Do you carry a sidearm while hunting/fishing?

[Hangfire]

On page 56 of the 2021-2022 Okla. hunting regs. in front of me it states that it is illegal to carry a modern firearm during archery and muzzle loader season.......it's been that way for as long as I can remember.

Now that the above legal stuff is out of the way.

Whether it be while scouting, hunting, or just out stomping around in the woods I've always carried either a or .357 mag or .44 mag revolver with me.

 

[radarmonkey]

I've got an old, raggedy charter arms .357 that is my go to.

 

[rj ︈]

On page 56 of the 2021-2022 Okla. hunting regs. in front of me it states that it is illegal to carry a modern firearm during archery and muzzle loader season.......it's been that way for as long as I can remember.

Now that the above legal stuff is out of the way.

Whether it be while scouting, hunting, or just out stomping around in the woods I've always carried either a or .357 mag or .44 mag revolver with me.

I read that as well. It is an odd law to specifically call out to me and I think you could argue for safety with a sidearm.

I was camping out of the back of my truck for muzzleloader season last year and I didn't want to leave any guns unattended in my vehicle during the day, so I made the choice to hold off on taking a handgun with me. I sure would've felt safer with my handgun by my side while sleeping but a loaded 50 cal muzzleloader had to do for that trip.

Next time will probably just carry and use common sense.

 

[jackary]

On page 56 of the 2021-2022 Okla. hunting regs. in front of me it states that it is illegal to carry a modern firearm during archery and muzzle loader season.......it's been that way for as long as I can remember.

Now that the above legal stuff is out of the way.

Whether it be while scouting, hunting, or just out stomping around in the woods I've always carried either a or .357 mag or .44 mag revolver with me.

Pretty sure there is an addition to this reg that states if carrying in accordance with the Oklahoma Self Defense act you are exempt.

 

[rj ︈]

Pretty sure there is an addition to this reg that states if carrying in accordance with the Oklahoma Self Defense act you are exempt.

Do you know where you read that? I'll look but of course if you have it handy...

 

[diggler1833]

There are two occasions when a pistol isn't on me.. when I'm picking my daughters up from school, and when I'm about to enter a checkpoint with a metal detector/physical search.

Every other moment I'm awake = gun on hip...even at church.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

On page 56 of the 2021-2022 Okla. hunting regs. in front of me it states that it is illegal to carry a modern firearm during archery and muzzle loader season.......it's been that way for as long as I can remember.

CCL makes it perfectly legal

 

[thaHooligan]

This is what it says. CCL is legal, but I never thought I was allowed to pull it out and use it on a hog while archery hunting and since I video everything I was afraid to. lol

 

[HoLeChit]

CCL makes it perfectly legal

But, perfectly legal to take? Or perfectly legal to carry for self defense?

This is what it says. CCL is legal, but I never thought I was allowed to pull it out and use it on a hog while archery hunting and since I video everything I was afraid to. lol

View attachment 227686

According to Small Game/Hog Regulations - Oklahoma Hunting

Hogs may be taken on Department-managed lands during any established hunting season with methods authorized by the Department for that hunting season, except that during any open deer and/or turkey season, only appropriate methods, hunting hours and legal equipment for that deer and/or turkey season are authorized for taking or pursuing feral hogs.

To me it reads that on public land you cannot take a pig with a firearm during muzzleloader or archery season. I don’t see anything about private land though.

If you have the apppropriate gear to take game for the season, and are carrying a reasonable sidearm (ie not a Smith and Wesson X frame or something obviously used for hunting) for self defense and have a CCL I have a hard time seeing a warden having an issue. Purely speculation though; I don’t hunt with muzzleloader or bows so I have zero first hand experience.

 

[Master Carper]

Always and without exception!

Two weeks ago, my wife and I went to a new fishing spot, out in the middle of nowhere. I just unloaded my 10 ft. Pelican bass boat from the back of the truck, and some guy came walking up and said he wanted to check it out. We talked about 5 minutes and he turned around to leave, and I started getting the trolling unloaded. About that time, he had hold of my little boat and was dragging it over to his truck. He cussed me and my wife out and said that it was his boat!

My wife looked at me and I said draw your weapon, walk to my left and cover the cab in case their is someone in it.

I drew my weapon and kept it down by my side. I approached the guy and told him to take my boat back over to my truck!

About that same time, my wife shouted there was another guy in the truck! I told her to keep her weapon down by her side, and not to raise it unless she saw that they were armed.

The guy I was facing reached behind his back and I raised my revolver and told him that I would kill him if he did not slowly raise both hands.

About that same second, my wife screams GUN! I told to take aim and kill him if he exits the vehicle with a weapon in his hands.

The guy I was covering raises his hands, and I ordered him to lay down on the ground and spread his arms and legs. He complied.

I went behind the truck, covered the passenger, and ordered him out of the truck at gun point. I told him I would shoot him in the head if he came out with a weapon.

I ordered the passenger to lay beside his buddy on the ground and he complied.

My wife took a fully loaded Marlin 30-30 out of the truck, along with a loaded sawed off shotgun and a loaded snub nosed revolver. A quick glance showed the serial numbers had been ground off.

I loaded the boat back in my truck while my wife watched the two guys, and after I got everything loaded back up, I told my wife to get the guys tag information, but of course their truck did not have a tag.

I told the guys to get in their truck and leave out in front of us, and that they could pick up their guns from the local Sheriff's Department. They left going one way and we went the other.

We took the guns straight to the Sheriff's Department, and told them the whole story of everything that had taken place. Then we each had to write out a statement of everything that we had just told them.

Longer story cut short, the Sheriff said he would recommend that we not go back to that place, and if we ever spotted that truck or either of the guys again, to call them immediately.

My wife asked if we were in any kind of trouble for pulling our weapons, and the Deputy we originally spoke to, said we both handled the situation very well. He asked why we did not call 911 and we both said that we could give them directions because we were out in boonies and no physical address to our location.

We later learned that all 3 weapons were stolen and the sawed off shotgun was turned over to ATF, so this is now a Federal case.

This is just one reason why we ALWAYS carry a sidearm. I have for over 40 years, and my wife has for the past 5 years. You just never know who or what is out there, just waiting to ruin your day!