Do you carry a pistol for bear when elk hunting???

[Riplip]

Amazing the number of guys that I see carrying a pistol while archery hunting elk in Colorado.

This year I asked one of the guys what he carried a pistol for, and he said mountain lions, bears and meth heads. I chuckled and said I have only seen a couple of those on the mountain, but I always did want to see a Colorado lion. lol We had a good laugh at that.

I see black bears all the time, a few lions and one meth head. I never felt the need to carry here in Colorado until the experience with the meth dude.

 

[Hammsolo]

I see black bears all the time, a few lions and one meth head. I never felt the need to carry here in Colorado until the experience with the meth dude.

I found an abandoned meth car bow hunting once! I was young and looked inside of it and called the police. They told me to get the eff out of there. Hence, the pistol.

 

[Don Fischer]

I carry a hand gun every where I go. But have to admit, if I was to have trouble with some predator I figure if my rifle won't end it my handguns not gonna work. Of course generally I have my CC gun with me. 9mm and light weight!

 

[nushagakburr]

I was just curious how many people carry a pistol when elk hunting to use as bear defense. I am going on my first elk hunt in Montana this year and the land owner has sent me several pictures of bear on his ranch.

Has anyone ever tried to hunt bear near an elk carcass after killing an elk???

On Afognak island, brown bears are almost automatic on an elk carcass, usually within a couple of hours. Pistols are not the preferred bear deterrent on Afognak, especially on a kill site. We like the pump action shotguns loaded for bear.

 

[elkhuntinfool78]

As many others on here I see no point carrying a handgun when rifle hunting and if I'm being honest I usually chuckle when I see someone who is. Imo most people who are walking around with their rifle along with a sidearm strapped to them are usually one of two types, either they want to look macho or they are scared to death to be in the woods. They usually give me the impression that if they had to draw and use that sidearm on a bear they would probably be more likely to blow their own foot off than hit the bear.

Now I am sure that's not the case for everyone who chooses to carry a rifle and handgun together, no doubt some are competent but the ones I've seen look more like Elmer Fudd than a real hunter

Depending on the country I'm hunting I will carry my .44 when archery hunting

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

I carry a hand gun every where I go. But have to admit, if I was to have trouble with some predator I figure if my rifle won't end it my handguns not gonna work. Of course generally I have my CC gun with me. 9mm and light weight!

Plenty of us carry 9mm because it’s good enough to stop the action. It would be better to carry a 10 shell tube trench gun with 000 buck. But that’s heavy and terrifies everyone so a discrete 9mm it’ll be.

 

[RevJim]

We only "officially" have Black bear ( some claim Grizz sightings) and not an issue really. I might carry a very accurate 22 Mag or 38 spec 4" for small game opportunity/coyotes or Meth heads when I don't have a rifle. Myself, I would not hunt in Grizzly country w/o a Guide/Outfitter anyhow, so still no issue for "me". Humped back bears "bother me", I don't trust them anyhow. (Well, I don't trust Black bears either, come to think of it) Camp Gun is always a pump 12/Buckshot.

 

[LIK2HNT]

Did not read all the comments but did not read anyone writing about rifle caliber and bullets. My two main deer and elk rifles are 270 WSM and 7mm WSM. In the 7mm I shoot 168 gr Berger VLD’s. These bullets would be useless at close range on a bear. That plus most the time my rifle is strapped to my pack to keep my hands free for climbing and using walking sticks. Especially at night and am hikes in in the dark.
I have not carried a sidearm yet, but hove only hunted where black bears and mtn lions are a concern.
Given I do not hunt grizzly country, yet but plan to. That is why I purchased a 10mm and chest holster. Guess I could have stepped up my rifle caliber and bullet, but felt a pistol would fit the bill better. I would much rather rely on a 10mm 200gr hard cast than a 7mm bullet exploding at close range at the speeds I load them.
Since usually hunt solo or with one friend the 10mm would always be handy when breaking down a deer or elk.

 

[Elkhunter24]

I always carry my .45

 

[Aperventure]

I agree with all this

Negative. But I believe it to be true. I watched a dudes interview years ago, here in Montana putting like 8-11 rounds into a griz starting from something like 3’ away and i wanna say he only hit the bear maybe 3-4 times thankfully some lethal shots. He said in the interview if he’d had a six-shooter, he would have been bear food since he fired over double or triple the number of shots he’d actually hit the bear with…

Don’t quote any of these numbers, it’s just the premise and its been some years since I watched the interview.

I have said and will say again, I believe the spray first will protect me. Nothing on earth would like to get hit with that in the face at close range, trust me…

 

[WBouldin]

Some states won’t let you carry with an archery tag. California is one that if you possess an archery tag for deer, you cannot possess a side arm. Most people still do I’m sure and always curious what would happen if they had to use it on a bear or lion or person and that investigation opened up….

 

[Ckidd_21]

Some states won’t let you carry with an archery tag. California is one that if you possess an archery tag for deer, you cannot possess a side arm. Most people still do I’m sure and always curious what would happen if they had to use it on a bear or lion or person and that investigation opened up….

I knew a guy who got mauled pretty bad by a black bear while bow hunting in CA. He was trying to do the right thing and not carry while hunting with a bow. Needless to say he’s always carrying now when in the woods archery hunting. He said he’d rather be fined/put in jail than go through it again.