Today's Bowhunting Gear Often Includes Handgun

As the end of August nears, that means thousands of big game hunters across the nation are preparing to go afield with a bow and arrow.

Whether today’s well-equipped archery hunter is heading to a woodlot treestand just a few miles from home or to a remote meadow high in the Rocky Mountains, there is a good chance he or she carries a standard piece of equipment that would have been unusual — and illegal in some states — just a few years ago: a handgun.

Dangerous people and dangerous places are simply an American fact of life these days — even for those hunting in locales that were once among the most crime-free in the country. That’s why an increasing number of state wildlife agencies and lawmakers are addressing the safety needs of bowhunters and others who have previously been restricted from carrying handguns for personal protection while afield.

According to the Congressional Sportsman’s Foundation (CSF), a total of 37 states now permit bowhunters to carry handguns for personal protection, either through legislation or regulatory action.

Last year marked the first bowhunting season that archers could carry handguns while hunting in Nevada and Louisiana.

37 states have successfully enacted legislation or regulation permitting the carry of a handgun while archery hunting, including:

• Louisiana R.S. 56:116.1 (E): “Bowhunters may carry any caliber of firearm on their person, while hunting with a bow. The provisions of this Subsection shall in no way be interpreted to limit the ability of the department to regulate hunting activities in a wildlife management area in accordance with R.S. 56:109.”

• Vermont Title 10, chapter, 105, §4252: “[T]he holder of an archery license or a super sport license may possess a handgun while archery hunting, provided that the license holder shall not take game by firearm while archery hunting. As used in this section, “handgun” means a pistol or revolver which will expel a projectile by the action of an explosive.”

• Missouri Title 3, chapter 7, §10-7.432: “Any person who has been issued a concealed carry endorsement on a driver license or non-driver license and such endorsement or license has not been suspended, revoked, canceled, or denied may carry concealed firearms on or about his/her person while hunting.”

Two New States Poised to Permit Bowhunters to Pack for Protection

The states of Louisiana and Nevada are poised to permit bowhunters to carry firearms for personal protection for the first time beginning with the upcoming 2015-16 archery big game seasons.

A measure approved by Louisiana lawmakers earlier this month and awaiting the expected signature of Gov. Bobby Jindal would allow bowhunters to carry any caliber handgun while afield with a bow. Previously, hunting archers were limited to .22 cal. sidearms.

SB 212 was sponsored by Sen. Rick Ward (R-Port Allen) and will become effective with the governor’s signature.

Earlier this year, the Nevada Wildlife Commission approved a temporary regulation allowing bowhunters to carry firearms for personal protection while hunting. The action was in response to a bill introduced in the state legislature aimed at removing the longstanding restriction of handguns in the field for bowhunters.

The regulatory language was updated to reflect the changes requested by the Commission by allowing a person to carry any handgun that is not scoped or has a barrel length exceeding 8 inches. The regulation will be temporary and will require Legislative Commission approval to become permanent following the 2015 Session of the Nevada Legislature.

While state-by-state regulations vary, most simply permit those with valid state concealed handgun permits to carry while bowhunting. Still, about a dozen states continue to prohibit bowhunters from carrying a firearm for personal protection.

Last year, following multiple pieces of stalled legislation, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley signed an NRA-supported measure permitting bowhunters in western Maryland counties to carry handguns for personal protection while hunting. SB 231 permits bowhunters who are otherwise authorized to carry a handgun to carry for protection while hunting in Deer Management Region A, which sustains the state’s highest concentration of black bears.

Because hunting archers enjoy their pursuits in some of the country’s most remote and rural areas, lawmakers in a growing number of states understand they are left vulnerable by the prohibition on carrying a handgun for self-defense. With outdoor crime being a true threat due to clandestine drug operations and illegal marijuana growing, bowhunters should not be left defenseless.

States Extend Right to Personal Protection to Those Who Hunt With Bow