I always carry one. Mountain hunting or otherwise. The weight has yet to be noticed and it makes less of a mess if one has to finish off an animal. I have carried one for so long I feel naked without it.
The main reason I carry one is for defense. I may have to lay the rifle against a tree to do a small task or gut out an animal, while doing that the handgun is always with me and at hand should I need it. Not so with a rifle. Having met unsavory characters while out hunting or camping it is a comfort to have on hand. Now if I was on a guided hunt in Africa I probably wouldn't not knowing the laws and having a bunch of people around to do those tasks. I did carry my 44 Mag while caribou and moose hunting in Alaska. It was a comfort when stepping out in the wee hours to pee.
The second reason I carry is my wife insists on it.
LOL, not even my wife puts her pistol on at night to step a few steps out of the tent to pee. Might regret that one day but we are not top of the food chain in some areas and that has to be accepted IMHO
