Carrying two guns hunting in Alabama

[PowPow]

I would like to hunt rabbits, carrying my shotgun for flushed bunnies on the dirt roads, with my 22 slung until I get to the greenfields then go prone with a bipod for 50-80 yard shots on still rabbits. (don't have a dog, even if I did, it would hurt my stealthiness sneaking out of work to go hunting)


I have heard some folks say that you can't go hunting with two guns.
Folks take a rifle and a sidearm all the time.
I don't see it in the hunting regs limiting it; the closest thing being this:

It   is   ILLEGAL   to:
20. Possess both gun and bow while hunting any species ofgame bird or animal except during open unantlered gun deer  season.

What do you say?

[Bugflipper]

Your right PowPow. No such law that says you can't do that. There are more on the books than they put out in the hunting reg book though. codes.lp.findlaw.com/alcode/9
You have to copy and paste, for what ever reason it will not act like a link.

[Graybeard]

I don't believe you can have two guns with you when hunting migratory game. Of course all that I'm aware of you use a shotgun for and there is a limit of three shells in the gun. Having a second gun I think would get you a fine but I'm not positive of that.

I don't give out legal advice cuz I'm not a lawyer but I do practically always have a handgun and rifle if rifle hunting and two handguns if handgun hunting. I've been known to have three with me a rifle for the really long shots, a scoped handgun and an iron sight handgun. So far I've never gotten a shot with any of them when I did that. Haven't done it in a long time.

[BUGEYE]

here in Ga. you can carry a handgun during bow season if you have a ccw.

[scratcherky]

Get yourself a Savage Model 24.

[PowPow]

Get yourself a Savage Model 24.

I almost replied to myself with that answer, except I can't see well enough to shoot with iron sights.
But it would be cool to have.

GB - I would rely on your experience over two lawyers anyday.
Asking two lawyers a question is like wearing two watches.
I would get two different answers and both of them would be right.

I think I will just park my Jeep in a place where I can swap out and avoid a hassle.

[Almtnman]

I have carried 2 guns with me hunting many times. Sometimes, I carry my rifle for deer hunting and either a Ruger 44 mag pistol or my Ruger single six. I've killed squirrels, rabbits, beaver and snakes with the single six. I've used the 44 mag to crawl into some thick stuff and finish the deer off that managed to get back in there after I shot it with my rifle. I once sat on a ladder stand all morning and kept noticing a small flash of white out in a clear-cut with waist high weeds that I was watching. Never could make out what was drawing my attention to that spot, but it was sort of an elevated area in the flat of the clear-cut. After a few hours on stand, I decide to head back to my truck that was parked about 3/4 to a mile away and get some coffee. As I walked fairly close to where I had seen the white flashes, up jumped 4 deer and scattered like a covey of quail. they were using that small elevated are to see through the weeds to anything approaching. They were too fast for me to make a shot with the rifle. I walked on to the truck, drank my coffee and got my old Browning A5 out of the tool box, strapped my rifle across my back and headed back to the area where I had seen the deer jump. As I got very close , a small buck had came back there and jumped, but the old A5 made sure I was taking venison home that day. I have never heard any law that says you can't take two guns with you and I have sometimes took my '06 when I was planning on sitting in an elevated shooting house along with a Marlin 45-70 in case I wanted to bust some brush nearby with a little stalk through the thick stuff. I have stood on side of county roads with my '06 and my Ruger 44 mag strapped on my side and talked with game wardens before and never a mention of doing anything wrong. According to Alabama law, it's not against the law to wear a sidearm on a public thoroughfare anyway, look it up, I did.


I never have liked the Alabama law that prevents you from wearing a sidearm while bow hunting as I don't like to walk through snake country without some sort of protection. For that reason, I rarely do any bow hunting. 

[SHOOTALL]

In Va. some carry a rifle and shotgun both to the stand. Also I have carried two shotguns when waterfowl hunting one a back up . Also when in bear country one was loaded with buck and slugs mixed , don't even think it both were made from hevi-shot 

[Tom W.]

Check the new regs. You CAN take a handgun with you this year when you bowhunt,if you have a concealed carry permit, but you cannot kill anything with it that isn't already in season for firearms. So if it's only bow season, don't go "finishing off" your deer with a handgun.

[Almtnman]

Check the new regs. You CAN take a handgun with you this year when you bowhunt,if you have a concealed carry permit, but you cannot kill anything with it that isn't already in season for firearms. So if it's only bow season, don't go "finishing off" your deer with a handgun.

Thanks for the info Tom! I'll pick up a copy and go over it. 

[Almtnman]

Tom, I went by the courthouse yesterday and picked up a new copy of the regulations for this season and couldn't find any reference in it anywhere that said you could carry a handgun if you had a CCW permit in it. Where did you find that info?

[Tom W.]

It was in our local newspaper, and it should be in the in-depth regulations. I didn't see it in the free books that I got from WalMart, either...but that was put to press before the change was made.
Contact your local CO for verification.
 
 
I sent an e-mail to the enforcement officer in my district. As soon as I get a reply I'll post it here.

[Tom W.]

This is what I sent and got today. My internet and phone has been down for the past few days...
 


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Tom Wierzbicki [mailto:twierzbicki@eufaula.rr.com]
Sent: Sunday, October 30, 2011 12:06 AM
To: Hicks, Larry
Subject: Handguns ?

 

It was published in the Eufaula Tribune that there is a new Regulation that allows CCW permit holders to carry a concealed handgun while bow hunting. The article further stated that the only thing that was allowed to be taken with said handgun was things that already were in season for firearms, or for self defense.

I cannot find any reference to this in the on line regulations, nor can it be found in the free publication that is distributed at places where licenses are sold. Can you either confirm or deny the article? I’d hate to be fined and my pistol removed from my possession due to a misunderstanding of the law.

 

Tom
Warning! Does not play well with others!



Tom,

 

You have read the article correctly. The only requirement is that you have that permit on you at all times like your hunting license. You cannot shoot deer or turkeys during the bow season with that firearm. It is used for protection

Or for killing wild hogs, coyotes or things that pose a threat to your safety. I hope this answers your question.

 

Captain Larry Hicks

[Almtnman]

That's some good news Tom! I hope that this new regulation was passed on to all our state game wardens. It has always been a puzzle to me why a concealed carry permit holder couldn't carry his or her handgun afield during bow season anyway. It's kind of like that they didn't trust you to obey the bow hunting law on just using a bow to harvest your deer.