Should you carry a firearm while bowhunting in Wyoming

[wapitibob]

Dragging this back to the top for opinions. I've got a buddy that drew an archery elk tag in heavy bear country in NW Wyoming. I'm going with him to pack meat and so he won't be hunting solo in bear country. I have a short barreled turkey gun with a red dot and Brenneke Black Magic slugs that is very fast handling and much more accurate than a pistol. Anyone know if this is legal for me to carry for the one in a million chance in a bad bear encounter?

**Got a call in to the local warden to verify, I just wanted the Roksliders opinion as well

It's legal in every western state, a state Game dept can't regulate your 2nd Amendment rights.

 

[Dos Perros]

I haven't hunted a ton in grizzly country, but the first time I did we saw more bears than bulls and had a bear in our wind waiting for us the leave the carcass and then had a bear take a bag of meat, and one other close encounter. And then the next time we saw two fresh piles of shit. Didn't sleep well either trip. I argue it'd be reckless to not have a pistol or spray hunting in grizzly country. Statistically pretty unlikely to be killed in a car accident but I put my seatbelt on every time I drive.

 

[Dos Perros]

It's legal in every western state, a state Game dept can't regulate your 2nd Amendment rights.

Sure, but game and fish could regulate your hunting. They could say "you can't archery hunt whilst carrying a firearm."

 

[wapitibob]

Sure, but game and fish could regulate your hunting. They could say "you can't archery hunt whilst carrying a firearm."

They could try. ODFW tried, got sued and slapped back to reality. As to the shotgun post, UT has a restriction on long guns during archery, not for handguns.

 

[manitou1]

You are a bit paranoid and over thinking this if carrying a side arm for moose, wolves and lion. No worries there.

Now in grizz country, yes I would carry one.

 

[Dos Perros]

They could try. ODFW tried, got sued and slapped back to reality.

Other states do this currently. Michigan? 'sconsin? One of the great lakes states.

 

[DMG]

There are an average of 11 bear attacks in the USA each year, with 1/2 of those being fatal. Given that, I am stupefied as to how much of our (outdoors types) conversation revolves around protecting ourselves from them. Here's an idea. I am assuming that the members here drive like the drivers that I see on a day in and day out basis. You want to protect yourself? Stop driving like damn idiots. Put the phone down and pay attention.

There are less than 20 skydiving deaths per year. Does that make skydiving safe? Or is it because not many people go skydiving?

How many people camp in griz or lion country? How many of them have a couple hundred pounds of meat strapped to their back?

Statistics are fun but they don’t tell the whole picture.


I do agree, driving and phones are a bad combo.

 

[Coyotecalling]

Depends on what part of Wyoming, but if there's griz out there... why wouldn't you?

 

[Mattt]

So the waitress... did you "have it coming?"

Sounds like she did

 

[Calcoyote]

I might have stated this on a similar thread on the forum but here goes:

Over the last 4 decades of hunting, backpacking, and camping I have had to draw and fire a pistol 3 different times (all three were successful warning shots). I also was stalked by a mountain lion on a solo back country backpacking trip. I am just not very lucky. I will hike and camp in the deepest and darkest woods by myself and feel fine about things, but I won't even get more that 50 feet from my truck without a weapon on. When camping, If I have to get up in the night to go to the bathroom I will not set foot outside the tent without being armed. In the daytime when I am in camp lounging around I am always armed.

By the way, I never reported ANY of those 3 bad bear encounters or the mountain lion. It is my opinion that only a fraction of the confrontational bear encounters ever get reported, so when you read stats on how many bear attacks there were, those numbers do NOT represent the true likelihood of encountering a predator in the woods (especially if you hunt or camp alone).

Also had a very unpleasant encounter with two really weirdo guys over 20 years ago that I encountered at a lake that kept trying to get too close to me while we were talking. I was hiked back 17 miles from the trailhead in the John Muir Wilderness. I never reported that one either.

 

[Luked]

Each their own
Do what you think is best.
I carry here where I live at home during bow season.
Its not cause of the 4 legged critters either its the 2 legged ones that are my issue.
Carry a S&W Shield 9mm also.

 

[deerninja]

I would carry a pistol (.454 Casull or 10mm w/solid core bullets) just in any event. In my opinion the weight addition is a small price to pay if you ever needed it. Nice to have next to you while sleeping too, i heard they can keep you warm and comforted.

 

[EastHumboldt]

Hunt with a slow fat guy. just make sure you’re thinner and faster than him. Well at least faster….

 

[NMJM]

We humans are horrible at identifying risks. Stats only help so much. For everyone who says they thwarted a bear attack and never reported it, there are also those people who saw a bear from a hundred yards away, let their imagination go wild and reported a bear attack. Even bowhunting and being around a freshly killed elk very few hunters are attacked. Think about how many people are near bears and mountain lions every day and never even know it. On the flip side the big 4 killers for all of us are heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. How much thought do you put into these vs the big bad bear? Use common sense and it is unlikely wildlife will be a real threat. If we put the same fear into everything that had the same risk as bears and lions we would never leave our homes. Use common sense and go out and enjoy the wilderness!

 

[Lawnboi]

I’d carry walking through a grocery store In Wyoming, or any other state for that matter.

Being in the wrong place at the wrong time can happen anywhere.

 

[Ralphie]

We humans are horrible at identifying risks. Stats only help so much. For everyone who says they thwarted a bear attack and never reported it, there are also those people who saw a bear from a hundred yards away, let their imagination go wild and reported a bear attack. Even bowhunting and being around a freshly killed elk very few hunters are attacked. Think about how many people are near bears and mountain lions every day and never even know it. On the flip side the big 4 killers for all of us are heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. How much thought do you put into these vs the big bad bear? Use common sense and it is unlikely wildlife will be a real threat. If we put the same fear into everything that had the same risk as bears and lions we would never leave our homes. Use common sense and go out and enjoy the wilderness!

Actually I pay alot of attention to those big 4 killers. Exercise a ton. I eat pretty good most days. Had a colonoscopy. Annual checks. Doc looks me over for skin cancer on and on and on. Monitor blood pressure. Wear my seatbelt too.

And I carry just about every where. The risk is extremely low even for living in and hunting in grizzly country but the outcome of an attack is unacceptable. It could still happen but it isn’t going to be because I didn’t carry.

 

[handturkee]

With wolves, lions, moose and bears out in the wilderness here should I carry a firearm for protection or am I just overthinking situations out here. Could always just kick em really hard if they get to close. What's your thoughts?

I like a pistol when I'm solo, bear spray is sufficient for me when hunting with others