Do you carry a sidearm while hunting/fishing?

[radarmonkey]

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!

I'm glad ya'll are safe. Good job. It's a crazy world.

 

[GnometownHero]

I have been carrying a Glock 33 in 357 Sig for a few years now, 15+1 of 147gr XTP at 1200+ fps will deal with feral critters and bad DNA piles, barrel is too short to legal handgun hunt, it's usually out of sight and won't be used for anything that ain't a bad guy or rabid animal anyway

 

[XYZ]

I typically carry something. Varies on what I’m loving right then.

 

[Master Carper]

Bocephus123 and radarmonkey - Thank You!

 

[dennishoddy]

While I tend to hunt “light”, I always carry a sidearm. This is about 1/2 of the reason why. It’s a pretty wild read for sure, and a good example as to illuminate the fact that being out in the woods isn’t a place to let our guard down entirely.

Deer Woods Murder: The Day a Trespasser Killed 6 Hunters

Two of eight Wisconsin deer hunters survived a shooting rampage Nov. 21, 2004, for one reason: The enraged killer ran out of ammo after firing his SKS 7.62×39 semiautomatic rifle 22 times. That man—Chai Soua Vang, 36, of St. Paul, Minnesota, a certified sharpshooter and six-year National Guard...

www.themeateater.com

Do you guys carry a sidearm in the woods? What do you carry and why? Have you found yourself without it, and needing it? Or a time when that sidearm was used?

I tend to carry my SW610 in 10mm while I’m hunting squirrels. It allows me the chance to take out a pig if I come across one, and is plenty effective for self defense.

when fishing, or scouting, I’ll carry my SP101 with snake shot and some self defense rounds. Funny, I find I need that snake shot more when I’m hunting, but it never seems to be there when I need it.

when I’m up in Wyoming/Colorado hiking and hunting I carry my 4.5” XDM in 10mm, in case of bears and for self defense. I like having 15+1 chances of hitting and stopping a bear in the unlikely event that I’m being charged, as opposed to my N frames 6 shots. Also, the additional shot volume would help cover up the sound of my crapping myself.

There is a firearm at my bedside and a firearm on my person 24/7, unless it’s in a prohibited area.

 

[Rustygun]

I carry a Glock 19 all the time hunting, fishing, grocery shopping or at church . My rule is pants on gun on.

 

[Bocephus123]

Heck pants off gun on!

 

[SiGArmed]

I've watched too many horror flicks heck ya I'd be strapped.

 

[Hangfire]

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

I just got off the phone with a game warden with ODWC in OKC.

It is legal to carry a modern firearm either open or concealed during archery and muzzle loader season for self protection only.......playing the devils advocate I ask if the handgun could be used to humanly dispatch a downed deer and he said no, it can only be used for self protection.

I was wrong and stand corrected.

 

[ssgrock3]

Hunting is really no different for me than going to work. Only difference is I may carry a 45. Brick v's Baseball debate.

Same. Glock 29 everyday everywhere, keeps it simple