Hunters in Grizzly-Free Country - Sidearm for Archery / Scouting?

[Rodéo]

That 10mm is a beast. I remember seeing a video a while back of a guy having to kill a moose from his snowmobile. If I remember correctly he was using the 10mm Glock.

Don't mean to derail the thread but I had to find the video...

 

[Werty]

I love this topic, it always makes me laugh! That and people leaving the woods during the last half over of daylight.

 

[Jaden Bales]

This is a good conversation. There's only one fella who seems to not wear a pistol in the backcountry who's tossed in solid reasoning that I largely agree with. Here are my two cents in addition...

I started carrying when I picked up a bow and in the second year I shot a wounded black bear with it. Seemed pretty useful and clearly i had an experience where it was potentially good for my safety... But as time has gone on and the boogeyman hasn't gotten me, I've reduced my carrying it more and more. When I backpack, even on the edge (but not in the middle) of g-bear country I find myself leaving my pistol and opting for spray.

I think there are two major questions to ask yourself, since you tossed a question mark at the end of your thread title, regarding carrying a pistol. Are you comfortable making a difficult, but accurate shot with it under extreme stress? Does it give you more peace of mind while you carry? For me, it's likely a no and sometimes response. If you answer yes to one or more of those I don't see why you shouldn't carry one and feel okay about it.

 

[Rhino]

I pack my Glock 19, on my Exo hip belt when hunting non-grizz areas and my bow is my only other weapon. In grizz county, with the bow as my weapon, I run a Glock 20 with 220gr hard cast rounds. I run this clipped to my AGC harness. I'm debating running a chest rig for the 20mm, like a gunfighter harness and clipping my range finder to the strap. Since I rarely need binos during elk season, I feel it would be a slick setup. I would have binos in my pack, if they were needed.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Big fan of the p365 as an edc carry gun. Both the original and the xl sit at the sweet spot of capacity and concealability while being simultaneously easy to shoot well. mine had become my main carry gun since I was able to break it in.

9mm is definitely a potent caliber for anti social purposes. If I thought 4 legged critters were a big issue, I might be inclined toward a larger caliber. 40 or 10mm. A revolver in 357 or even 44 is worth a thought as well.

as far as carry, I have become a big fan of running a pistol on an extender called a UBL that gets it below your pack belt without the need of a leg strap. Second to that, I will run it on my chest rig.

make sure to check laws where you hunt. Some places do not allow carry of a pistol either concealed or open and some places don’t let you carry a firearm while bow hunting.

 

[rbljack]

I ended up going with a Glock 29 10mm with hardcast bullets. I don't carry it if I am rifle hunting. If I do tag out and have to make meat haul trips, I grab the handgun and leave the rifle at the truck, But if the wife has the tag (and the gun), I carry the glock in a Kydex holster from JC Custom Kydex. It mounts onto my hip belt of my kifaru pack and I even had enough room to put a med belt pouch in front of it. I also decided to start carrying the glock during our spring turkey hunts. Sitting around sounding like a turkey can bring in a predator that might just sneak in real quietly.

I can tell you the 10mm with hardcast bullets does the job at close range. Ive dispatched a few large wild hogs at close range with it while trapping. If I get back into bow hunting, I would most likely carry the sidearm as well.

 

[Coach529]

Glock 20 in a Gunfighters Inc Kenai Holster.

 

[Hoodie]

This is a good conversation. There's only one fella who seems to not wear a pistol in the backcountry who's tossed in solid reasoning that I largely agree with. Here are my two cents in addition...

I started carrying when I picked up a bow and in the second year I shot a wounded black bear with it. Seemed pretty useful and clearly i had an experience where it was potentially good for my safety... But as time has gone on and the boogeyman hasn't gotten me, I've reduced my carrying it more and more. When I backpack, even on the edge (but not in the middle) of g-bear country I find myself leaving my pistol and opting for spray.

I think there are two major questions to ask yourself, since you tossed a question mark at the end of your thread title, regarding carrying a pistol. Are you comfortable making a difficult, but accurate shot with it under extreme stress? Does it give you more peace of mind while you carry? For me, it's likely a no and sometimes response. If you answer yes to one or more of those I don't see why you shouldn't carry one and feel okay about it.

That last paragraph is a huge part of the equation. Hot loads out of something like a .44 or 10mm are pretty snappy. Not conducive to lengthy range sessions for most people. I've got to wonder how many are actually better capable of ditching their bow, drawing, and hitting a moving target in the CNS than they would be deploying spray.

Shooting under pressure against a clock is a skill that takes high round counts to develop and is pretty perishable. Bear spray is pretty easy.

I've chased a black bear out of my camp that managed to get to my food (which was hung correctly), with a flashlight and some loud yelling. I got my pop-tarts back.

Does everyone who carries in black bear country (out of concern for bears, not sketchy people) also hang their food or use a canister?

 

[11boo]

I always carry, everywhere.

 

[PineBrook413]

I just run a ruger lc9 with +p hollow points when not in bear country. Same as I carry everyday. If I need more firepower its usually a 44mag.

 

[Next Ridge]

I have carried while scouting/hunting but generally don’t. I don’t see the point for scenarios that have less than 1% chance of happening.

 

[Rick M.]

Don't mean to derail the thread but I had to find the video...

Yup, that's the one! Not derailing at all. In fact, it's right on topic, haha.

 

[Rick M.]

This is a good conversation. There's only one fella who seems to not wear a pistol in the backcountry who's tossed in solid reasoning that I largely agree with. Here are my two cents in addition...

I started carrying when I picked up a bow and in the second year I shot a wounded black bear with it. Seemed pretty useful and clearly i had an experience where it was potentially good for my safety... But as time has gone on and the boogeyman hasn't gotten me, I've reduced my carrying it more and more. When I backpack, even on the edge (but not in the middle) of g-bear country I find myself leaving my pistol and opting for spray.

I think there are two major questions to ask yourself, since you tossed a question mark at the end of your thread title, regarding carrying a pistol. Are you comfortable making a difficult, but accurate shot with it under extreme stress? Does it give you more peace of mind while you carry? For me, it's likely a no and sometimes response. If you answer yes to one or more of those I don't see why you shouldn't carry one and feel okay about it.

Good stuff. I appreciate your input. I think it's 100% piece of mind for me. Just that added layer of security - knowing that if some weirdness were to go down, I'd have a last resort.

I train with my firearms, but can only hope that I'd perform under stress. No one honestly knows for certain until they actually go through it. Either way, I think I'd prefer to have it. Perhaps over time I may become comfortable enough to leave it at home, but I doubt it. I also carry concealed, and there are days where I don't feel like I want to carry but still do. I'd hate to be in a situation where my wife and son are in grave danger and I'd left my gun at the house.

The reason I left the title open ended is because I want to hear what others are up to, as well as their reasoning. It's just campfire talk, to be honest.

 

[Rick M.]

That last paragraph is a huge part of the equation. Hot loads out of something like a .44 or 10mm are pretty snappy. Not conducive to lengthy range sessions for most people. I've got to wonder how many are actually better capable of ditching their bow, drawing, and hitting a moving target in the CNS than they would be deploying spray.

Shooting under pressure against a clock is a skill that takes high round counts to develop and is pretty perishable. Bear spray is pretty easy.

I've chased a black bear out of my camp that managed to get to my food (which was hung correctly), with a flashlight and some loud yelling. I got my pop-tarts back.

Does everyone who carries in black bear country (out of concern for bears, not sketchy people) also hang their food or use a canister?

That last question is a great one. I actually would love to know that as well, and it probably deserves it own thread. I know there are some that cook in camp and leave everything in the pack inside of their tent (in non-grizz country) and others that won't even use toothpaste for their night time brushing. Seems to be a huge range of practices around it.

 

[Colterw]

After a run in this spring with a black bear, I carry one on the hip belt of my pack if I'm scouting or bow hunting.

I was walking through a marsh in SW Washington in early May headed out to the road after checking a few trail cameras. Visibility was low, less than 50 feet in any direction when I heard something running through the brush at me. Around a bushy fir tree comes a good sized black bear that sees me at 8 yards and stops. I had my gun ready and yelled at him a few times before he turned and ran.

I'm sure it was thinking I was a fresh calf or fawn coming through the brush and was ready for an easy meal but found me instead. I was happy to be carrying a firearm, even if it was just a glock 43 9mm.

 

[Spike elk]

I always carry. Have drawn a pistol 3 times while archery hunting. Twice during encounters with unhappy sows and cubs and once with wolves. With the sows I was able to talk my way out of it and back out of the situation. With the wolves it took them a bit of time to figure out what I was before they melted into the mountain and then howled all around me. At the time, if it had been legal, I could have killed any of them with my bow. All three times a pistol didn't matter but felt good in my hands. I also went from a 9mm to a 45 colt BH that feels even better. I guess I am not as tough as some of you guys that do not carry and I need a security blanket.

 

[Spike elk]

In case of emergency it is also more effective to fire 3 rounds than it is to shoot 3 arrows to summon help.

 

[Squincher]

I have carried while scouting/hunting but generally don’t. I don’t see the point for scenarios that have less than 1% chance of happening.

Less than 1% happens to people somewhat regularly, and when it does need jumps instantly to 100%.

 

[grizz_bait]

Y'all are paranoid

 

[brsnow]

I'm hoping to find something that works with the new Stone Glacier bino harness. I'm leaning towards Razco at the moment but waiting for them to release a model that accommodates a pistol mounted light.

I have the razco with m&p shield on the new SG harness, works great. I have it for Alaska trips, I don’t carry here in CO.