Can you carry a concealed handgun while bow hunting in Montana

[ADVWannabee]

I may get to elk hunt in Montana this fall and would like to know if I can carry a concealed handgun while bow hunting? I am from Virginia and we can carry concealed while bow hunting as long as we have a CCW permit. I know that Montana recognizes Virginia CCW permits so I am good there.

Also, is there somewhere on the internet that spells out the law on concealed carry while bow hunting? Virginia has it online but I have not found it for Montana yet.

Also, what is the chance that I would run into a bear in Montana? In Virginia we have black bear and I have hunted among them for years and have never seen one while hunting. Some of my hunting partners have seen one and my sister-in-law shot one at 15 yards from a ground blind while deer hunting. But I have never seen one. So what are the chances of actually seeing a grizzly or black bear while elk hunting? I would love to see one, just not up close.

[salukipv1]

I'd assume you could since they have grizzlies!

Depending where you're hunting for elk.....western half....is griz country, eastern half I think you'd have to worry more about rattlers...

[halfbakedi420]

in texas you cant while usin a broad head..but like mentioned...grizzly bears ...this lil rhyme comes to mind...if i couldnt carry with a bow..... i wouldnt go!

[AK Jeff]

If you feel the need to carry you'd be a lot better off carrying open than concealed. You can carry a sidearm while you're bowhunting in MT, just so long as you don't use it to "finish off" a wounded animal. That's a big no no.

As far as bears go you could see one, and you could be attacked by one. You could also be struck by lightning or hit by a cattle truck, but that doesn't mean any of the aforementioned should be a real concern. I've lived my entire life in Montana and Alaska and have had plenty of run ins with bears, including being bluff charged. There's no need to fall into the "bearanoia" trap and feel like you have to pack a pistol around everywhere. Bears aren't that common and more often than not they'll want to get the hell out of dodge if they know a human is around. If you really think you are going to defend yourself you need to be extremely proficient with the use of your handgun. You have to be able to make a lethal shot on a target that's moving toward you as fast as a thoroughbred, under extreme duress. Not many people I know (including myself) can do that. Make sure your bullets are of solid construction, preferably cast lead, and absolutely no hollow points. Bullets that are good for self defense against soft skinned humans aren't worth a crap against bears, unless of course you just want to blow some of their hair off and make them extremely angry. Also worth considering is just how little energy even large handguns produce. A 44 mag spits out about as much downrange energy as a .243. I know I certainly wouldn't consider a .243 a very good defensive bear caliber. A good friend of mine used to work at a remote camp in southern Alaska. He had a 3-year-old brown bear try to jump through the camp window and chomp him. It had been attracted there by poor garbage practices of a co-worker. My friend shot that bear 8 times with a 44 mag and it DIDN'T kill it. He ended up finishing it off with his .338. If you really want some bear protection get yourself a can of UDAP bear spray with the cordura holster. It only costs about as much as a box of premium ammo, it can easily and accurately be fired from the hip, and it does work. It's not perfect under any and all conditions, but nothing is. Go on your hunt, have fun, but don't waste a bunch of time and energy worrying about bears. You have more to worry about from Congress than you do from any bear.

[121553]

During bow season I doubt you'll be wearing very much clothing to cover a pistol. I am a Montana bowhunter instructor and a pistol is legal to pack while bowhunting but not recommended for bear protection. It might build your confidence but thats it. Even a mortially wounded bear has enough adredelian to still kill you. Your best defense is a can of bear spray and rehearse an actual bear attack. I have had 3 black bear encounters at point blank range and fortunately they ran off but if it were a grizzly encounter the outcome would of been different. I pack a 3" 357 ruger and people tell me I'm under gunned but I don't pack because of the bears. I live in the wilderness and the bears are the least of my worries. Your more apt to hurting yourself than the concerns you have over a bear attack. Relax and go hunting.

Bobby

[Swagger]

I would definenty pack a pistol along on your trip. I have packed one around the mountains in Montana for probably 7 or 8 years now and never had to use it but the reason I started packing it was because when I was a kid I had 2 close calls with some very angry mountain lions while I was armed with nothing but my bow. And as for the previous post, I'm pretty sure that 15 40 S & W shells to the pumpkin would probably detour a bear as well as bear spray.

[Wolf killer]

AK Jeff & 121553 (Bobby)

Both gave you great information. I bow hunt elk & mule deer in Montana every year, I do not carry a handgun while I am bow hunting.

[Gophernator]

Don't mean to bring up an old thread, but I think this is relevant; it happened Sunday, September 12th:

Grizzly Attacks Bow Hunter in Gravelly Mountains

Most of the old-timers here in the Montana Rockies are like Jeff - they've seen bears plenty of times without incident. But we've had two deaths and several maulings this past year. Something is changing, 'cause the experienced guys here (and my hunting buddy Big John) have been right about this for years.

The bear population in the US has doubled in the last twenty years; more and more of us are spending time with Nature (National Parks keep having record years). And the last thing we need is some yahoo wildly firing a .44 mag in a populated campground.

It's probably a good idea to revisit this topic now, especially with all the hunters sneaking around in bear territory. I'd like to hear from you guys with the real experience how you feel about the increase in bear encounters/maulings, and if we should change the way we're approaching this.

As I was trying to find the above link, I came across way too many other articles about maulings over the last few years, like this and this and this.

Times are changing guys, and if we don't adapt, next thing you know, they'll make us wear bells every time we go in the woods.

(FYI, I've only had one bear encounter, and that was a black sow in western Mass, while on a video shoot. I held up my 30 pound camera rig and shouted at the bear; she bolted into the woods.)

[unbridled]

Yes, you can. Actually, here in Montana, you can CC anywhere outside of any city limits. No need to be covered, though if you are outside doing something. Might as well have that bad boy out where you can get to it quickly.

[clouded]

Since they changed bear season dates, you can carry a pistol as long as you have a bear permit. If you don't, you might as well carry a rifle.