We killed animals for food. A sidearm for bear is typically for protection. I haven't hunted bear for meat since July 1987. I took 5-1/2 cases of bear meat in pint jars to grad school that year.
weighs a helluva lot less than any of my rifles.
if i'm not planning to actually kill something, i'm going to carry the lightest hunting weapon i have. i want a deer within 20 yards...20 feet is even better!
We got ripped off for a steady reliable summer this year. A rollercoaster ride. 50s for highs, sometimes even upper 40s, then in the 80s and 90s, then back down, up and down. Damned near dizzying. And wet, limited dry, more wet, etc. Raining off and on for days now, too. The veggies in the gardens, and to a lesser degree, in the hothouse, are like, "WTF??!!"
