Me too!
Who carries?
Im curious as to whether or not you (the collective) carry a firearm while trail riding? My wife and I both do, as we ride in some pretty wild areas. We have both had to dispatch wild dogs or coyotes. Our bear population are pretty skittish and want no part of horses so thats never been an issue. However, when we road in Montana we had an up close visit from a big grizzly sow. Fortunately she chose discretion and beat feet away from us.
Anyone else?
Anyone else?
81 - 88 of 88 Posts
I had an instance that could have ended that way.I don't know which would be worse the bear or shooting off my horse and the wreck that would happen. I might be left for dead in the trail.
I needed to check and patch two stretches of fence that were in an area known to have many rattlesnakes. I purposely rode a mare that seemed to have a 6th sense about them and would alert me.
Almost finished. No snakes. Crossing a dry, boulder-filled draw, she stopped and looked intently ahead. A mountain lion was crouched behind a pine tree looking at us. And was blocking the path to the truck and trailer.
We couldn't back up or turn and yelling and slapping leather didn't scare the cat.
I hooked the crook of my left elbow around the horn and held the reins. I shot with my right hand laying across my left. I hoped the cat would run and the horse would spook in the direction of home and the truck and trailer.
It worked. But I had an impressive bruise on the inside of my left elbow.
Have you heard of the old days: they would take a shotgun and fill it with broken glass and rock salt and shoot you in the rear. It will not kill them but they will remember it every time they sit down. Grandfather used to tell me that. 😮😂
I am 67 years old. I have never needed a fire extinguisher, an air bag, a bicycle helmet, a smoke detector, or life insurance, just to name a few things that readily come to mind. It would be nice to have not spent the money. It's not that you are likely to need those things. It's that if you don't have them when you need them, your life is likely to get suddenly more complicated. Same with guns.I have been riding hiking, Backpacking, cross country pack trips and never had the occasion to need a firearm. I have camped, trailed cattle, and horse camped in the back country is several states, and never thought twice about needing a firearm. I'm not anti-gun by any means, I just dont want the extra weight pulling my belt down.
Hate to be another outlier, but I have been riding in the local National Forest in Arizona for over 20 years and never met anything I thought wanted to shoot. Unless you count some humans, and that wouldn't be legal! Well, and the neighbor's dogs on the WAY to the forest. But I've never met anything in the wild that didn't run. That includes black bears, elk during the rut, coyotes, rattlesnakes, javelina, a badger......... We also have mountain lions although they are so secretive I've never met one. I did find a mountain lion kill a few weeks back. The first kill I've seen that I knew for sure was a mountain lion by the way it was covered with sticks and grass. It was a good sized elk. But despite going back several times, no mountain lion. They are pretty shy generally speaking.
Now if I lived in grizzly country I would probably think differently. And we don't have wild hogs. But how many people are actually trail riding in hog and grizzly country? Not the majority (and if you are, carrying a gun would be a good idea I would guess). Sure, you COULD meet something you needed to shoot if you lived other places. But the odds probably rank right up there with winning the lotto or seeing aliens. Driving a car is a lot more dangerous than riding in the woods, unless you have actual, serious people or dog problems. Or grizzly bears. I've encountered a handful of black bears while riding and they always run off as quick as they can and the horses don't seem to mind them. I assume they consider them big dogs or something!
Now if I lived in grizzly country I would probably think differently. And we don't have wild hogs. But how many people are actually trail riding in hog and grizzly country? Not the majority (and if you are, carrying a gun would be a good idea I would guess). Sure, you COULD meet something you needed to shoot if you lived other places. But the odds probably rank right up there with winning the lotto or seeing aliens. Driving a car is a lot more dangerous than riding in the woods, unless you have actual, serious people or dog problems. Or grizzly bears. I've encountered a handful of black bears while riding and they always run off as quick as they can and the horses don't seem to mind them. I assume they consider them big dogs or something!
These things are true. But if you aren't comfortable carrying and using a gun.......there are potential downsides to carrying a gun. A bicycle helmet or smoke detector is unlikely to kill you if something goes awry.I am 67 years old. I have never needed a fire extinguisher, an air bag, a bicycle helmet, a smoke detector, or life insurance, just to name a few things that readily come to mind. It would be nice to have not spent the money. It's not that you are likely to need those things. It's that if you don't have them when you need them, your life is likely to get suddenly more complicated. Same with guns.
I always take a pistol with me usually OC. Guns are a hobby, along with handgun hunting.
While out and about on horseback, I often stop to plink at targets of opportunity or vermin. Squirrel hunting on horseback is the most fun hunting there is around here.
When riding into town, stopping at yard sales, stores, etc, I've only had one comment over the years. Some guy said of my Glock, "Hey, that ain't no cowboy pistol!"
Have had a few close calls with needing it for protection (dogs, people) while out and about but so far so good with that.
While out and about on horseback, I often stop to plink at targets of opportunity or vermin. Squirrel hunting on horseback is the most fun hunting there is around here.
When riding into town, stopping at yard sales, stores, etc, I've only had one comment over the years. Some guy said of my Glock, "Hey, that ain't no cowboy pistol!"
Have had a few close calls with needing it for protection (dogs, people) while out and about but so far so good with that.
Whats the old saying....."Better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it'
81 - 88 of 88 Posts
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