What side arm do you carry while hunting?

[Cedar]

Take what you have.  You're more likely to have problems with 2-legged varmints than 4-legged. 

I agree. For awhile I was carrying a starter pistol up in Canada and then after that I did not even bother. I had 7 bear on my property up north, lynx, cougar, MOOSE (which are more dangerous than the rest of the lot) and I never had any fear. However, in Oregon I have had to point a 30-06 (or however you 'spell' it) at 2 men trying to break into my house.

Most wild animals you will never see, as they do not want to see a human. It is amazing how many animals you walk past every day and you do not see if they do not move. If you see them, most of the time they are running away from you. Grizzlies are always grumpy so give them the entire lake, river etc. Blackbear are getting more aggressive in areas. But mankind... I am always wary in populated areas due to people and I could be happy as a clam with no personal protection out in the bush. When I hunted, I did not carry a sidearm.

Cedar

[David in MN]

There's a Vice documentary on Youtube that covers Heimo Korth, a trapper who lives above the arctic circle in Alaska. He appears to keep a barrel of shotguns at the door of the cabin and at one time tells the filmmakers that the 30 foot walk to the outhouse isn't safe without a shotgun because bears are in the area. Later, he shoots one in the dead of night. Scary.

I do personally know a man who stopped a small brown bear with a .44 revolver. He was cleaning his rifle at camp when the bear came toward him. He turned from the picnic bench and raised the handgun, dumping all six into the head. He fell through the picnic table and the table caged the bear out long enough to die. He's quite proud of his headless bear rug.

If you observe bear skulls, the eyesockets almost corkscrew. Even shot perfectly in the eye, almost all handgun rounds stop in the skull. Small bears might be stopped with luck but adults are a whole different game. A bear facing you is (as far as I know in North America) the toughest biological machine you will find. They almost have no weakness. I've only seen one in northern WI and man did I keep back and swivel my head looking for others as I crept back. Cedar, you are dead right. No handgun is a match for an adult bear.

[bdhutier]

When we and another family arrived, the guys went after the wounded bear and trailed it for 2-3 days. It had just kept walking.

Cedar

OK... Not moving to Alaska after all... 

[TNVolunteer]

I just carry my EDC, g19 with hot HP loads.

[Cedar]

OK... Not moving to Alaska after all... 

Sure you can... just follow a few simple rules.
a. Don't feed pets outside
b. Don't compost
c. Don't mess with salmon streams when the bears are there. It is THEIRS!
d. You can only toss trash in the back of your pickup in dead winter.
e. Be BearAware http://www.bearaware.bc.ca/
f. Learn to co-exist. And you do not always need a gun to do that with bears.
e. But just in case, have a .50cal.

Cedar

[endurance]

....
e. But just in case, have a .50cal.

Cedar--Who doesn't mess around!

[trekker111]

Sometimes I carry a handgun while hunting, and sometimes I don't. And yet sometimes I carry 2a handguns.

When I go bow hunting I almost always carry a handgun, usually my 45 colt ruger vaquero.

When rifle hunting I often don't carry a handgun, cause well, I have a rifle, and I usually cover a lot of ground and want to save weight. If I do carry, it is usually the 45 colt, and it has ame in handy when a deer would sneak in behind me.

If I am camping and hunting I normally have the 45 colt, and if in an area with a lot of venomous snakes I will also carry my bond arms derringer, loaded with 410 bird shot, in case I get in a situation where I have to shoot the snake, which has not happened.

[racer038]

To those of you that are legitimately concerned about a cougar or mountain lion jumping you from behind......DAYUM! My biggest fear is climbing a tree in the dark and then having the roosted turkey scare the pee out of me when they start their movement and cackling.  Oh yeah and spiders.  And squirrels wanting to come down the tree I'm in, while a 10 point is slowly walking toward me during bow season.  Oh, and crows and turkey vultures flying around me.  And the dang woodpeckers and blue jays squawking. And wasps and whatever those bugs are that try to fly in your ear when you're at full draw, waiting.  S&W M&P 9C.  I think you take what you feel good shooting.

[nelson96]

To those of you that are legitimately concerned about a cougar or mountain lion jumping you from behind......DAYUM!

It's never happened to me, though we often see cougar and constantly see cougar sign.  I think I mentioned before that I know a few trust worthy folks that have told me stories about being stalked by cougar.  One friend was nearly pounced on but luckily he had not been hunting alone and his partner came to his aid just in time.  His friend actually watched it sneaking up on him.

I remember one time elk hunting the Stawberry Wilderness.  I came upon a cougar track in the snow and was able to follow it to the point it climbed a tree.  I walked beyond the tree a good twenty feet and found where it had jumped out of the tree, back on to the ground.  I remember having a chill come over me thinking about how easy it would be for one of them to jump out of a tree at me and how it would be too late to react.  Not that I would hear it running at me either.

[joeandmich]

My family's friend & family lived in a 14x14 foot cabin in Alaska. We went up to visit. Two days prior to us getting there, the Grizzly was trying to break into their cabin and had torn up one of their Blue Ticks. The man opened the door and shot the bear with a .44 point blank to the head multiple times. It turned around and walked away. When we and another family arrived, the guys went after the wounded bear and trailed it for 2-3 days. It had just kept walking.

Cedar

Holy Sh_t!!!

[trekker111]

If you don't hit the central nervous system, it can take time, don't matter if it's a 22lr, or a 50bmg.

The problem with head shots is if you don't hit the right spot of the brain, there is nothing else in the head that is important enough to cause quick death. I've seen deer that had been shot in the head days if not weeks before and were slowly dying of infection and starvation. A deer that had been hit by a car and crippled was shot in the head. We shot it with a 40s&w HP, point blank. After 10 minutes it was still alive so I shot it again and loaded it in the back of the truck. After a 20 minute car ride, including a trip through the mcdonalds drive through, during which it was picking it's head up and looking around, much to the mortification of of the other patrons, we got the deer to the destination. We dragged it out, and shot it a 3rd time, this time with a 45acp. After another 10 minutes we gave up a slit it's throat.

[OutWestTX]

OK... Not moving to Alaska after all... 

Amen to that.  So glad I'm in Texas. 

[trekker111]

OK... Not moving to Alaska after all... 

I'd move to Alaska in a heart beat. 4 legged badguys are much less dangerous than the 2 legged variety, which incidentally is often the main reason I carry a handgun while hunting in addition to a rifle.

[MississippiJarhead]

I'd move to Alaska in a heart beat. 4 legged badguys are much less dangerous than the 2 legged variety, which incidentally is often the main reason I carry a handgun while hunting in addition to a rifle.

Bingo!

I prefer a relative high capacity semiautomatic sidearm but usually hunt with a single shot. I would feel somewhat vulnerable only having a single shot in a confrontation with thugs that call themselves hunters.

Of course, to be honest, the biggest reason I carry a sidearm while hunting is because I carry everywhere I legally can as a matter of personal discipline. I don't want to get into the habit of not carrying.

[liftsboxes]

First of all, my answer to the initial question is a Ruger Security Six in .357 with a 6" barrel.

Regarding bears, unlike people, head shots are a really bad idea with bears.  Their skulls are designed to withstand a lot of damage.  If you need to shoot a bear, try and get a shot in behind but close to one of the forelegs.  Take two shots if you can in case one hits a rib.  The head is not your target with a handgun round.  You need a heart shot, or ... more likely if you're dealing with stress and at handgun distances ... a couple of holes in the lungs.  If the bear chases you with holes in either the lungs or heart, he'll expire sooner ... and maybe you won't.

[trekker111]

While hunting public land I have found meth labs, marijuana grows, shine stiles, and one time what I can only describe as a spare shallow grave. It was literally a hole dug about 2 feet deep, 6 foot long, and 3 feet wide. It was in the mountains, 300 yards from a forest service rd, 6 miles from the nearest point where a 2 wheel drive vehicle can get. All of these are not good places to find yourself suddenly.

In reality the "grave" was more likely part of a makeshift survival shelter, there is a survival group that practices in the area, but finding it still had pucker factor.

[hillclimber]

Around here Man is greatest threat. I just carry what I always carry, a P3AT in a pocket holster. If I decide to hunt with a handgun, which I sometimes do, I carry my 7.5" barreled Redhawk in 44mag, but I still carry the little 380 in my pocket holster. The best defensive weapon is the one that's already in your hand IMHO.
 

[Deping]

I always carry my 45 Colt Blackhawk. Depending upon what I'm doing, I've got loads that range from 255 gr fun plinkers to uber-hot 325 gr LBTs.

[soulsld]

well hello everyone for my first post I am actually surprised by most here. I hunt alone archery in the rocky mountains around bear all the time and in Nevada around mt lions and I would never plan on a handgun to save my life if attacked by either. anyone very experienced knows you will not stop a charging mama bear between her cubs with a 357 for sure or a 44 mag. we have all heard stories of how many times police have had to shoot someone on pcp before the went down and I promise you that guy had nothing on mama bear. But I will tell you from experience no bear no matter how angry will continue there charge after being shot with bear spray wolves wont come close. and a mt lion will always come at you from behind so the best is a set of back sticks for mt lions. nothing can continue to attack if it cant see or smell with fluids pouring out of every orifice. take it for what you will but I promise you your better having a large can of bear spray in a drop leg then you are a sidearm. bivy or none

[Ken325]

I can't see why you would need a pistol if you have a rifle.  The rifle is totally superior and the pistol is just extra weight.  The only exception is when I am hunting near the Mexican border and you could have drug traffickers.   I do keep a pistol in my vehicle if I want to put the rifle down to track game or something. In that case I might put on a pistol.

[lostprepper]

Ken, I would assume that most individuals hunt with scopes, and there for will not have quick acquisition in close range. On top of that depending on the state one lives in and what animal you are hunting there is a limit to how many rounds you may have in your rifle. You maybe allowed more rounds in a pistol if it is not the weapon being used for hunting and would be an a better position to defend yourself.

At a distance I agree with you, a rifle is superior to a handgun (variables depending), but to engage a possible threat under 15yards it would be nice to have the option of a side arm.

To answer the question of the thread, I carry either my Ruger P95 or SP101.

[MississippiJarhead]

While I love my EBRs (evil black rifles) my primary hunting rifle is a single shot, T/C Encore (I only carry three or four extra rounds in a butt stock bandolier)  it is definitely not very well suited for a defensive situation. That goes for dealing with a wounded animal or the most dangerous animal.

I carry everywhere the law allows. Why would I leave my defensive weapon at home, or worse in an unattended vehicle where it may be stolen, when it's as natural to have on me as my wallet and pocket knife.

I have thought I might even take a deer with my carry weapon if it were to pass extraordinarily close to my position.
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EDIT: I just realized I had made a similar post in this same thread...at least I'm consistent!

[Joel]

You're more likely to have problems with 2-legged varmints than 4-legged.

This isn't necessarily true, depending on location. Since the original question is "while you're hunting," it's a relevant point.

I don't hunt much, but I live out in the boonies and we're hip-deep in everything from coyotes to black bear.  We get mountain lions, feral dog packs, several sorts of poisonous snake, even an occasional wolf thanks to the government. Everybody I know carries a handgun around here.

After a few less than impressive through-and-through hits with my .45, I found somebody to sell me a beater Taurus 431 .44 Special. A year ago I used it on a coyote that was sneaking down on my chickens, and it seemed to work all right.

But guys around here carry everything from Ruger LCRs to single actions in .45 Colt. Four summers ago there was a big fire south of us that drove a lot of wildlife our way. A neighbor was home in the evening when a big bear broke through his glass door. I never knew they'd do that. My neighbor didn't want to take the time to go for his rifle, so he shot it three times in the side with the compact 9mm he had with him. That same evening the same bear - wounded in the side - showed up at another neighbor's 4-5 miles away. That guy put it down with a shotgun.  So while the nine solved the first guy's immediate problem, I'd call it underpowered for bear. But we don't actually see all that many bear. 

Getting back to the original point: Most of us who live out here have shot a predator at some time or other, but I don't know anybody who's been in a gunfight. So it seems logical to let that guide handgun selection.