Carrying a pistol while scouting

[ThisIsMyHandle]

I can’t believe how many guys on this thread are running this dude down for wanting to carry a pistol while scouting in the backcountry. I’d carry one too. You never know what kind of 2 and 4 legged creature you’ll run into. All it takes is some wackass local pissed off because someone else is in “his spot”.


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[WCB]

I have a firearm on me 99% of the time. Scouting/setting cameras even in ND or MN my pistol is either on me or I have a varmint rifle slung over my shoulder.

With a pack I have an OWB holster on my pack itself...Easy enough to pop off and put on my hip if I drop my pack to stalk something or just walking around camp. I tried the holder in my bino harness and other chest rigs and I hate it. I actually hate a bino harness most the time just don't like the bulk. But for a lot of guys it is probably the most simple way to do it to ensure it is always on you.

 

[egbateson]

I’ve bow hunted for mule deer in southern NM a few times. The one time I didn’t pack my pistol I had a close encounter with a large mountain lion and will not make the mistake again. I carry it every time now but I live in western Montana.

 

[egbateson]

any suggestions on how to carry? I agree the holster may get in the way...

I carry my 10mm in a Blackhawk Serpa CQC on my pack waist belt. I occasionally smack my funny bone on it but otherwise it’s pretty clean.

 

[Huntindog45]

totally dead weight. I would rather carry a hammer. at least i can usually find a reason to use the hammer.

 

[danswanky911]

I carry a glock 43 in hpg kit bag when backpacking in the midwest. I carry because I am typically alone and have encountered people in areas closer to civilization that were out and up to no good. Also, I carry the glock because it weighs less than a hammer.

 

[PNW CAMPER]

The comments against carrying while scouting, hiking or hunting is a bit surprising. I always carry a pistol with me unless I have a rife along. Even out for just a hike on a recreational trail. As others have said, its not just the four legged animals to worry about, plenty of 2 legged ones as well. In addition to the run of the mill psychopaths, lots of illegal activity going in the woods these days. I am a bow hunter as well and always have a pistol with me during bow season, its a given and legal as well where I live.

 

[11boo]

totally dead weight. I would rather carry a hammer. at least i can usually find a reason to use the hammer.

The comments against carrying while scouting, hiking or hunting is a bit surprising. I always carry a pistol with me unless I have a rife along. Even out for just a hike on a recreational trail. As others have said, its not just the four legged animals to worry about, plenty of 2 legged ones as well. In addition to the run of the mill psychopaths, lots of illegal activity going in the woods these days. I am a bow hunter as well and always have a pistol with me during bow season, its a given and legal as well where I live.

I carry, unless I have a rifle with me.
Reading through some of the replies, it’s obvious that some here are afraid of handguns, or afraid of people carrying one.

 

[Wyomuleskinner]

I would be more concerned about people than animals in co

 

[11boo]

I would be more concerned about people than animals in co

Absolutely. Secondary use would be signal shots if I go down and Inreach fails.

 

[SonnyDay]

Just a note on bear spray: that stuff freezes up when it gets cold. I hunt later rifle seasons and after getting stalked by a black bear one year when temps were near zero at night, I switched to a pistol. We had our rifles but they are pretty unwieldy inside a backpacking tent in the dark!

 

[roosiebull]

The comments against carrying while scouting, hiking or hunting is a bit surprising. I always carry a pistol with me unless I have a rife along. Even out for just a hike on a recreational trail. As others have said, its not just the four legged animals to worry about, plenty of 2 legged ones as well. In addition to the run of the mill psychopaths, lots of illegal activity going in the woods these days. I am a bow hunter as well and always have a pistol with me during bow season, its a given and legal as well where I live.

It used to surprise me too, but it doesn’t anymore, it’s still disappointing though that people on a hunting site almost get offended by someone responsibly carrying a pistol… it’s bizarre to me

I wish every responsible gun owner always packed everywhere they could… the bad guys will always have guns, why some want to keep it that way is beyond me.

Canyon fishing steelhead I always carry a pistol, usually in a chest rig, and Some people I occasionally run into get pretty weird about it, like it’s a dangerous situation for them… I don’t get it…. Luckily, most don’t bat an eye, I generally forget I have it, and if I remember while chatting with someone (because they keep awkwardly glancing at it) they almost are always packing a fly rod… probably a coincidence

I’m not too worried about it, just an observation… they look at me the same when I’m packing out dead fish, even though they have to be hatchery to kill, and we are supposed to take them out of the system, still makes them cringe being too close to a dead fish, haha

People are weird

 

[roosiebull]

I would be more concerned about people than animals in co

That’s true for most places

 

[SonnyDay]

Absolutely. Secondary use would be signal shots if I go down and Inreach fails.

Yeah, good call. I guess not as much of an issue when rifle hunting, but then again, I try not to over-carry ammo.

And agreed that the two-leggers are more of a concern than the four.

 

[rcwso]

Whatever pistol you have is better than nothing. I have a Glock 19 with a chest holster and it works fairly well.

 

[Tillman752]

100% and if you don't wat to then don't. But don't give crap to someone who does

 

[Overdrive]

I've had enough encounters that I carry a pistol scouting or hunting. Here's a nice picture I got of a mtn lion one morning while archery hunting. Did all the usual things, talked to him in a loud voice, threw a rock at him and that made him square up to me. I figured no one would believe me so I got my camera out and took some pics, the camera flash is what finally made him leave.

 

[roosiebull]

I've had enough encounters that I carry a pistol scouting or hunting. Here's a nice picture I got of a mtn lion one morning while archery hunting. Did all the usual things, talked to him in a loud voice, threw a rock at him and that made him square up to me. I figured no one would believe me so I got my camera out and took some pics, the camera flash is what finally made him leave.

At least it let you get proof before it silently slipped into the darkness! Pretty dang cool

The one encounter that changed my mentality from “why” to “why not” was coming out of the woods one evening spring bear hunting, it started raining just before last light so I left my glassing spot before dark and had about 4 miles to walk back to my pickup, for the first 3/4 of the way out on a logging road it’s all pretty high potential for seeing some critters, so I’m always paying attention, the last mile is pretty steep downhill with dog hair reprod on both sides of the road, so when I got to that point I pulled my hood up, slung my rifle and picked up the pace.

Just before I start dropping elevation fast, I came around a corner (I always walk on the grass on the edge of the road vs walking in the loud gravel out of habit) I was stopped in my tracks by a loud lion scream way too close.

I already knew what was in front of me before lifting my head, so as I did I slowly unslung my rifle and clicked the safety off and raised up as I looked, and it started this low popping growl, this cat was directly across the road from me, 5yds at the most and was crouched down quartered to me with ears pinned and every muscle in its body showing in definition… it felt like it was happening in slow motion but it’s only seconds to this point… I’m just thinking “don’t bolt!”

As soon as I get my scope on it, it turns and starts walking away and right, through deep salal and dense fir trees, it goes behind some brush and comes out still walking and I’m leading it through the trees timing and opening and shoot… I freaking centered one of those young firs, the lion bolts a short bit and I hear it stop, still less than 20yds but well out of view now.

I’m sick about not shooting that cat, like how in the heck did I mess that up??!! I see the brush all pushed down where it initially was and walk over there and see the back end of a deer… now it’s making sense.

I go over to see if it is a buck or doe, and as I get closer, I am perplexed, what am I looking at? The deer’s neck has uniform dark spots on it? I lift up a fern that’s covering it and I am face to face with a brand new lion cub, still very dark brown with black spots… now a feeling rushed over me thanking the lord for not letting me kill that cat… thank goodness… we have too many lions but I don’t want to kill one that way.. I would have had to call osp and get that taken care of, I’m not leaving a little cub to die, and I’m not killing it, just don’t have it in me.

Of course my first reaction is to drop my pack, open it and start digging around for my camera when common sense kicks in… it’s almost dark, dense reprod all around me and I’m standing over a lion kill with a tiny cub curled up on the neck of this deer… I need to create distance between myself and this situation so I zip up my pack and start back down the hill…

It didn’t really sink in for a few minutes how lucky I was, if a lion is going to attack someone, that’s the ideal situation for it to happen… I would have never seen it coming and could have easily been separated from my rifle, and even if not, how do you shoot a cat with a long gun that’s on your back?

It was a thought provoking encounter, an awesome encounter as well… that was several years ago but a very vivid memory to this day, and nothing was harmed besides the deer the lion had already killed some time that afternoon (I walked right by that spot about 3hrs earlier.

4 days later on the other side of that road system I came across another lion, that one didn’t make it

I have had a bunch of lion encounters both on purpose and incidentally, they are my favorite critters in the woods, and I wouldn’t kill them if their numbers were in check, but we have a lot, and you just never know when you will walk into that perfect scenario like I did that night… a long gun would not do you much good in a surprise lion attack, so rifle or bow, I always pack a pistol… why not?

I am far from paranoid about the local wildlife, but having a pistol on me has no downside (especially that little hellcat I currently carry) and I have 13rds of hardcast for any freak encounter I may have… again, why not? Nobody has had a good argument for the “why not?” Thought process. I don’t notice it ever being on my pack waist belt, and for a quick pack-less hunt or scouting trip it fits well on the back side of my bino harness… the beauty of hunting in general is you never know what your next hunt has in store for you, that’s one of the addictions of hunting.

 

[xsn10s]

There's not a whole hell of a lot of Chicago gang-bangers or M13 cartel members in the backcountry. So who the hell needs to pack a pistol. Odd.

Actually if you live in a state where marijuana is legal to grow you may see cartel members or banger buying farm land to grow. Things happen out in the wood more these days. I find dirty hypodermic needles sometimes when out in the woods. It's less likely out there but things can happen anywhere. So I'll carry to ward off four legged threats as well as two legged ones.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

totally dead weight. I would rather carry a hammer. at least i can usually find a reason to use the hammer.

I concur.