predators up north,not so much. they do have black bears,yotes and bob cats but nothing to worry about. a moose is something to worry about if you get in the wrong time and place however. and copper heads and timber rattlers but rare. wolves are said to be extinct, but I wouldn't be surprized to find one in real remote areas. almost anything could get rabies and become dangerous I suppose,I got bit by a chipmunk once but survived LOL. I never carried a pistol for defense while hunting, but in metro areas those street gangs were a more real threat. before moving down here my wife and I went out to dinner with another couple and just as we were about to walk out the door my wife decides to use the ladies room so another couple walk out into the parking lot and she got shot by a drive by. you know it's an authentic Italian restaurant when someone gets shot on the premises.
My backup side arm is a 357 mag snubbie. If I go out, its with me.
When hunting I always carry a New super black hawk .44mag
Up north or in Fla.
On normal days its a Glock 23 or a 27 with LCP as a back up.
Been on the other end befor and that wont happen agin.
I have had a bear try to climb in a ladder stand with me. He got about 3 rungs below my feet.
I have had a bear follow me out of the woods (last season) and follow me to my truck.
I have had a bear in the back of my truck, helping himself to a bag of corn and my cooler(last season). he did not want to give me permission to access it.
I have had a bear next to my camper at 3AM with his nose inches from my head.
I stuck my 357 Rossi Stainless in a guys face about 15 years ago. He tried to car jack me at a red light when i was working nights. Had I not had it then, I more than likely wouldn't be typing this now...
I have been hunting since I was 4 (I am 37 now) and have killed over 300 hogs. I have been charged by a total of 2. One was a cracked out 600#+ barr hog, the other was a crazy 90# boar which I put a bullet in his brain at 5'
Bears and crack heads are the reason I carry a gunNever had to pull the trigger, but it felt damn comforting to have it in all occasions
TimeE1 - You musta been huntin on my old lease. I had a mama bear do the same exact thing to me. I didn't end up needing to pull the trigger, but I was greatful to have my Ruger Single Six loaded with me. And she'd surely been shot before, cus she saw the gun pointed at her face and decided not to continue up the ladder and, instead, ran off into the woods.
EAA witness hunter in 10mm. 180gr hornady custom hangun ammo, 90% of the time for hogs during small game season.
