Leaving gun over nite in the woods??

[Grouse]

Have any of you guys left your gun outside over nite when hunting at your stand before. I dont do this when im in PA, but i do it in Ohio and Colorado. Just curious if anyone else does this.

 

[03mossy]

Yeah I have a couple times. Hated it and woke up every few hours worrying about it. Was in a box blind on private property but still made me worry.

 

[Old No7]

I've left mine on the porch of the deer camp, or outside the back door of the house, but always placed so there was no chance of it tipping over or getting wet from unexpected rain, etc. And I was always within 50 yards of it.

But I don't think I'd ever leave it in the woods -- ever..................

Out in the woods??? Nope, not for me... Too many "What if" scenarios come to mind -- a 3AM call that Mom is sick and needs help, or you hit a buck while driving to the stand (how ironic), or food poisoning that leaves you on the head all day, etc, etc. Too many things "could happen" to prevent you from getting back to the woods.

Plus, as others have said, I wouldn't sleep well wondering about it...

Old No7

 

[Tannhauser]

I couldn't imagine leaving a firearm/ML/bow out in a stand or blind overnight.

I can see not bringing it inside, and instead leaving it locked in a vehicle or secured in an outbuilding/garage/porch/etc, but I couldn't sleep if it was just sitting somewhere in the field.

I'm not saying people shouldn't do it, particularly when hunting in remote areas, but I just couldn't be comfortable without my firearm/ML/bow being under my direct control or secured in an area nearby.

 

[WV Hunter]

Nope, I bring mine in every night. Never had an issue ever, even going from real cold outside to woodstove warm inside.

 

[Tannhauser]

I've left mine on the porch of the deer camp, or outside the back door of the house, but always placed so there was no chance of it tipping over or getting wet from unexpected rain, etc. And I was always within 50 yards of it.

But I don't think I'd ever leave it in the woods -- ever..................

Out in the woods??? Nope, not for me... Too many "What if" scenarios come to mind -- a 3AM call that Mom is sick and needs help, or you hit a buck while driving to the stand (how ironic), or food poisoning that leaves you on the head all day, etc, etc. Too many things "could happen" to prevent you from getting back to the woods.

Plus, as others have said, I wouldn't sleep well wondering about it...

Old No7

I think it's the "What if" scenarios that would get to me.

However, it's interesting that as concerned as I am about my weapons, I'm much more ambivalent about my stands, even in cases where the monetary value is fairly equal.

I use a Summit Goliath climber. It's a nice stand, and definitely not a cheap piece of gear. I have several hunting rifles/shotguns/ML that I picked up used on great deals, and therefore spent less $ than I have on my climber. I've left my climber out in places for an entire week when I was going to hunt a spot one weekend and then come back the next. Sure I use a Python cable to secure it, but any halfway enterprising thief and a pair of bolt cutters could bypass that protection. I never gave the stand a second thought.

 

[ronlaughlin]

Well, i guess i probably would, but never have; normally i don't hunt the same place tomorrow that i hunted today. Another issue i would have, is i would hate to walk in without a rifle in hand. Sometimes i stumble into critter. Whenever i am out and about i like having my rifle with me. One thing i don't do, is bring the rifle into the house/tent.

 

[Muley Hunter]

Hell no!

 

[sawtoothscream]

Never, not on private and for sure never public land.

 

[fishhawk2700]

I leave my bow hanging overnight all the time. Archery equipment is not effected by the elements as a firearm would be. It also helps that we hunt the family farm and don't have to worry about the trespass issue. If for some reason I couldn't make it back to hunt or to pick my bow up, someone would swing by and pick it up. Firearms on the other hand, they go where I go.

 

[GoexBlackhorn]

Not in the hunting woods.

Mine get fired after every evening hunt and brought indoors. I often fire after the morning hunt too. But because our lunch break is only a couple hours long, I leave the fired ML in the locked truck and reload prior to the evening hunt.

 

[double brow]

Never ever..nope...unless I spend the night in the woods with it. haven't done that yet either and don't plan on it

 

[sbuff]

Why would you ?

 

[Grouse]

I have a terrible walk in the morning in Colorado. Its 2.6 miles of blow downs and up mountains. Last year it rained all night and all the next day. I was really curious what was gonna happen after 24 hours of sitting out in the rain. Not sure why i ever had doubt, but it fired instantly.

 

[ShawnT]

No, but never thought about it either, back porch or my SUV yes. My biggest fear is someone else coming across the rifle and taking it or getting hurt with it.

 

[Grouse]

No, but never thought about it either, back porch or my SUV yes. My biggest fear is someone else coming across the rifle and taking it or getting hurt with it.

Thats a good point, and i never leave a primer in it when i leave it. Plus its dark when i leave it, and dark when i get back to it.

 

[WV Hunter]

Where you are hunting Grouse, its unlikely someone finds it. Me personally, I'd still take it with me. I know guys that leave their bow hanging overnight, and once in a while a rifle... I couldn't do it. I'd be worried sick all night, even on my own land. I have 2 stands within 100yds of my house and won't leave a rifle or bow there, even for a short while. :lol:

I know a guy that years ago had his bow and treestand taken after leaving them hanging overnight... and he left his stand at dark, and came back in before light the next morning. He was stunned beyond belief when he showed up and they were gone. That is a little creepy actually... had to be someone he knew (that knew where he was and when he left) that took it, imo. You don't just stumble onto that up in a tree in the dark. It was on private land too, not his...but private.

 

[toytruck]

Hell no!

X2...no way!! :lol:

 

[a1smokepole]

The way things or these days I don't think so. they my lock you up for that.

 

[Confederate rifleman]

Think how you'd feel if it was stolen and used in a crime... Or you saw someone with it and...