Carry a government model 1911 in .45 cal. That way, if you need it, you won't have to shoot but once.

I carry my Kimber 1911 45ACP when I am rifle hunting or just messing around and my S&W 460XVR when serious handgun hunting.

SS S&W 357 full of hollow points in a Fobus holster. Fast draw, and for reliability it's hard to beat a wheel gun.

1911 .45 in a shoulder holster here!

I always tote a S&W .357 when i'm in the woods. My thinking is, if hogs or anything else gets after you and you have to drop your rifle to get into a tree or up on rocks or whatever, I want to have my side arm on me to shoot at 'em from my safety point.

Browning hi power 40 cal.

i carry my kimber tatical ultra whenever i go into the woods. i hunt mostly public land so u never know who u will run into

I hope you are just joking. Maybe you should wait until daylight before walking to your stand.

I carry a rifle. Never felt undergunned or needing to dress like Wyatt Earp......

You guys must hunt in a really rough neighborhood.

or maybe they just want excuses for buying more guns

X2

To answer your question a .40cal or .45 or a .38 spl .357 would probably be the smallest sidearm that would provide adequate protetion.

If you plan on encountering plenty of bears or something along those lines you might want to lean towards a .44 magnum or something with a little more "kick" like a .50AE.

Although the Taurus Judge is a nifty gun and the new Taurus Public Defender is even smaller...it's not a SMALL gun by any means. It's fairly large for a wheel gun although not huge. If you want to be certain what you shoot will be down then get a judge but mind that size and weight will be a factor here. If you want to balance power/comfort and depending concealability i'd suggest a semiauto as they are slimmer. You could also consider a smaller revolver. A .357 would be a great candidate.

I've been carrying a Taurus 740 the .40 cal version of the 709 it's extremely slim, reliable, and concealable you'll forget its there. KAHR also makes nice subcompact sidearms I don't like the way they handle personally though. I also have a Glock 30 with 10 rounds of .45 acp on tap in a compact those two work for me.

Also if your worried about stopping power buy hollow points. They create a larger wound channel.

No doubt...

If you hit it on your first shot of course.

i do like taurus. i take 38 spl alot of times or maybe 40. just depends how feel!

whats wrong with the rifle you are caring? I hate seeing guys at hunting camp carrying pistols. Most people cant shoot a pistol good enough to hit anything anyway. Not to mention you are trying to handle two firearms instead of just one.

well, I just bought a taurus 24/7 pro .40 caliber. I debated between it and the 9mm and decided on the 40

I carry a Sig 228 9mm with speer dot ammo. I'm not worried about the 4 legged animals, it's the upright 2 legged ones that concern me. Parker county can be a rough place in the woods.

Been hunting for 50 years in lots of places. Never found a reason to be scared of anything out there. If there was, I wouldn't count on a pistol for help.

Ruger 40 cal. with Hydra-shocks

Hey man get your finger off that trigger until you are ready to shot something. That is exactly how my uncle shot himself. Walking to his deer stand with a round in the chamber and finger on the trigger. Lost his leg almost bleed to death. I hope you are just speaking figuratively.

Yep must be public land. I keep my handgun in the car when I hunt. I figure my rifle or shotgun will be just fine for protection. Heck If I see a rattlesnake I am much more likely to hit it with a shotgun than a pistol.

x2 well almost 50 years.

I carry a Glock 19.