Not afraid, aware! Where I hunt I'm on the menu. My son was attacked by a bear. We have both been stalked by and confronted mountian lions. The only critter shot so far was the bear. A side arm will help with a bear but not a lion. If you don't see and confront him first he'll be on you before you know he's there. I wear a knife on my pack chest strap and wear my pack high near my neck. In archery season I'll carry bear spray on my hip strap and hope for the best.
No, it's not legal for the average Joe to carry a side arm in archery season. If your caught it will cost you a big fine, your hunting privlages, your side arm and maybe your bow. Too expensive for me and not worth he risk.
There was a discussion on this subject in the firearms section a while back. One member posted statistics that bear spray is more effective at stopping an attack than a pistol. I don't believe he posted his source but I'm beginning to believe it. If the critter, man or beast, can't see you he can't get you. If you put pain into a critter self preservation will take over and end the attack. With an animal it's about food not terratory and when food puts the hurt on it, the meal isn't worth it any more. Time to find an easier meal.
With a human you really don't want to be in a gun fight though I like the idea of being able to shoot back. Hit him with bear spray and he can't see you to shoot you. Now you have the upper hand. He'll never see me as I high tail out of there to get a cop.
By the way, GPS is your friend. My son and his freind were confronted by three dope growers in Trinity and one Colusa this year. They were able to prove their right to be where they were. Two of the growers weren't happy and and got verbal. The local warden now has their GPS co-ordinates. The third was cool and told them to exercise caution in the area. There were thieves dressed like hunters making the growers nervous. The group in Colusa were a bad lot and there was a bunch of them that had taken over an entire area of private land including the parcel he had permission to hunt. Here a side arms was benifical. Two trips to the Sherrifs office found LE as frustrated as the owners of the property. This was more than pot and even when they're run off they come back and do more damage.
Last edited:
