Archery w/ a Sidearm for Self Defense

[lonne]

Archery in AZ with a (non-hunting) sidearm is normally disallowed. However in recent past AZGFD has allowed one due to the situation down on the border. Recently I saw a news article in the Arizona Republic stating that illegal drophouses were down in Phoenix. Then today I was reading the AZGFD FAQ which at some point previously stated non-hunting sidearms were the exception to the rule, however it no longer states that. It now appears it is disallowed?

 

Can anyone confirm Game and Fish is no longer allowing this or did I mis-read?

 

If this is true, I am really annoyed by this, especially after seeing the following article:

http://dailynightly.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/26/16047580-faced-with-gun-toting-drug-smugglers-arizona-ranchers-demand-security-at-the-border?lite

 

This article shows a picture of an armed drug smuggler w/ an AK 47 in southern AZ taken in 2012.

 

This really bothers me as I love to hunt down there, it is really great hunting. I have been in a situation once already where we faced some others at night near a smuggler camp we found that was disturbing, and we smartly decided to disappear in another direction anticipating if it was the real bad guys we would be out armed and easily disposed of to avoid witnesses.

 

Hunting in our own state and being out-armed by illegal smugglers. The 2nd amendment was the Right to Bear Arms for a reason and this is one of them.

 

Lonne

[archerycrazy]

It's still ok to carry a non-hunting firearm. The Commision is having it entered into the rules.

[lonne]

Awesome, thanks archerycrazy.

[naturegirl]

Still ok. I hunt alone a lot and have come across some really crazy people out in the field. I'm normally a rule follower, but if they were to ever change this rule back to not allowing it----- I will never hunt alone without a sidearm period. never.

[firstcoueswas80]

There is not a law enforcement officer in Arizona who would give your a ticket for carrying a pistol for personal protection during a archery hunt, law or no law.

[GotBowAz]

Give me a ticket then. I will be glad to challenge and fight it. It is legal! I just recently went on a back packing archery hunt 5.2 miles back in by myself. I hunted 2 full days and came back out on the 3rd morning. This is what I found next to my own boot tracks that were headed in as I was coming out.

 

 

 

These pics are approximately 400 yards apart from one another and were the clearest to take pic's of. He followed me for all of that and maybe more. Now was i being stalked, was he just curious, was he on my heels or five minutes behind me? I cant answer that as I was humping a 60 pound pack and didn't bother to stop humping it in until I got to my campsite. I will be checking my back trail from now on. I did have my side arm on me and accessible at all times. Had I stopped he may have caught up with me and decided I was dinner. I would have at least had a fighting chance and if nothing else even if there was no threat I would have at least felt secure with my backup. I will never go in the field without it.

 

GBA

[azslim]

Won't leave the house without a pistol, rule or no rule. Better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.

[WinMag]

Legal or not my sidearm is always with me. I carried it on archery hunts even before 2006 when GF changed the rule to allow them.

[jamaro]

Better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.

 

 

THAT IS GANGSTA... Have you been listening to Ice Cube??

[Kaffer62]

The only time I have been given a hard time for carrying a pistol on me while archery hunting was by border patrol a couple of years back.

[azslim]

that saying has been around a lot longer than cRAP music

[PRDATR]

that saying has been around a lot longer than cRAP music

Been said long before he was born. Carrying is ok, I believe it just needs to have a barrel length of 6" or less and no scope.

[JLW]

Archery-only hunters can now carry a non-hunting handgun for protection
The October issue of ”Hunting Highlights“ reviewed the legality of carrying a handgun during an archery-only hunt. The rule at that time was that hunters participating in an archery-only hunt could not possess a firearm, even if they had a concealed weapons permit.

Since that time, the Arizona Game and Fish Department has issued a directive allowing hunters participating in an archery-only hunt to carry a non-hunting handgun for personal protection and safety. As a guideline, a non-hunting handgun shall be defined as a handgun with a barrel length of 6 inches or less that does not have a scope or any type of electronic device.

Handguns meeting this definition may be carried during an archery-only hunt for personal protection only. They may not be used to take any species of wildlife while participating in an archery-only hunt.

http://www.azgfd.gov/h_f/highlights/highlights_0602.html

James