decide he is just going to depend on luck and not prepare for any attacks, because if he has to be that well prepared and that good, he would probably just fail anyway.

 

[mcseal2]

I don't bow hunt anymore and don't carry a handgun when rifle hunting most places. In Alaska next year I will have a 10mm and my rifle. I always carry a handgun fishing or scouting when I don't have the rifle.

I have a couple 357's and a couple 10mm's I use. What I carry depends on where I'm going and what I'm doing. Areas where I want to be discrete or the threat level is really low my little 3" 5 shot S&W 60 357 has gone a lot of miles with me. Black bear country I've mostly carried the S&W 386 XL Hunter. It's not much heavier then the 60 and is a lot easier to shoot well since it's a 6" L frame. Both are lighter than either 10mm. The 10mm's I got for big bear areas and I have been practicing with them a lot. I like the ability to have a light on the rail, the night sights, and the lighter trigger pull for follow up shots. I still shoot my revolvers well and trust them too. I can get the first accurate shot off faster with the revolver than the semi-autos, I put a lot of bricks of 22 through a Single Six when I was a kid.

 

[GLB]

I carry a G20 10mm in a HPG chest rig. When I’m bowhunting, and hiking.

 

[TKvamme183]

Here's a podcast with a guy hunting here in CA, where a lion stalks him and he kills it in self defense by shooting it through the eye with his bow. Fascinating story... Especially since we aren't allowed a firearm while hunting an archery tag.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podca...ve-you-ever-been/id1301922566?i=1000430705164

I know this is an old post, but I had the opportunity to meet Jake last year on a pig hunt we both drew He’s a great dude and helped me a lot during that hunt. It’s pretty cool the folks you meet in the hunting world and the story’s that are shared.


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[Where's Bruce?]

I carry a sidearm with me everywhere I go. But while hunting, I don't have any real concerns and feel safer out there than anywhere else I go on a daily basis.

Me too.

 

[rodney482]

G20 sf goes on every hunt w me
BB dangerous game ammo

 

[Wyobohunter]

Yes

 

[def90]

I carry a handgun, but I do it not so much because of the 4 legged animals out there but because of the 2 legged animals out there. Along the front range I have run into needle filled homeless camps and all sorts of odd people in the middle of nowhere. There was a story a decade or so ago of some nut job up near Nederland/Ward Colorado holding two hikers at gun point and then tying them to trees, the lady escaped and was able to get help.

 

[Theringworm]

This past fall I was sitting behind a make shift ground blind in West Texas hunting whitetail during bow season. A group of 14-15 javelina came in about 60 yds in front of me moving East to West paralleling my position. Then a second group came in that was bigger than the first also moving in the same direction but they were going to cross 5-10yds in front of me. There aren't many trees to climb in West Texas, and non around me. I could tell this was about to get Western real quick as a large adult boar was now within my “bubble of safety” if you will and had my scent. Out came the Sig 2340 and as we locked eyes and he arched his back and started to lunge I started to empty the mag. His buddies followed his lead. Only time in my hunting career I felt threatened and had to change my boxers.
I’ll never hunt archery or rifle without a sidearm going forward.

 

[jayhawk]

I'm different I guess. I don't carry a pistol while out in the woods or hunting. I'm sure if I was in griz country it might be different, but bear spray and a knife on my hip is all I've ever thought I needed.