Legal to Carry a .22 Pistol While Deer Hunting?

December 17, 2009

Question: If I hunt deer with a 30-30 cal., can I carry a .22 pistol at the same time (not to shoot deer)? And if I wound a deer with the .30-30 cal., can I finish off the wounded deer with the .22 cal.? Thanks. (John D., Ramona)

Answer: Yes and no. Although it may be legal to carry a .22 pistol while hunting deer during an open rifle season, a .22 caliber rim fire rifle is not legal for the take of deer. Being in possession of an illegal method of take will certainly cause a great deal of suspicion if you are contacted by a game warden. Since you are not allowed to use it to “finish off” the deer, it would be best to not carry it at all.

If the warden examines my .22 pistol in the field he will notice it is loaded with snake shot.

If the warden examines my .22 pistol in the field he will notice it is loaded with snake shot.

He's still gonna check to make sure you didn't clean out its ear canal with a little lead

Guilty until proven innocent.  Geez!  A great deal of suspicion?  I am sick of being suspected a criminal when I'm out hunting and enjoying the outdoors. 

I carry a knife too and that's also an 'illegal method of take'.  Am I under a great deal of suspicion for that as well? 

Guilty until proven innocent.  Geez!  A great deal of suspicion?  I am sick of being suspected a criminal when I'm out hunting and enjoying the outdoors. 

I carry a knife too and that's also an 'illegal method of take'.  Am I under a great deal of suspicion for that as well?

Its a shame and definitely unfair to the ethical, law-abiding sportsman but you can thank the ranks of poachers and thieves out there for the "guilty until proven innocent" laws and mindset. It sucks when a few ruin it for the masses.

I don't see it so much as unfair to the ethical, but unethical to the ethical.  Nailing the hunter who was only trying to do the ethical thing; putting down their deer who is mortally wounded but still suffering is unethical.  Even worse is assuming the hunter who even carries a 22 pistol as being suspicious is beyond unethical.  It's violating their constitutional rights if he acts upon his suspicion. 

The few poachers are not ruining it for the masses.  The few poachers are being used as an excuse to harass the masses. 

No, to clarify, I agree completely about the ethics surrounding your point about the .22

I was just speaking about the general lack of fairness in assuming guilt in all sportsmen(both hunters and fishermen) because of the actions of a small proportion of the general public. Maybe you're right that they're being used as scapegoats to justify DFW actions perhaps.

The hunter is not allowed to dispatch the deer with a .22 pistol because it is illegal to use rimfire ammunition when shooting big game. Perfectly legal to dispatch the deer with a pistol containing centerfire ammunition. Such as 9mm, .38, .45, etc.

The hunter can carry a .22 for protection, snakes, or whatever but can't shoot big game with it. Even if attempting to quickly kill the deer they shot legally with a rifle. If wanting to use the pistol for that purpose, choose a larger/legal caliber which will fall within the Fish and Game Regulations.