I guess it depends on where you hunt and live, with the world chock full of idiots that can carry a gun I am starting to think letting most everyone carry is a bad idea.
Really? You compared me conceal carrying a handgun in bear country to a child carrying a flashlight? If you are responsible enough to go out and proficiently take the life of a deer with a bow and arrow, yes, you should be carrying a hand gun if there are dangerous animals around that can attack you.
Predators (animals or humans) can be anywhere. That's like saying a gun free zone prevents criminals from being in that zone. And for our sanity, can we just keep the topic simple without throwing in other unrelated contingencies...we are talking about a non-idiot law abiding citizen, who is legally allowed to carry a handgun while hunting to defend themselves if they so choose.
Bottom line is when its your time its your time. Unless you are in big bear country or wolf country most everything else is gonna run unless cornered. So mostly its all in your head. If you can convince yourself that everything is alright you will be fine. Just relax and go about your business. I believe in the right to bear arms and if you are coming to take mine you better bring yours but it also worries me a bit at the thought of someone afraid walking around in the dark with a loaded gun. So if you do carry a gun you need to solve the problem of being afraid in the dark so you are calm and clear.
Very good points. I think the topic shifted a bit, it went from just being scared of the unknown in the dark to talking about potential predators that we all know are out there. I certainly don't want someone shooting at sounds in the dark...that would be BAD!
Walking to the stand in the dark I used to use a red headlight. I don't know if the deer see it or not. I just keep my head down and eyes on the path and occasionally look up to check exactly where I am. I was very startled once by a floating set of glaring red eyes hovering about 10 feet in front of me. Scared the bejeezers out of me. Almost had a heart attack. All I could imagine was the scene in the Amityville Horror movie where the red eyes were floating outside the upstairs window. Once i gathered myself and turned the white light on and could see clearly, that fawn was much less scary. At that point the only thing red was my face. I switched to a green headlight that day. Floating green eyes are much less spooky.
I carry my handgun... .it has a light on it. We have started to have cougars on our trail cams lately so better safe than sorry.
Some of you make a lot of assumptions about other people's abilities and are really quick to express your desire to regulate how others are able to defend themselves. Hummmm.... where do you most often hear that same tired line from? Y'all better give that some thought.
I have bow hunted black bear in Canada. Handguns aren't allowed. And at least in Ontario, all weapons (including bows) must be cased at quitting time. I remember one night when I hadn't walked more than 50 yd from the bait and heard a stick break. That was a little spooky. And yes, the bait was hit that night.
Red light Petzl head lamp for me on the low setting. Just enough light on those dark mornings/evenings so that I don't trip over anything or make excessive noise. I'm in the camp that a little red light is better than excessive noise. But that's just me.
Get yourself a good quality flashlight. Sure fire are great. Bright, tough, when set on high, you could temporarily blind one of dem' woods ghosts... Woooooo.
Nobody said anything about regulating hand guns, put down the NRA kool aid down. Just pointed out that there are people who have the card to carry but do not have the mentality that makes carrying a good idea.
I carry a glock 17 every time im in the woods. Just peace of mind I suppose but I have been backed up by a sow bear with cubs. She backed me up 100 yards and right back to my truck. I had those Trijicon Night Sights pointed right at her the whole time while hollering and praying out loud she didnt charge
Oh... so you just want to regulate who gets to carry a handgun based on your assumptions of their mentality and abilities. Gotcha... thanks for the clarity. Wait, isn't that what I just pointed out?
If we can stalk our way to a stand in the afternoon and kill deer on the way to the stand, kill a deer while climbing the stand and kill a deer two minutes after climbing the tree, Why do we need to be in the woods an hour before daylight? My first 20 years of bowhunting I was in the tree a minimum of an hour before sun up. I killed more deer than most in my area. But tore up an ankle, got poked in the eye, enough spider webs to make a sweater and never killed a deer in the dark. The past 20 years I have got to sleep an extra hour, killed deer on the way to the stand, while climbing the tree and two minutes after climbing up. You will never catch me going in during the dark. The deer that are spooked out have no reason to come back that morning.
THM do you leave your stand early on afternoon hunts or do you wait for dark? If you wait for dark, why do you wait for the sun to go down when you don't believe in being in the stand when the sun comes up? I am honestly asking not bashing. You post a lot you like walking in grey light for morning hunts and the idea is intriguing to me. But I don't know if I have read how you handle afternoons.
I just think people should let people hunt their own hunt. If you want to hunt from 12 noon to 3, fine. Or from 4 am to dark, that's fine too. I also think that if someone wants to pack a handgun because it makes them feel a little more secure against predatory animals or what ever case may be, that's fine too. Who am I to judge if someone is mentally capable of carrying any type of weapon at all? Just because you hunt a certain way, don't mean I have to hunt the way you hunt or carry the same gear you carry. And I Say you loosely not referring to any one person in particular. The only thing I have the right to shun someone else for is if they break the laws and take an animal illegally. If someone is legal in what they are doing, they have every right to do so regardless of anyone else's opinion. "Hunt your own hunt"... Not mine.
Never said a thing about regulating who carries, if you think that the conceal carry class fully prepares you to use your weapon to defend yourself or others you are kidding yourself.
