How many of you guys carry a sidearm while hunting, and for those of you who do what are you carrying?

I don't carry a pistol when a rifle is in my hands, but I always have a Mod 25 S&W 45 Colt in camp for local forays but more important for at night in the tent.

I carry a sw 44 magnum. A 3 inch barreled gun in town and a 6 1/2 inch gun hunting.

four-inch Anaconda in 45 LC...

If not on me on still hunts, right close... even with my .338WM rifle on my hand: .454 Casull loaded with hard cast ammo.

But when walking to a moose I have just killed, both my rifle and handgun on me.

I can't see any reason to carry a handgun while hunting with a long gun.

I'm of the impression that we western sportsmen have been suckered a bit by the marketing departments of our gear and apparel suppliers. Gotta have this jacket and that one too! Gotta have thirteen hats, 4 dozen knives, Eighty different kinds of ammo and several firearms on one hunt!

A couple of years ago I field processed quite a large bull moose with one Havalon knife and only used one replaceable blade. I'd guess I had at least three or four knives with me in addition to a dozen replacement blades for the Havalon. All that preparedness and one knife is all I used.

Whatever the extenuating circumstance may be, I expect the .300/ .338/ .366/ .375/ .416/ .458 in your hands or slung over your shoulder would handle it quite nicely. Seems silly to me to drop the rifle in your hand to fumble for the pistol.

quote:

Originally posted by Ray Alaska:
If not on me on still hunts, right close... even with my .338WM rifle on my hand: .454 Casull loaded with hard cast ammo.

But when walking to a moose I have just killed, both my rifle and handgun on me.

Yep,, .338's don't instill much confidence in a guy do they!

quote:

I'm of the impression that we western sportsmen have been suckered a bit by the marketing departments of our gear and apparel suppliers. Gotta have this jacket and that one too! Gotta have thirteen hats, 4 dozen knives, Eighty different kinds of ammo and several firearms on one hunt!

We older guys remember when back in the day we grabbed our one and only rifle and went hunting wearing whatever clothes we had on. No camo, range finder, scent blocker, etc. etc. How did we ever kill any game before the hundreds of products available today came out? Walking through Cabela's these days boggles the mind with what is being sold. Older guys know most of it is unnecessary.

quote:

Originally posted by vicvanb:

quote:

I'm of the impression that we western sportsmen have been suckered a bit by the marketing departments of our gear and apparel suppliers. Gotta have this jacket and that one too! Gotta have thirteen hats, 4 dozen knives, Eighty different kinds of ammo and several firearms on one hunt!

We older guys remember when back in the day we grabbed our one and only rifle and went hunting wearing whatever clothes we had on. No camo, range finder, scent blocker, etc. etc. How did we ever kill any game before the hundreds of products available today came out? Walking through Cabela's these days boggles the mind with what is being sold. Older guys know most of it is unnecessary.

Last year I flew into Anchorage for vet appointments for Babe. Stayed two nights I think, highlight of the trip was lunch at the Millenium and pizza delivery.

While there I toured all three big box sporting goods stores, Bass Pro, Cabela's and Sporstman's Warehouse. Frankly I was put off. In my mind 90 or so % of the gear and gadgets in all three are meaningless. As you mentioned, Scentblocker. A fellow doesn't brush his teeth for 5 days, eats pancakes and coffee for breakfast, puts a big dip of Copenhagen in his lip and then fastens $600.00 worth of Scentblocker around his midsection. More knives than we can ever figger what to do with, more packs/ daypacks/ camelbacks/ packboards/ backpacks than we could carry in three lifetimes.

We've spent all our budgets on gear and trivial paraphernalia instead of plane tickets and other means of getting somewhere to hunt and fish.

Speaking of fishing, I'm just home for the day between trips up the Nushagak chasing kings around! See you guys later!

sometimes i carry my 1911 but i like to go light rifle knife and drag rope, small back pack with fire starter compass ,map , space blanket, water and nuts to eat.i still wear wool pants and jacket. if i'm woods roaming without a rifle its a choice between the 1911 or my 7 1/2" super redhawk 454 worn accross the chest.

Nothing wrong with using the rifle. I did not say I would prefer to use a handgun. Fact is, I'm so accustomed to having a handgun, I'd feel naked without it.

If I'm rifle hunting, I don't carry a pistol. Obviously, I do if pistol hunting. I've been working up loads to begin limited hunting with a Glock 10MM, a S&W 629 Classic and a Super Redhawk in 44 magnum.

If I'm hunting, I don't carry a pistol. If I'm fishing the rivers, I have my 44 Ruger RedHawk. No need to bring both.

Tanoose,

I tend to agree with Scott. I spent 22 years in the bush and I had a 44 Mag for "bear protection" that I carried for a couple of years. What I found was that the big guns pull your pants down in belt holster or if you use a shoulder holster its always under your jacket or rain gear. Packing a pistol just didn't seem practical to me. I agree that if you were attacked while in your tent a handgun might be easier to use than a rifle but I felt pretty happy with my short barreled 458. If you like big handguns get one but I don't think it is necessary.

Mark

Since I carry all the time I'm awake, I carry with a rifle. Of course rifles never fail so why do I bother........ Lightweight 1911 is my friend.

In the military we always Considered that the primary purpose of a handgun was to gave you a chance to fight your way to a proper weapon.
I tell all my rifle hunting clients to leave their handguns in camp as if they can't kill their game with a rifle then they most likely won't be able to with a handgun.

quote:

I tell all my rifle hunting clients to leave their handguns in camp as if they can't kill their game with a rifle then they most likely won't be able to with a handgun.

I agree with Phil
I've never carried a sidearm while hunting, (rifle muzzleloader or archery) to me it never made sense to add the extra weight.
If I'm not hunting just camping I have a sidearm in the tent, however I never take it on hikes for the same reason it just seems like extra weight. I've always been (lucky or smart) able to stay out of bad situations with Bears and usually just using your head is enough, it's people I need a sidearm for.

Everyone posting here have some good info on this subject but most are simply personal opinions and choices with all seemingly missing some things IMO!

I have always carried a handgun while hunting no matter what rifle I was using. The exception being in Africa or Canada where the handgun is illegal.

Admittedly different handguns apply depending what I am hunting and/or what type of hunting country I am hunting.

To explain what I mean by the above statements is! If hunting and camping in big bear country I carry a Ruger Blackhawk 41Mag in a Korean era “Tanker chest rig” and in Alaska I carry this inside my rain gear to keep the handgun dry. That gun if I’m hunting Alaska my rifle is a FN Mauser 375H&H, even if hunting caribou or moose.

Certainly the rifle will kill anything that walks crawls or flies. While I am hunting, but when I have an animal down the rifle is usually standing against a tree or leaning over my pack frame while I dress the animal, but that .41 mag is right there with my rain gear unzipped far enough down so the hand gun is readily available. Shots or blood smell on the wind attracts bears many times and the come in very quietly, and are near before you see them many times. As some one said above, the hand gun is a last ditch effort but is something to use to fight your way to the rifle.

In camp the rifle again is usually leaning inside the fly over the entrance to my tent, and by having the hand gun gives me a chance to get to my rifle if I have a sudden uninvited guest come to the smell of me cooking fish.

When deer hunting I carry a little Berreta Jaguar .22 pistol also in a chest rig, but for a different purpose. While hunting deer I often see a wild turkey or fox where the little .22 is a perfect tool. On occasion I have put a deer down but he was still alive when I reach him and struggling to try to stand, a little .22LR between the eyes finishes him quite nicely, so I don’t have to shoot him again with my rifle, or wade into him to stick a knife in his throat and ruin the cape.

I agree that a handgun is a poor substitute for a powerful rifle for a bear, that is, if the rifle is in your hands, but is far better than a prayer if it isn’t till you can get to the rifle.

As far as being uncomfortable to carry I have found the chest rig is the ticket, and is not even noticeable to carry even a fairly heavy handgun, and never interferes with my rifle or back pack and if you are squatting in the bush with a roll of toilet paper in you hand, or bending over a gutted moose, it is far better than the rifle under the rain fly in camp or standing against a tree at the kill.

Of course this is a personal choice, and others may do as it suits, I’ll have mine close at hand no matter what I’m doing at the time.
...................................................................

Agreed. Having weapon on you at all times is a good idea, especially if you hunt near the Mexican border..........but all your other criteria agree 100%

Before moving out of Alaska my S&W 500 4 inch revolver would go everywhere with me when I was in the woods or fishing. But the revolver never left camp or home if I planned on carrying a rifle.

The only circumstance where I would carry a sidearm while hunting with a rifle would be dangerous game hunting alone. This would probably never happen as a guide is required for DG hunting for New York residents in Alaska and Canada. I do carry a S&W 3" .44 mag when wandering the woods (not hunting) and when in grizzly infested national parks. My preferred method of carry is the tanker style holster as described by Mac....mine custom made by El Paso Saddlery.

Phil

I don't carry a pistol when hunting with my rifle. But I have exchanged my rifle for a pistol on a trip back to recover game. If I think I will be bashing heavy brush back to a fishing spot I will some times carry my pistol and leave rifle over my shoulder or strapped to my pack. That way when I get to my spot I have security of rifle in case. I use a 3 1/2 in. barrel 44 mag. revolver. It has a titanium frame. The bullets weigh as much as the pistol does empty. I use a chest rig. Mine is leather made locally in AK. The nylon ones are lighter but I like the leather.

I don't normally carry a handgun when I carry a rifle. Recently though I've been carrying a 5.5 inch Ruger Flattop 44 Special, stoked with Elmer's load of 17 grains of 2400 under a 255 grain cast SWC. I like the gun so well I may carry it this season along with my rifle. I have a goat hunt coming up in August and if billy gives me a broadside under 50 yards I may lay my rifle aside for a handgun shot.

As far as carrying a handgun for bear protection, I'd probably still go with the new Flattop. It's a tack driver. It will deliver a hard cast bullet on target shot after shot with boring regularity. I have other options, like a 4 inch Redhawk 45 Colt and Ruger Bisleys in 357, 41 and 44 magnum, but that newest Bisley is the nicest carrying handgun I've had on my hip in a very long time.

quote:

Originally posted by waterrat:

quote:

Originally posted by Ray Alaska:
If not on me on still hunts, right close... even with my .338WM rifle on my hand: .454 Casull loaded with hard cast ammo.

But when walking to a moose I have just killed, both my rifle and handgun on me.

Yep,, .338's don't instill much confidence in a guy do they!

On the contrary. For over 32 years in Alaska I have killed numerous moose with my .338, several with one well-placed shot each. But I have also "dispatched" a few moose that were still alive-and at close range-with the revolver. It's a lot simpler to take a brain shot (back of the head) of a moose that's on the ground a few feet away than trying to look for the spot to shoot through the riflescope.

Tannose asked a question, and I responded accordingly. Nothing to do with confidence or not.

quote:

Originally posted by Scott King:
I can't see any reason to carry a handgun while hunting with a long gun.

I'm of the impression that we western sportsmen have been suckered a bit by the marketing departments of our gear and apparel suppliers. Gotta have this jacket and that one too! Gotta have thirteen hats, 4 dozen knives, Eighty different kinds of ammo and several firearms on one hunt!

A couple of years ago I field processed quite a large bull moose with one Havalon knife and only used one replaceable blade. I'd guess I had at least three or four knives with me in addition to a dozen replacement blades for the Havalon. All that preparedness and one knife is all I used.

Whatever the extenuating circumstance may be, I expect the .300/ .338/ .366/ .375/ .416/ .458 in your hands or slung over your shoulder would handle it quite nicely. Seems silly to me to drop the rifle in your hand to fumble for the pistol.

A friend of mine field dressed a moose with a Swiss Army knife. He was driving to Fairbanks on the Dalton and killed the moose near the road. That's the only knife he had.

What would be silly is to shoot a grouse you may want for dinner with your .458 rifle, just because you didn't have a .22-caliber handgun, or even a slingshot

A lot of us have several firearms while hunting. Some are left on the ATV, others in the tent, and so on. Some of us even carry more than one camera and a bunch of lenses on the ATV, or just other firearms we can use for bird hunting on the trail. A great percentage of the hunters I see during moose season carry sidearms plus a rifle.

I have a couple of choices that I carry. I either carry a Glock 20 (10mm) or a Ruger in 44 Special. I carry primarily when I bow hunt.

Matt

I am in the better to have and not need crowd. If I am hunting with a rifle, I'm not carrying a handgun. Only because lately I've become a geezer and overnight all this stuff has become heavy. But if I'm in an area remote enough for game I'm armed. I have a knife and a way to make a fire.

+1 on all counts. I carry a Springfield Pro (45 ACP) if I'm out in the back country without a rifle. Better to have it and not need it.

quote:

Originally posted by chuck375:
+1 on all counts. I carry a Springfield Pro (45 ACP) if I'm out in the back country without a rifle. Better to have it and not need it.

Last moose season a friend of mine shot a moose, so I walked to it about 30 minutes later and the moose was very much alive, although it could not stand up. Anyway, I got about 20 paces away and behind the moose, and I shot it on the back of the head with my .454, just below the antlers. No damage whatsoever to the base of the antlers for a good mount. If the moose would have been standing and walking away, i would have shot it with my rifle long before I had walked to it.

I carry the .454 in a well-designed "Bandito" bandoleer holster that is very comfortable, so weight is not a problem.

quote:

Originally posted by Tanoose:
How many of you guys carry a sidearm while hunting, and for those of you who do what are you carrying?

Stevens Tip-Up in 22 LR; weighs less than a big knife and doesn't make much of a mess out of a finishing shot.

I carry. I do not mind the extra weight. I can only speak for myself, but I am by the standard of my primary physician overweight. Yet, I do not bitch about carrying that extra fat around (My significant other may say otherwise). So why bitch about a potentially life saving extra two-three pounds?

I agree with the philosophy of using a sidearm to get to a long gun, but I would rather have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

As for the specific sidearms; in country where some critters bite back, I carry a SW 357pd in .41 mag with underwood 260 hardcast. For everything else, a longside Glock in 40 with ranger T-series.

quote:

Originally posted by vicvanb:

quote:

I'm of the impression that we western sportsmen have been suckered a bit by the marketing departments of our gear and apparel suppliers. Gotta have this jacket and that one too! Gotta have thirteen hats, 4 dozen knives, Eighty different kinds of ammo and several firearms on one hunt!

We older guys remember when back in the day we grabbed our one and only rifle and went hunting wearing whatever clothes we had on. No camo, range finder, scent blocker, etc. etc. How did we ever kill any game before the hundreds of products available today came out? Walking through Cabela's these days boggles the mind with what is being sold. Older guys know most of it is unnecessary.

Well, this old guy has learned through the years that a hunt is not necessarily to kill something, but a series of events to make the whole experience enjoyable. For example, I just don't hike 8 miles my campsite; I load all my hunting and camping gear on an ATV and meat trailer, erect my 8x10 wall tent on an elevated plywood platform, and sleep in a well padded SlumberJack cot. Meanwhile the stove keeps me warm through the night. Then if I kill a moose in the evening when getting dark, I pull out the Honda generator out of my tent, and work on the moose with the help of a couple of friends, illuminated by three floodlights.

Some of you probably feel that one should just go out there with a spear and then skin and quarter a moose with a flint knife, but I am not that tough. I carry enough guns and ammo to hunt moose, bear, birds, or just paper targets

quote:

Originally posted by Ray Alaska:

quote:

Originally posted by vicvanb:

quote:

I'm of the impression that we western sportsmen have been suckered a bit by the marketing departments of our gear and apparel suppliers. Gotta have this jacket and that one too! Gotta have thirteen hats, 4 dozen knives, Eighty different kinds of ammo and several firearms on one hunt!

We older guys remember when back in the day we grabbed our one and only rifle and went hunting wearing whatever clothes we had on. No camo, range finder, scent blocker, etc. etc. How did we ever kill any game before the hundreds of products available today came out? Walking through Cabela's these days boggles the mind with what is being sold. Older guys know most of it is unnecessary.

Well, this old guy has learned through the years that a hunt is not necessarily to kill something, but a series of events to make the whole experience enjoyable. For example, I just don't hike 8 miles my campsite; I load all my hunting and camping gear on an ATV and meat trailer, erect my 8x10 wall tent on an elevated plywood platform, and sleep in a well padded SlumberJack cot. Meanwhile the stove keeps me warm through the night. Then if I kill a moose in the evening when getting dark, I pull out the Honda generator out of my tent, and work on the moose with the help of a couple of friends, illuminated by three floodlights.

Some of you probably feel that one should just go out there with a spear and then skin and quarter a moose with a flint knife, but I am not that tough. I carry enough guns and ammo to hunt moose, bear, birds, or just paper targets

I have been on more than one hunt that was sort of ruined because one or more of the ten thousand items someone thought was needed on a hunt was forgotten and the subsequent drama was horrendous.

Is the hunt about hunting or is it about the hunting paraphernalia?

I think .458 put it better than I did, if you've got the rifle on you there seems little need for the handgun.

quote:

Originally posted by Scott King:

quote:

Originally posted by Ray Alaska:

quote:

Originally posted by vicvanb:

quote:

I'm of the impression that we western sportsmen have been suckered a bit by the marketing departments of our gear and apparel suppliers. Gotta have this jacket and that one too! Gotta have thirteen hats, 4 dozen knives, Eighty different kinds of ammo and several firearms on one hunt!

We older guys remember when back in the day we grabbed our one and only rifle and went hunting wearing whatever clothes we had on. No camo, range finder, scent blocker, etc. etc. How did we ever kill any game before the hundreds of products available today came out? Walking through Cabela's these days boggles the mind with what is being sold. Older guys know most of it is unnecessary.

Well, this old guy has learned through the years that a hunt is not necessarily to kill something, but a series of events to make the whole experience enjoyable. For example, I just don't hike 8 miles my campsite; I load all my hunting and camping gear on an ATV and meat trailer, erect my 8x10 wall tent on an elevated plywood platform, and sleep in a well padded SlumberJack cot. Meanwhile the stove keeps me warm through the night. Then if I kill a moose in the evening when getting dark, I pull out the Honda generator out of my tent, and work on the moose with the help of a couple of friends, illuminated by three floodlights.

Some of you probably feel that one should just go out there with a spear and then skin and quarter a moose with a flint knife, but I am not that tough. I carry enough guns and ammo to hunt moose, bear, birds, or just paper targets

I have been on more than one hunt that was sort of ruined because one or more of the ten thousand items someone thought was needed on a hunt was forgotten and the subsequent drama was horrendous.

Is the hunt about hunting or is it about the hunting paraphernalia?

I think .458 put it better than I did, if you've got the rifle on you there seems little need for the handgun.

The hunt is about enjoying the experience, not only about killing an animal. My friends and I enjoy camping, talking and eating while sitting by the fire at night, or just stepping out of the tent to take photos of the Auroras.

We haven't had any hunt that has been ruined by not having any gadget one of us may have forgotten at home, from food to bullets to guns. Also, we hunt for meat and have been very successful at that.

Maybe you could tell the drama queens not to go hunting with you? In the area I hunt all hunters know and help each other when the need arises. When not hunting we may just visit each other for breakfast or coffee, and so on. When one kills a moose, we all check on each other, or just pitch in to help. There are no slackers nor cry babies around, and several are old farts ex-military. Not even this year's wildfires by our campsite will stop us from spending time out there, unless the fire lasts through September and the fire crews don't let us in

Besides that, every hunter out there, unless you hunt with spear alone, or maybe a club, carry a gadget or two while hunting. That some carry more gadgets than others is true, but that's all.

As for me, I always carry a sidearm plus my rifle, and probably a small knife to bleed the moose after the kill. Ooops! Almost forgot: I also have a cellphone in my pocket, earplugs, a pocket binocular, a moose tag in my wallet, and a pen to mark it.

And of course .458 is right. He is the guide and they are his clients. The client is to shoot straight and true; the guide has a gun to back the client, therefore the client does not need a sidearm.

quote:

Originally posted by Ray Alaska:

quote:

Originally posted by Scott King:

quote:

Originally posted by Ray Alaska:

quote:

Originally posted by vicvanb:

quote:

I'm of the impression that we western sportsmen have been suckered a bit by the marketing departments of our gear and apparel suppliers. Gotta have this jacket and that one too! Gotta have thirteen hats, 4 dozen knives, Eighty different kinds of ammo and several firearms on one hunt!

We older guys remember when back in the day we grabbed our one and only rifle and went hunting wearing whatever clothes we had on. No camo, range finder, scent blocker, etc. etc. How did we ever kill any game before the hundreds of products available today came out? Walking through Cabela's these days boggles the mind with what is being sold. Older guys know most of it is unnecessary.

Well, this old guy has learned through the years that a hunt is not necessarily to kill something, but a series of events to make the whole experience enjoyable. For example, I just don't hike 8 miles my campsite; I load all my hunting and camping gear on an ATV and meat trailer, erect my 8x10 wall tent on an elevated plywood platform, and sleep in a well padded SlumberJack cot. Meanwhile the stove keeps me warm through the night. Then if I kill a moose in the evening when getting dark, I pull out the Honda generator out of my tent, and work on the moose with the help of a couple of friends, illuminated by three floodlights.

Some of you probably feel that one should just go out there with a spear and then skin and quarter a moose with a flint knife, but I am not that tough. I carry enough guns and ammo to hunt moose, bear, birds, or just paper targets

I have been on more than one hunt that was sort of ruined because one or more of the ten thousand items someone thought was needed on a hunt was forgotten and the subsequent drama was horrendous.

Is the hunt about hunting or is it about the hunting paraphernalia?

I think .458 put it better than I did, if you've got the rifle on you there seems little need for the handgun.

The hunt is about enjoying the experience, not only about killing an animal. My friends and I enjoy camping, talking and eating while sitting by the fire at night, or just stepping out of the tent to take photos of the Auroras.

We haven't had any hunt that has been ruined by not having any gadget one of us may have forgotten at home, from food to bullets to guns. Also, we hunt for meat and have been very successful at that.

Maybe you could tell the drama queens not to go hunting with you? In the area I hunt all hunters know and help each other when the need arises. When not hunting we may just visit each other for breakfast or coffee, and so on. When one kills a moose, we all check on each other, or just pitch in to help. There are no slackers nor cry babies around, and several are old farts ex-military. Not even this year's wildfires by our campsite will stop us from spending time out there, unless the fire lasts through September and the fire crews don't let us in

Besides that, every hunter out there, unless you hunt with spear alone, or maybe a club, carry a gadget or two while hunting. That some carry more gadgets than others is true, but that's all.

As for me, I always carry a sidearm plus my rifle, and probably a small knife to bleed the moose after the kill. Ooops! Almost forgot: I also have a cellphone in my pocket, earplugs, a pocket binocular, a moose tag in my wallet, and a pen to mark it.

And of course .458 is right. He is the guide and they are his clients. The client is to shoot straight and true; the guide has a gun to back the client, therefore the client does not need a sidearm.

Not really what I think .458 said or meant to say at all, but I do understand your willingness to bend any words to suit you.

Cell phone?

quote:

Originally posted by Scott King:

quote:

Originally posted by Ray Alaska:

quote:

Originally posted by Scott King:

quote:

Originally posted by Ray Alaska:

quote:

Originally posted by vicvanb:

quote:

I'm of the impression that we western sportsmen have been suckered a bit by the marketing departments of our gear and apparel suppliers. Gotta have this jacket and that one too! Gotta have thirteen hats, 4 dozen knives, Eighty different kinds of ammo and several firearms on one hunt!

We older guys remember when back in the day we grabbed our one and only rifle and went hunting wearing whatever clothes we had on. No camo, range finder, scent blocker, etc. etc. How did we ever kill any game before the hundreds of products available today came out? Walking through Cabela's these days boggles the mind with what is being sold. Older guys know most of it is unnecessary.

Well, this old guy has learned through the years that a hunt is not necessarily to kill something, but a series of events to make the whole experience enjoyable. For example, I just don't hike 8 miles my campsite; I load all my hunting and camping gear on an ATV and meat trailer, erect my 8x10 wall tent on an elevated plywood platform, and sleep in a well padded SlumberJack cot. Meanwhile the stove keeps me warm through the night. Then if I kill a moose in the evening when getting dark, I pull out the Honda generator out of my tent, and work on the moose with the help of a couple of friends, illuminated by three floodlights.

Some of you probably feel that one should just go out there with a spear and then skin and quarter a moose with a flint knife, but I am not that tough. I carry enough guns and ammo to hunt moose, bear, birds, or just paper targets

I have been on more than one hunt that was sort of ruined because one or more of the ten thousand items someone thought was needed on a hunt was forgotten and the subsequent drama was horrendous.

Is the hunt about hunting or is it about the hunting paraphernalia?

I think .458 put it better than I did, if you've got the rifle on you there seems little need for the handgun.

The hunt is about enjoying the experience, not only about killing an animal. My friends and I enjoy camping, talking and eating while sitting by the fire at night, or just stepping out of the tent to take photos of the Auroras.

We haven't had any hunt that has been ruined by not having any gadget one of us may have forgotten at home, from food to bullets to guns. Also, we hunt for meat and have been very successful at that.

Maybe you could tell the drama queens not to go hunting with you? In the area I hunt all hunters know and help each other when the need arises. When not hunting we may just visit each other for breakfast or coffee, and so on. When one kills a moose, we all check on each other, or just pitch in to help. There are no slackers nor cry babies around, and several are old farts ex-military. Not even this year's wildfires by our campsite will stop us from spending time out there, unless the fire lasts through September and the fire crews don't let us in

Besides that, every hunter out there, unless you hunt with spear alone, or maybe a club, carry a gadget or two while hunting. That some carry more gadgets than others is true, but that's all.

As for me, I always carry a sidearm plus my rifle, and probably a small knife to bleed the moose after the kill. Ooops! Almost forgot: I also have a cellphone in my pocket, earplugs, a pocket binocular, a moose tag in my wallet, and a pen to mark it.

And of course .458 is right. He is the guide and they are his clients. The client is to shoot straight and true; the guide has a gun to back the client, therefore the client does not need a sidearm.

Not really what I think .458 said or meant to say at all, but I do understand your willingness to bend any words to suit you.

Cell phone?

Well, I imagine that you don't need to use .458's words. You can state your own opinions, just as well as I can state mine. Bu he was talking about his clients. I don't have clients, and my back-up is the revolver, not a guide. Besides that, I already said that I have used my revolver to dispatch a few moose that have been down but still alive after the shot.

My point is that regardless of how much you disagree with me and others about carrying a sidearm while hunting in Alaska, it's my choice to do so.

And yes, all the hunters in the area I hunt on the Elliott have cell phones, and also AM/FM radios in their tents. The cellphone is very convenient on an emergency if for whatever reason, including a medical emergency, one can't walk out of the hunting spot. No idea why, but bears have stayed away from our tents for the past 30 years since we have been leaving AM radios tuned to the local radio stations playing radio talk shows.

We all take a 2 to 3 weeks of vacation to rough it up out there each year.

Yes, cellphones, cameras and lenses, HAM radios (some hunters have these at their tents), all can be useful during moose season.

Right out of my tent I have shot the sky. The rifle is in the tent, and my sidearm is at my side:



Sometimes I use a .22LR sidearm to take one or two of these, but not always:

Nice pictures!

Thanks,

jpj3

quote:

Originally posted by jpj3:
Nice pictures!

Thanks,

jpj3

Thank you, sir.

When I am not hunting I carry a handgun but if I expect to be confronted by any real threat I know from experience that I am better off with a rifle.