Tell those city slickers how it is!

The only time I have used a gun to kill a rattlesnake was when I was not on the ground. I shot one crossing a road one night while spotting varmints and once out of a tree stand while turkey hunting. It was getting cool and I could see that snake settling in for the night right under my ladder. If I am on the ground than all it takes is a stick or rock.

I keep reading over and over again how y'all carry for piece of mind. I carry everyday because I have to. I go to my deer lease to unwind. It's one of the few places that I feel totally relaxed enough to not feel the need to carry a sidearm. If I see a rattle snake I go around him.

The last 3 years I was hunting 20 miles from the Mexican Border. I never once had the need to have a sidearm nor did I feel the need to carry one.

remember your bowhunting hogs! Simple enough

At our place we won't leave the camp without one just because of the hogs...

I've never concerned myself with carrying a side arm while hunting. If I see a poisonous snake while I'm out bow hunting I just give it a wide berth, usually the same while rifle hunting. If you get bit by a snake you had time to shoot with a pistol, consider yourself a candidate for the darwin award of the year! I am there to hunt deer, maybe stick a piggie or yote, so i'm not going to be popping off rounds with a pistol. I suppose if I hunted a place down on the border then i might think a little differently. But i don't, so i don't.

If I am rifle hunting, I definitely don't need a sidearm. At the ready, with finger on the safety if I feel threatened. But our hogs are not the killer hogs that so many others seem to have either. If given half a chance, they are gone at the first hint of man. The only one I ever had charge me already had a bullet in it, and it took another bullet square in the top of the head about 4' from me. Yes, the adrenaline was flowing a bit after that encounter.

I have seen trapped pigs take some point blank taps to the top of the head with semi-auto pistols and keep on running around the trap. If you're gonna carry a pistola for pigs, you better have a mag round (357, 41, 44, etc) if you wanna stop a decent size hog from charging. 9mm's, 40's, and even 45acp's are most likely not going to have the desired effect if a decent size pig comes after you. You might change their mind, but it will not stop them if they have a mind to get ya!

I carry my 40 everytime i step in the woods. No matter what.
They will have to pry it outta my cold dead hands!

The answer seems to have been covered very thoroughly, but I've heard that if you do have a CHL, then you HAVE to conceal it. Anyone else hear that?

Yes, it's called a CHL - Concealed Handgun License...

if you are on private property, you can carry a pistol whenever and however you want. bow season, any season. makes no difference. now if you have a pistol in the bow blind and a warden determines that through something he observed that you were hunting with it. then thats his call. but you can carry it. if the intent of the pistol is snakes, then load it with snake-shot and that should remove all doubt about its intent.

keep in mind that if you are on private property that is leased, you still need owner permission. other than that though, you can do as you like in carrying it.

the purpose of the way the law is written, is that a pistol cannot lawfully be used to dispatch a deer that is wounded in archery only season. its not a legal weapon for deer hunting during an archery only season. if the intent of the pistol is not for use on a deer, then you're fine. thats a game wardens call though. if you're in a hunting situation where hogs and or other exotic game are also potential targets, then i think you've got plentry argument that deer were not the only game you were hunting.

the language about the CHL is because if you are in a deer only situation, you could still also posess the weapon for personal protection. at that point though you should also abide with typical rules for that purpose. a weapon worn under a CHL permit for protection is not supposed to be worn in sight.

there is no otherise reason to need to follow CHL regulations on private property.

thats how i read that. i could be wrong maybe, but its what im going with.

I always carry my sidearm with me when I hunt during rifle, my Springfield Armory XD .45. I carry it for many reasons, such as piece of mind, snakes, hogs, or any other creature in nature that I may need to take down before they do the same to me, but my most important reason is to put down wounded deer. Just this opening day it came in handy. I took a Doe in the afternoon with my 30-06, but the shot went high and seperated her spine, I walked up, and had my .45 and put her down with it. Its much easier, quicker, and does not make as big of a hole. Just my 0.02 on this.

on private land u can carry handgun openly at all times even when filling feeders during bow season, read the law to be deer hunting in bow season u can,t have a broadhead and firearm togathier thats what i get out of it

You one of those manly men, huh Marcus... ...If a guy wants to carry a pistol does that make him less of man where you live???...You have piled on the last 5 post I have seen with nothing but smack talking...Guys like you crack me up!

Yes if in rifle, no if in bow
Seasons, that is