When Fishing/hiking, Do You Carry A Handgun?

[Bird Watcher]

Have you seen some of the new loads for a 380? I wouldnt call them pea shooter loads anymore!

That's what I'm rockin dude. I have some hornady critical defense loads that I think would do just about as good a job as I need them to. Really what concerns me most is the lack of capacity, but it's a trade off for concealment.

[ozark trout fisher]

Only in bear country does the thought come up, and even then I prefer pepper spray as the more proven form of protection. Heck, if you're trying to protect yourself from fellow humans pepper spray might be a good way to go also.

And no, I'm not considering the Ozarks to be honest to goodness "bear country" just yet (though we may not be too far away from that.) By that I'm referring to places like Montana, Colorado, or certain parts of Michigan.

[Feathers and Fins]

That's what I'm rockin dude. I have some hornady critical defense loads that I think would do just about as good a job as I need them to. Really what concerns me most is the lack of capacity, but it's a trade off for concealment.

With the C&C shirts i can hide my full size Glock with no problem, before them though it was a subcompact and i hated it. Its the old Person see's a small gun they just look at you strange but looking at a full size with a lazer on the chest they will probably not want to push an issue. The best self defense is not the use but the percieved danger of forcing the carrier to use it.

[Flatbottom Boy]

The only place I'm not carrying is the shower...but that's my deal.

those of you that are saying how hard it is to conceal your full size weapons check out the cross breed holsters. They are out of Republic MO. For under 70 bucks you get an inside the pant holster that is extremely comfortable and very concealed. I carry a double stack Para Ord 1911 with very few issues. My normal is a single stack Para 1911 but the high capacity is very doable with this holster. Just an idea.

[rfd515]

I just did purchase a Maxpedition Jumbo Versipack that someone had recommended on here. I haven't had a chance to take it out yet but it seemed to cover all the bases as well as be ccw compatible. For $72 shipped seemed like a no brainer. Now I'm on looking at what I'm actually going to carry, hence the thread.

[Stoneroller]

I exercise my 2nd amendment RIGHTS 24/7 365. gen 4 glock 19 with Hornady critical duty 135gr flexlock or Federal 124gr hydra-shok jhp's. If I get attacked and killed by a species other than H. sapiens, I'll take my whipping as it comes, tooth and nail. Otherwise, everyone is suspect. Just the way it has to be these days. Really hope I never have to use it though. I like to think everyone out enjoying nature is doing so with the same respect for it and others as I am, but I realize there are times where that's not always the instance. Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. My medical kit falls in the same catagory.

[ColdWaterFshr]

Everyone is suspect?

[Stoneroller]

yeah, as in, I don't know you, you don't know me. I'm friendly but don't think I'm not watching every single thing that a person or group is doing when I float or wade by. Especially if I'm alone. Call me paranoid, but I've managed to avoid any issues thus far.

That being said, I meet all kinds of friendly people on my trips and I make an effort to stop and talk to anyone who looks like they live along the river to discuss things such as littering, poaching, limits, etc. Unless I'm really fishing 'hard' I'm probably one of the nicest people you might come across. I know you are probably picturing Tackleberry from Police academy or maybe Taxi Driver. It's not like that at all.

[ColdWaterFshr]

Yup, always have my pistol with me in my boat.

A few years ago I was out fishing by myself in the middle of the week and I had an unpleasant encounter with some meth cooks on a gravel beach. They were actually tucked under some trees off the beach but there was no mistaking the smell. Once they saw me floating by the scrambled to grab their weapons and walked out on the beach in a threatening manner. They both had long guns and never really pointed them at me but they wanted to be sure I saw them.

One said something like “what’s up” and I said nothing “just doing a little fishing” and he said “catching anything?”. The other one was glaring at me the whole time and finally said “you never saw nothing here and we don’t want to see you again”. I said “no problem. I don’t plan on coming back.”

I was a little freaked out to say the least. Once I got a ways away from them I tried my cell phone and, of course, had no signal.

When I finally did get a signal and called the Franklin county sheriff, they asked where I had seen them. I couldn’t really tell them exactly where I had seen them. All I could do was give them general area. She asked if they had a boat and I told her I hadn’t seen one on the beach. So they weren’t really too interested since the chances of them finding them were pretty slim.

I told myself after that it was time to start carrying and I got my CC not long after and always carry my pistol now.

And how would your pistol have made much difference in that situation?

1. You were in your boat. A pistol is usually only effective at very short range unless you're a dead eye, and there was 2 of them up on the beach, and they both had rifles?

2. Lets say you had your pistol in your boat somewhere. Would you have had time set down your fishing rod to go and get it from wherever you were keeping it?

3. They were meth-heads. Do you think they would stop to carefully and rationally consider the outcome if they saw you show a pistol?

I think one could probably make the argument that your situation could've turned out a lot worst if you had brandished anything short of a fully automatic machine gun in that situation.

[Stoneroller]

well if they were tweaked out on meth it's highly unlikely they'd be able to shoot straight for one.also once bullets start flying most people pee down their leg so unless they are experienced shooters and it's highly unlikely they are, I wouldn't be too worried about it. 2ndly they are breaking a law, they aren't looking to add to the list. and 3rdly you can either be a vicitim or you can defend yourself. but it's all a matter of conjecture at this point. would have, could have, should have. the only thing you get to do in a 'bad' situation is REACT. how you choose to go about that is up to you. I would say the correct action was taken and likely the exact same action would have been taken had he been armed.

it's not the old west with a showdown at the corral. It is worth noting that 'brandishing a firearm in a threatening manner towards another human' is a felony.