side arm

[stonewall]

Anyone else carry a pistol when they hunt? I didn't until this year.

[Rick Richard]

Only when I go to Wyoming elk hunting where there are a lot of "Grizz"

[Stumpkiller]

In NY we are not allowed to carry a handgun ("firearm of any description") while bowhunting.

However, I hunt only on my own property.

I have an unrestricted permit (concealed).

But I will neither confirm nor deny.

[Sam McMichael]

Yes, I always carry either a .40 caliber or a .45.

[Pete McMiller]

Generally - NO, but I have on occasion when bow hunting on or near the Mexican border though it's for my own piece of mind rather than any specific threat I feel.  If I hunted in an area with Grizzly or Brown bear I would need to change my answer.

[YosemiteSam]

Not usually.  If my son is with me, yes.  If I'm alone probably not.

Oddly, it's illegal to carry bear spray in the National Parks here but we can carry a pistol with a permit.  But while hunting with an Archery Only tag or during the archery season, we're not supposed to have any firearms in possession.  So I find myself carrying more when I'm NOT hunting than when I am.

[Terry Green]

[Roy from Pa]

Yes I do.. It's legal to carry in Pa while bow hunting. Mostly for the 2 legged varmints. 10 years ago here in Pa, a bow hunter was found dead in his tree stand from a shotgun blast to the chest.

[Etter]

Ive carried around the Mexican border but dont ever carry elsewhere. I only hunt black bears, deer, and feral hogs around here so I dont see the need

[David McLendon]

In AK I carry spray and a firearm of a suitable size, likely not a handgun.
 In lower 48 Grizzly country spray and a double action handgun. Anywhere else spray for the highly unlikely event of an ill tempered black bear, and a .10mm for 2 legged vermin, rogue biker gang, Zombie Apocalypse or anything else that might need attention. A bow is not a self defense device.

[Eric Krewson]

In Alabama you can carry with a permit during bow season.

[mec lineman]

The thought has never crossed my mind. I have a concealed handgun permit. I guess I would if I ever felt the need.

[Roadkill]

Depends on where and what I am hunting. I did carry while hunting two weeks ago.
I always carried something when I lived in Alaska

[wingnut]

I carry a .480 Ruger Alaskan while moose hunting in bear country.  Don't carry while bow hunting anywhere else.

Mike

[kadbow]

Sometimes. I was regularly running into a bear with a couple cubs in my elk area this year so I carried.

[woodchucker]

I always carry a pistol with my NYS permit, hunting or otherwise. My experiance over the years has been that the ECO's I have dealt with, have no issues with you carrying a reasonable personal defense handgun, with a legal concealed carry permit, while bowhunting. Usually they are more interested with my Bear T/D & cedar arrows, than the little S&W .38 on my hip.
(My Ruger .44mag may be looked at differently though?)

[David McLendon]

I had a Ruger Alaskan in .454 Casull. .454 is not fun to shoot period but a 2.5" barrel is ridiculous. I got rid of it and replaced it with a 629. I do recommend Garrett Cartridges ammo for your bear deterrent, I also carry their 540gr Hammerheads in my 45-70.

[Dorado]

Legal here in Texas. I carry a gun anyways after getting a knife pulled on me as I was leaving a restaurant. It's part of my hunting kit as well. Never know what you'll run into. A friend of mine found a man, with arms and legs bound behind him, hung from a tree.
I have a couple of guns I switch between depending on what I feel like.

[mark Willoughby]

Never leave the house without it ..... for anything ! To many crazy people out there these days

[Ron LaClair]

One of these is usually with me most times. Top- down, .44mag, .357, .357, .38 special