Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Poll: Do you hunt with a round in the chamber?

Funny, people can sit at there keyboard and tell everyone else how to hunt,what it takes to get it done in an area they have no earthly idea of the terrain or technique required.And to top it off they don't even know the species! LOL!! GET REAL!

Always have...always will.

My deer huntin' territory is thick, PNW forests which few states can match for thick cover. Still hunting or sittin' and waitin' are by far the most employed methods of huntin' blacktail and IMHE.......by far, the most productive. That said, most deer here (and in many other states) are killed no more than 70 yards away......some muuuuuch closer. So yeah, either the action or noise of chambering a round isn't a benefit given these huntin' parameters. Can one do it....sure, likely as often as not, but that's not the main reason I hunt "hot".

WA state has the second highest population of black bears behind only AK. I can expect to run into fresh bear sign each day when afield, if not the actual depositer of such sign. I have crossed paths with many bears, 3 in one day with my daughter while huntin' grouse. I do not intend to cross paths with any bear, with my daughter or alone, without the ability to immediately respond to an aggressive bear...or anything else showing aggression, for that matter, 2 or 4 legged. I don't believe that cougars are any less able to ruin one's day either......and we have a bunch of those as well.

When not huntin', I wear a sidearm when afield. It is always "hot". When I carry daily in either urban or rural areas, formal or informal settings, I carry "hot". Why would I not do so when huntin'?

I fully expect that many who are posting their thoughts on this specific thread either use cell phones or text while driving.......at the very least, exceed the speed limit on a regular basis......just guessin'. Heck, how many here drink and drive on a regular basis................? Are these actions not considered unsafe, both to oneself and to all others in our near vicinity? Any one of these unsafe driving conditions could potentially take out a whole bunch of people just due to anyone of these careless, but seemingly very accepted driving practices (sans somewhat the drinkin' and drivin' stuff). Obviously our driving practices, for many of us anyway, are actually quite dangerous. Probably more dangerous because we do it so often that we think we're real good at doing them!

Not so while huntin'......IMHO. If one hunts deer and elk with modern firearm in WA state, you'll get anywhere from 3-4 weeks total time afield, to hunt both......not alot of time. Whether we're very experienced hunters or inexperienced hunters, I'm thinkin' that we naturally would pay far more attention to safety concerns associated with our huntin' practices than we do our driving practices since we're such "experienced" drivers and therefore more "inherently" safe in that regard.

Whether right or wrong, real or imagined.....I know that I approach both activities in the aforementioned manner. Driving......somewhat nonchalant. Hunting/carrying.....acutely aware of safety concerns.

For all the reasons why I carry hot while visiting the theatre or grocery store, the same reasons apply to when I'm afield for any type of sport or recreational activities.........to be able to respond as quickly as necessary to put oneself and/or other's out of harm's way ASAP. If the expediance of huntin' hot also benefits me in the taking of a game animal.....an added bonus.

YMMV....which if fine and completely understandable. Just the way I approach this subject.

Good luck to all this season.

i hunt in the northeast and anyone who doesnt hunt with a round in the chamber doesnt really plan on harvesting any game. why bother even carrying a weapon if it is not ready to fire. if one thinks its unsafe to hunt with one in the chamber, they should hit the range and familiarize themselves with that weapon. Also, that is why safetys are on all firearms.... to keep them safe while the weapon is hot.

Reading comprehension is lacking. Please tell me how firearm familiarization and falling ass over end have anything to do with one another.

Safeties keep firearms safe when weapon is hot. Define safe.

do you take a dump right before you shoot too? you either hunt game that has never seen a human, or hunt a "game preserve" or your your hunting skills are so great that your wasting your time talking to lamen on this site

I like the statement:
A rifle with out a round chambered is ..... a stick. You can carry a stick or a rifle your choice.
+10

I'm betting you wipe your azz before you [bleep], ain't my still.

Please, tell me how firearms familiarization and falling have anything to do with one another.

That's it, I just hunt zoos.

Can't chamber a round in a stick, though I'm sure some ain't figured that one out yet.

if your climbing a cliff or something like that, i can understand. otherwise hunters would be extinct. you think your the only one who ever fell while hunting. why dont you carry a walking stick instead of a rifle, or a butterfly net

I have hunted for over 60 years with one chambered. Lots of animals would not have been harvested if I had to chamber a cartridge. Just keep that muzzle pointed away from people. Even an empty gun makes me nervous if someone is carless in handling. I tell them that when they do it.

Good deal, go from A to Z and forget the stuff betwixt.

Define safe.

safe is knowing basic firearm safety. safe is also making a good judgement call when something tells you to use your head for a second and think . so i guess you believe that hunting with a round in the chamber is unsafe, then i'm the most reckless hunter around.

Keep up ace, safe in the context used above.

what are you getting at steelhead , are you referring to my spelling error

No, not spelling, you say a safety is to keep a gun safe when hot. How do you define safe in that context?

being safe is not falling on your ass while your hunting .it doesnt matter if you have one in the chamber or not. doesnt matter if i'm hunting or not, i dont like to fall on my ass period. thats my definition of safe.

So you know when you are and aren't going to fall? Why is falling not safe, because as you've stated that is why you have a safety on your gun, to keep it SAFE. So if you fall and you have a safety on and the gun is pointed at your head there is no concern, that is why you have a safety. Hell, you could walk around with it pointed at your head all day long, because after all the safety keeps it safe.

as i stated before , basic gun safety. muzzle in a safe direction, trigger finger out of trigger guard . keep the snow and mud out of the end of your barrel. know what is behind the animal your trying to kill. etc,etc, etc oh yeah, and dont fall on my ass

But how do you know if/when you might slip? Guessing if you get in a hairy situation you take one out of the chamber? Only wear a seat belt when you know you're going to be in an accident?

i always hunt with a gun pointed at my head. isnt that how everybody hunts