Sidearms in the Archery Season

[wastickslinger]

I know I am not tough enough to talk my may out of a mini 14 pointed at me when I walk into a drug crazed hippy patch. But I bet my 44 pointed back would be tough enough. 

[Ray]

Just because I believe in the constitution and have no problem with it does not mean I have to carry a gun, What are you talking about "forked tongue"

The forked tongue comment was about the one remark which stated you believed in the 2nd amendment and then to come out later and say "but" not here.

From where I stand over here the series of quotes and responses seems to paint a mosaic which states that the whoever opposes the right to carry while bowhunting is in fact the "bigger" or better person. That may very well be true and striking such a regulation from the books would not remove that feeling of accomplishment for those that prefer not to carry a sidearm. They can simply continue to hunt without one as they desire. I admit that I am a wimp and posses the feeling that I would like to exercise my right to carry while out in the woods on logging roads. A place where the law is usually so far away there might as well be no law. Others might not call me a wimp but intelligent. There are places out there where it is notorious for people to suddenly show up and try to take other people's animal just because there are more of them and/or that they are armed.

[wastickslinger]

robodad- you have some good arguments. But honestly by making it legal to carry one you think it will increase poaching. People are going to poach no matter what. People that poach do it when they want and where they want. Not many guys going to start archery hunting if they make it legal to carry a pistol just so it is legal to carry one. It will still be illegal to shoot a deer with a pistol. The risk of getting caught does not change. You shoot a deer with a pistol in archery season it is poaching weather it is leagal to carry a pistol or not. So why would it increase the amount of poaching.

[bankwalker]

Well the way I see it is archery is not much more then reenacting a traditional hunt using traditional/modern equipment and the use of a firearm would defeat the purpose.

When the folks that we are reenacting went hunting they did not have access to firearms or they would have used them instead of the bow, and so they had to use their skills to protect them in the woods instead of firearms.

If you need more protection in the woods while bow hunting then pick up some better skills or pepper spray.

That's what I think !! 

they didnt have compounds shooting 300fps+ either...but yet we are allowed to use compounds.

to me yes we should be allowed to carry a sidearm while archery hunting...it is just plain stupid that we cant. we have our 2nd amendment rights for a reason...and its stupid that the state can sit and make a law that goes against my rights as an american.

[Opportunist]

   I like what they did in Oregon, Oregon state legislature mandated to the game department to regulate what a hunter can kill an animal with, but not what they can carry! I pack or one of my hunting partners does on most bowhunts I go on. I've called in a couple of cougars but I mainly pack for the two-leggeds!     

[robodad]

At any rate, I have never been in a position where I had to take the law into my own hands and likely never will.

I just hope if it were to pass that the poaching does not increase because of it and also I hope that those that are packing don't try to intimidate me or my boys with their guns, I think it would be a real sad day to have to arm my boys with pistols so they can go archery hunting. 

they didn't have compounds shooting 300fps+ either...but yet we are allowed to use compounds.

(I guess I should have wrote Modern/Traditional so you could understand)

If it passes, maybe they will let us carry them into the airport or court house or football stadium wouldn't that be nice !!

[wastickslinger]

you give me some security like an airport or courthouse has while I am up around Nighthawk, Tonasket, Mt. Hull , just to mention a few; and then you will have a valid comparison. 

[robodad]

There are good and bad arguments on both sides of this topic and we could discuss it till we are blue in the face, and instead of continuing to argue about it I am going to let it go, I have made my point on the subject which is what the author of this thread wanted so it is time to move on with something else.

I appreciate all your points of view and hope you or I never need a pistol in the archery woods weather it passes or not. 

[wastickslinger]

ok I'll let er go. No sense in me  .  We all ave our opiions and no sense in making eachother mad over it.

[Intruder]

The whole argument against being able to carry a sidearm seems to be 2-fold:
1.  It "diminishes the traditional spirit" point of view
2.  It "will lead to more poaching" point of view

IMO:
1.  No ones saying any individual has to carry a sidearm.  If a person wants to preserve and experience the tradition w/out a sidearm..... knock yourself out.  There are plenty of people walking around the woods with guns during many bow seasons. Grouse, bear, etc., often coincide w/ archery season.  So, I don't think the perspective that others carrying a gun can somehow ruin for someone who isn't is gonna fly... cuz that's the case today.
2.  See point 1 above.  Also, poachers will poach regardless of the law.  I don't believe it is just to penalize the masses for fear that few may take advantage of the situation.

Also,  people seem to be focusing alot on sidearms being needed for people.  While I agree, I also thing they are needed for animals.  Where I hunt grizzlies are a real concern.  Cougars and even black bears can also pose real risks.  Between people and dangerous animals it seems like sidearms are pretty justifiable.

[bankwalker]

The whole argument against being able to carry a sidearm seems to be 2-fold:
1.  It "diminishes the traditional spirit" point of view
2.  It "will lead to more poaching" point of view

IMO:
1.  No ones saying any individual has to carry a sidearm.  If a person wants to preserve and experience the tradition w/out a sidearm..... knock yourself out.  There are plenty of people walking around the woods with guns during many bow seasons. Grouse, bear, etc., often coincide w/ archery season.  So, I don't think the perspective that others carrying a gun can somehow ruin for someone who isn't is gonna fly... cuz that's the case today.
2.  See point 1 above.  Also, poachers will poach regardless of the law.  I don't believe it is just to penalize the masses for fear that few may take advantage of the situation.

Also,  people seem to be focusing alot on sidearms being needed for people.  While I agree, I also thing they are needed for animals.  Where I hunt grizzlies are a real concern.  Cougars and even black bears can also pose real risks.  Between people and dangerous animals it seems like sidearms are pretty justifiable.

exactly...im not worried about ay person while hunting. though the time may accur when a sidearm is needed against someone while hunting. most people will stray away from that kinda of contact while hunting. cause hey we are hunting and people hunting have some form of weapon, weather it be bow, muzzleloader, or modern firearm like rifle or handgun.

my concern is against cougars, bears, and with all the talk of wolves they are always on the back of my mind as well...

i have had 3 very close encounters with cougars over the last 5 years, and 2 of said encounters being the last 2 years. one time having been during archery season. and it would be really nice to have better protection then my compound and a hunting knife...

its our right as americans to carry a firearm...NOT every person has to carry one. but those taht want to should be able to.

there is nothing traditional about the modern day archery hunter, carbon arrows, blazing fast bows, huge cams, tiny blazer vanes or fobs...

i archery hunt for elk in some very remote areas, where im hiking 5+ miles one way. and when its getting late at night on the long walks back to camp or the truck. things can get really interesting REALLY FAST.

right now i wont break that no carry law while archery hunting...but i can tell you the first time i do need it will be the day i start breaking that law.

like stated above, there are plenty of people with firearms in the woods while archery season is going on. and the poachers are gonna poach regaurdless of the law...thats why they are poachers.

and its dumb to penalize us law abiding citizens for paochers.

[saylean]

Last archery elk season, I called in a black bear, with nothing but my bow. They was he was moving at less than 25 yards...I pretty much thought..."here it comes"..but he bolted. I still dont carry a pistol when archery hunting, but it really made me second guess it...for the "just in case" situations.

[MuleySniper]

More needs to be done about the Meth and pot growers then, keep the guns out of the archery woods. you think poaching is bad now, holy crap just wait till archery guys get to carry guns too 

There is little or no enforcement the way it is and with everyone packing a gun the odds are that more and more "idiots" will get away with shooting their critter with their "protection" and not their bow.

I totally agree that we are not reenacting anything but the state has set it up to where we are only allowed to use "traditional" equipment. Traditional equipment may be a bad choice of words but there are restrictions on our equipment for a reason.

You and I and all the good ethical hunters on this board are NOT the only folks in the woods. If allowed to carry guns during archery seasons everyone would be there. It is just a bad idea.

If you need to carry a gun in the woods, hunt during the modern season !!

I think if someone was stupid enough to poach, carrying a gun during the archery season would seem minimal to me. A poacher will poach no matter how they kill an animal, regardless of season, laws and so on. I pack during archery season. I keep it concealed and  I have a permit. When I'm in the woods and I run into someone I dont go "Oh, by the way, Im packing" Legitimate people will keep it to themselves. I feel they dont need to make it legal to carry during archery season, but if you want to and it makes you feel safer, I say do it. I feel it is my right,  but I use it for what handguns are intended for, protection and concealment. I'm also curious to where I can find statistics on how many game animals are illegally taken with their "protection" each year. To me, that statement sounds more like an opinion, but Im not at all saying that it doesnt happen.

[cohoho]

This is a debate, I am really interested in.   Why do I hunt with a bow sometimes, cause I freaking like it.  Should I be able to have my own protection above and beyond a bow, Absolutely! We live in a society that has some very bad apples, intent on one thing, violating the rights of others, they do this in open downtown areas without regards for others, now throw these same folks into secure private locations, remote and out of view of public and see what transpires.  Let me add some more, now, take a portion of this same society (10%) and those bad apples enjoy hunting also, but never miss an opportunity to revert back to their ways of criminal activities.  Throw in a mix of law abiding, hunters that fall somewhere in the other 90% of society, could they be classified as potential targets to these other 10%, yes.....  Will I continue to pack, absolutely, do you know, no you won't....  Period, unless I tell you, which I won't, except of course on this forum.  Always have and will continue, but self protection is a great option to have, if you choose.  It is all about life experiences and other reasons why people to choose to carry.  You might be a very foruntuate person that has a care free life, but when that changes and the terms are against you, you'd really wish you were packing at that particular moment in time.  Previous, work  enabled me to see the outcomes and experienced what the victims go through on a nightly basis, from this 10% of population and I'd rather not experience it personally, nor hope my kids, wife, nor anyone else go through these events is the reason I will continue to carry.  It isn't that most people that carry are paranoid, some, maybe, -prepared is a better word, I like to utilize.  Should everyone be able to carry, heck no, some are from that 10% intent on violating the rights of others, but those are the facts of life and that isn't going to change.  Do you look your doors at night in your house?  Why?  Do you lock your truck when you leave it?  Why?  Same reason why people carry, prevention and adding an extra sense of security.

The second part to this is: Can you tell if an animal has been hit by bullet versus arrow, absolutely.  Blunt trauma comes from a projectile, lots of bloody, mashed meat, arrow cuts nicely bleed allot but doesn't blow meat in impact area... Poachers are going to poach...

[GoldTip]

The use of the argument that allowing archers to "legally" pack sidearms during archery season will increase poaching is pure and utter non-sense and anyone who thinks this argument makes sense is foolish to believe as they do.  Look at the states which allow the packing of a sidearm during archery season and their rates of poaching with the sidearms and then come back and refresh me on how that argument holds any water at all.