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

Beings how I mostly bow hunt for big game, I'd have to go with an "it depends". I usually have an arrow nocked though, but am rarely at full draw

Most of my "gun" big game hunting is done with a shotgun. I rarely go, but when I do, it is usually a drive situation. Most shots are at running deer who are already aware of you and are trying to get the hell out of dodge. Racking a slide on a shotgun makes little difference in time or noise. Most times in this situation, I go cold. Since this type of hunting appeals very little to me, it is very rare that I go.

On the even rarer occasion where I am still hunting with a gun, I am generally hot. Depends a lot on the terrain and conditions. If I am likely to walk up on an unaware deer and I am hunting alone I will carry hot.

At any rate, I rarely gun hunt. The season in OH is a week long, limited to shotguns/muzzle-loaders/revolvers, and generally filled with a bunch of degenerates out blasting at any thing that moves. This is not the type of hunting that I prefer. I can bow hunt for four months at deer that are usually unpressured. I am familiar enough with the property that I hunt that I usually have all the deer named. Gun season here just does not do much for me. Now, before I catch hell for that opinion, I will state that if I could gun hunt the same way that I bow hunt, I would probably prefer that.

BTW Jeff, look how far WEST of you I am.