Carry On

Three Top Handgun Picks for Self - Defense in the Woods.

- Will Brantley

A decade ago, it was illegal in many states for a bowhunter to carry a handgun to the stand. The rationale was that if a deer walked by, we couldn’t be trusted not to shoot it with a pistol and then stick an arrow into it to cover our tracks. Times have changed.

Fish and wildlife agencies have realized that broadhead holes and hollow-point holes look different—and people inclined to poach are probably going to poach regardless. Legal carrying of concealed, defensive firearms has gained massive acceptance in general over the last decade, too, with all 50 states now allowing it in some form. It makes sense that a person who packs heat to Walmart would also carry to the deer stand.