Three simple words describe why I prefer to carry a sidearm anywhere where I may find myself alone and remote... peace of mind

Just carry it.

Ahhhh Yes....Peace of mind with 45

i see a snake while bowhunting and i'm gonna do whatever is neccesary to dispatch it. WHATEVER is neccesary

i occasionally carry a pistol while deer hunting, not for personal protection(because a rifle is way more deadly than a pistol, i'm not gonna put the rifle down in lieu of the pistol) but for shooting wounded animals.

last year i shot two hogs, had three shells in my gun, had to use the third round to finish off the 2nd hog leaving me bulletless. would have much rather put a 9mm round in its head and had the extra round in the .270

I wonder if anybody has ever had such and encounter with a GW over the subject?

Do you also "dispatch" every wasp, horse fly, fire ant, spider, and scorpion while hunting? I guess there must not be very many snakes where you guys hunt and it’s a really BIG deal when you see one if you deem it necessary to go out of your way just to kill a snake with a pistol. I know a lot of folks out here in West Texas that are farmers, ranchers, and hunters; I don’t know anyone who actually shoots snakes with their pistol. They MIGHT go out of their way to run over one if they see one…..that’s about it. After all.....it is just a SNAKE; leave them alone and it will be OK. Just imagine that big buck a couple hundred yards away that spooks and runs off due to pistols shots. Why take that chance?
Is anyone interested in a “Trophy Snake Pistol Hunt”?

Solution - Carry a few more .270 shells.

This is correct, and it must be concealed!! If it is rifle season or any other time (n ot during bow season), and you are on PRIVATE property, you can carry openly. On a side note, I recommend everyone have a CHL, even if you don't plan to carry.

If it is bow season, and someone wants to hunt pigs/coyotes (or NON game animals) with a rifle, you can. I was advised by our local game warden to contact your local game warden to let them know where you will be rifle hunting. I carry 2 busniess cards in my wallet with our local game wardens contact info and noitify them of any night hunting, or such. they are very appreciative of this!

I would also like to hear about any encounters... I'd venture to say the GW might be a little lenient on this particular rule.

I carry a sidearm all the time on the ranch

Snakes, hogs, coyotes, mountain lions, mad cows... Who knows what you'll run into out there.

Yes, we have!!! And we asked about this subject.

We have another funny GW story. A guy I used to hunt with tagged an 8 point buck with a Red Drum tag!! The buck/antlerless tag is in the bottom right corner. If you have your license upside down, the red drum tag is now bottom right. It was pitch dark when he was tagging the deer, so he didn't see his mistake. As luck would have it, a game warden was waiting in our camp to inspect all of us. Luckily, the hunter checked the Buck box and wrote the kill on the back of the license. the GW said if he had not done this, he would have confiscated everything in his possesion, including his truck, rifle, and everything!! He retagged the animal, and all was good. My jaw hit the floor when the GW said he used a red drum tag! I was rolling!

I really appreciate this discussion. I am going to my spot this weekend to check the feeder and game cam but will not be hunting (unless there are doves flying). I like to carry when on my property for piece of mind etc... I also usually take my two little helpers with me (6 and 4 yr old boys). They know daddy has a pistol even though I carry concealed, but having it with me makes me feel safer for them also. They have never seen me draw the firearm or take it from it's concealment while out btw and yes, we live for safety and learning the rules of the outdoors. I don't even handle the pistol when in their site.

Interesting discussion though.

If you remove it to shoot a snake it is no longer concealed.




Snakes, hogs, chupacabras etc would not motivate me to go to the trouble of carrying while bow hunting. Now if I was hunting in South Texas in some of the areas near the border I would sure carry, CHL or not.

Judging by I few of these posts, I’m surprise some folks aren't carrying assault rifles for rattlesnakes! If I didn’t know any better, I would be scared to death to venture out into the countryside unarmed after reading some of this stuff.

I carry mine, because it is my right to do so. I used to not carry, but when confronted by to very mean dogs between me and my 4 wheeler with only a bow I decided I would carry my gun from that day on no matter what.

Don't see how by taking up bow hunting I give up my 2nd amendment right to carry a gun.

Ok, how about that traveling law? Texas says while traveling I can carry. So if I have my pistol while traveling from camp to the stand law says its ok, even with a bow...


However, not sure what legally is supposed to happen once you are at the stand?

And there it is.

I carry when I bowhunt as I've had some close encounters with hogs before walking to my stand, just feel better having it. The law is absolutely idiotic, what is the reason behind only being able to carry it if you have your CHL? I don't remember them going over that in the class. And who or what am I supposed to be concealing my gun from???

From the Game Warden it seems.

Legally, you can carry a pistol in your vehicle anytime. But you are not hunting from your vehicle. I honestly recommend you get a CHL. It will help answer a lot of your questions. Ignorance of a law doesn't make it legal!

I have seen 2 friends get harrased (both non-CHL) and 1 taken to jail because they had a concealed pistol without informing the officer. Don't risk it, get a CHL.


Yes, sometimes it doesn't make a lot of sense. But that's the law.

i don't bother snakes, i have a chl, but i def carry a pistol now when i hunt bcuz i have found brass in my deer stand that did not belong to me. and have had pics of poachers shooting deer at my stand, i do not wanna be sitting there in the dark w/ my stand closed up and experience a 2 legged snake getting in with me while i am trying to get my 40" OF RIFLE swung around.. and i have met folks that while wrking a turkey call managed to call a hog straight to themselves and while they killed the hog w/ the shotgun they still ended up getting cut up.. everyone should take a chl course for a multitude of reasons and then decide for yourself if you wanna carry or not.

Ok--so I handgun hunt more than I rifle hunt---I usually carry my scoped 44 mag in a bandolier holster outside my garments....I also have a CHL...
From the way you guys are talking, If a person is a CHL holder and in the field hunting, the handgun "MUST" be concealed...
Is that what I am understanding??? If thats the case its ridiculous...I mean, that is my primary firearm while legally hunting...Your rifle isnt concealed so why should my handgun have to be?? Ive looked all thru the reg book for this info and cant find anything that states this as fact...
I can understand the concealment when bowhunting tho, Ive hunted all over the U.S. and this is the first state that allows a handgun (or firearm of any kind) in your possession while bowhunting, CHL or not....I usually carry a Ruger Alaskan 44 in a shoulder holster while bowhunting hogs and will do so whitetail hunting with my bow...(protection from hogs, snakes and any 2 legged "city critters" (well, I guess there could be some 2 legged "country critters" out there too..Sasquatches/Zombies)
Can anyone give an "Accurate" definition of this (LAW?)

Only during bow season you can NOT carry a firearm in the open. Any other time, you can, on private property. You could carry your 44 under a garment (technically!) with your CHL. But that is a scoped "hunting" handgun. So, I don't know how that would play out legally. I wouldn't take it. I would carry a more traditional defensive handgun.

This makes complete sense when you think about. Unfortunately, not all states pay as close attention to Second Amendment rights.

Snakes aren't all that bad to land owners. He kills an awful lot of mice and rats every year. And 99.9% of the time you will never see him.

Unless they are around the house or barn I don't mess with them. We walk(or crawl) around each other and I'm kind of happy that I got to see one.

After many, many years in the brush I've only been actually attacked once.

If you are leasing, you had better ask the land owner how he feels about you killing anything that isn't a game animal.