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Flat-sided semi-automatic pistols can be easily carried out of the way in a quality holster while working on food plots or just exploring the backcountry on an ATV.

Trail guns

For off season fun and protection

My children were small and having a ball at the pond-side campsite we picked for our weekend adventure when trouble arrived. As I was completing the tent setup, I heard the distinct sound of a rattlesnake. It was between the tent and the fire ring. We gathered at a safe distance and discussed the important role the rattlesnake played in nature, and its potential danger. I took a long stick and removed the snake to a thicket a safe distance from our camp. Soon he returned. Again I removed him. This happened three times. On his fourth return I pulled my trail gun, a .38 Special Smith & Wesson Model 60 loaded with CCI shotshell loads, and dispatched the threat.

We do not usually give coverage to handguns in Shooting Savvy. In fact, in the many years I have penned this column, this is the first time. But there is a place in the outdoors for them.

The Springfield Armory XD(M) is an ideal trail gun when self-protection is a priority.

Woods roamers will like the accurate Ruger Mark II autoloading .22 handgun.

The right ammo, such as these .38 CCI Shot Loads, can determine which trail gun to carry into snake country.

Flat-sided, easy-to-carry 9mm pistols include the Taurus Model 709 Slim (top) and the Ruger LC9.

The S&W Model 617 is a highly accurate 10 shot .22LR revolver.

A high-quality holster, such as the Galco TacSlide, makes carrying a trail gun safe and effortless.

The place of a handgun afield

I have carried what I call a trail gun when afield since my early trapping days in the 1950s. From the beginning, the need for a trail gun was apparent, even when my primary firearm was a hunting rifle or handgun.

During warm weather fishing trips, or woods roaming, on more than one occasion I have had to use a .38 Special Ruger Model SP101 or .22 LR Smith & Wesson Model 617 loaded with CCI shotshell loads to dispatch a venomous snake that presented a potential threat.

My children and I have had a fun afternoon of plinking with my trail gun on many of our woods roaming trips.
During several hunts, handguns like the Taurus .22 WMR gave the coup de grace without destroying a cape or skin.

On two occasions during my wildlife management career, hostile feral dogs required the use of my trail gun. And there was the time, while on a spring turkey scouting trip, when I am sure the Kimber .45 on my hip kept two "weed" farmers from taking the matter of my being there any further.

I find a trail gun handy when I work my food plots. There are always pests that need to be controlled, and plinking can be a fun way to end a hard day of planting.

Know and follow the rules

Before hitting the trail with a handgun, know and follow the rules and regulations of carrying it — openly or concealed — where you are going. Start with a call to the local sheriff's office.

Learn how to use the handgun you carry. Know how to safely handle, store and care for it. And train those you plan on letting shoot the gun. When my children first started shooting handguns, I used the opportunity to teach them when and when not to handle a pistol, what to do if ever one of their friends got out a handgun, the basics of handgun safety, and I taught them handgun marksmanship skills.

Now we're passing that same information to my grandkids, and it has been a fun learning experience.

Selecting a trail gun

Never in the history of gun sales have there been a larger selection of trail guns. The right one for you depends on how you plan to use it.

In the used gun market you can find some of my old favorites at a reasonable price. In a .22 LR there are the Ruger Single-Six or Mark I or II, the H&R Model 999 and S&W Kit Gun, to name a few. In used centerfire handguns, I have enjoyed the .45 ACP Colt Government, a .44 Special Charter Arms Bulldog, a .38 Special S&W Model 60 and a .40 S&W Glock Model 23.

The selection in new guns is almost endless. Currently in .22 LR, I have been using the S&W Model 617, the Ruger Model 22/45 and the Browning Buckmark Camper. For centerfire trail guns, I like the 9 mm Taurus 709 Slim, the 9 mm Ruger LC9 and the S&W Bodyguard .380-caliber for compact carry. They take up almost no room in a daypack and carry on a belt easily. One of my favorites for belt carry is the .40 S&W Springfield Armory XD(M). I also like the .45 ACP Kimber Elite Carry, as it is a lot of firepower in a compact form.

More people than ever are selecting handguns chambered for both the .45 Colt and .410 shotshell for trail use. The Taurus Judge and the new S&W Governor have gotten a lot of attention from people who go into snake country. I haven't carried either, so I can't say firsthand how they shoot.

Holsters are a matter of choice

Many folks prefer to carry a pistol in the outside pocket of a daypack. Woods roamers may carry one in their shoulder bag. It is my opinion that if you carry a sidearm, you should be able to get to it quickly, if needed, yet is held securely when climbing up and down slopes or when going through thick cover. A good holster made specifically for the model pistol you have is the best choice.

While there are some excellent leather holsters on the market, all-weather polymer holsters are among the best I have used. They are tough, weatherproof and affordable.

I carry my trusty S&W Model 60 in a Galco TacSlide Kydex/steerhide holster. I depend on the polymer Blackhawk Serpa for my Colt 1911-style autos and the polymer Fobus Compact holster for my Glock 23. My Ruger Single-Six rides in a leather Hunter holster.

An all-around outdoors partner

A trail gun, when properly selected, can be a good companion on any hiking, camping, hunting, fishing or food plot planting trip. You'll be surprised at how many uses you can find for it on any outing. — J. Wayne Fears

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