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Packing a Handgun for Wolves

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It’s dawned on me that my concealed carry holsters will not suffice for winter snowshoeing in wolf country. Does anyone have a suggestion. I’ll be wearing an anorak, so some type of covered shoulder holster with generous adjustment would be my first thought. I’ll be carrying a 3.5” bbl 1911. My shoulder rig only accommodates cocked and locked carry. Thanks.
 
This is popularly considered the gold standard in chest holsters. I don't have one, but I have tried one on - and it's very comfortable high quality stuff. Yes, you can have it with a strap or a flap.........if you can part with the money.
 
This is popularly considered the gold standard in chest holsters. I don't have one, but I have tried one on - and it's very comfortable high quality stuff. Yes, you can have it with a strap or a flap.........if you can part with the money.

Their sister company makes a fabric chest holster that is less expensive.

 
When snowshoeing with my dog in wolf country, I always just carried a long gun on a strap around my back. We don't have access to handguns in Canada, and I'm not sure it would be your best bet if your main reason is to protect your dogs. I don't know about your wolves, but ours are pretty smart, if you wave a long gun at them, they will generally take off. Plus, if a wolf does attack your dog, you want to have something with some accuracy at 50 or more yards, because chances are the wolf isn't going to snatch your fido in handgun range, and with both animals in close quarters, you want to make sure you hit the right one. Any platform with a .223 would be a good wolf gun. I had a nice single shot in .223, it was really light, but I also used to carry an old Lee enfield .303 sometimes too. I think the gun I took the most though was an old ruger 10/22.

On the other hand, if you are carrying a handgun to defend yourself against wolves, that's a different story. In my opinion, it is just extra weight then.
 
Years ago when I first started looking for wolves in Michigan's UP I brought a .22 mag pistol, this due to the fact I didn't want to lug the Auto 5 around all day. Since then, a nice synthetic stocked, 18.5" barreled 12 gauge pump has been added to the fold. Nice little buckshot wake up call. However, it is the coyotes running around that get my attention more so then the wolves these days.
 
Their sister company makes a fabric chest holster that is less expensive.

That looks perfect, except it doesn’t come in a short barrel length. That probably wouldn’t matter much though. Not too pricey either.
 
When snowshoeing with my dog in wolf country, I always just carried a long gun on a strap around my back. We don't have access to handguns in Canada, and I'm not sure it would be your best bet if your main reason is to protect your dogs. I don't know about your wolves, but ours are pretty smart, if you wave a long gun at them, they will generally take off. Plus, if a wolf does attack your dog, you want to have something with some accuracy at 50 or more yards, because chances are the wolf isn't going to snatch your fido in handgun range, and with both animals in close quarters, you want to make sure you hit the right one. Any platform with a .223 would be a good wolf gun. I had a nice single shot in .223, it was really light, but I also used to carry an old Lee enfield .303 sometimes too. I think the gun I took the most though was an old ruger 10/22.

On the other hand, if you are carrying a handgun to defend yourself against wolves, that's a different story. In my opinion, it is just extra weight then.
I have a scoped bolt action.22 that will hit a flea between the eyes at 25 yards. Maybe that’s the ticket for hiking. A lot of weight for snowshoeing, when I rarely take my dog. If he does come along, he mostly stays in my backtrail. With a backpack and the heavy clothes, a handgun seems more practical.
 
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Scott’s: Who’s afraid? I haven’t said anything about black bears. Maybe you’re an intermittent visitor and didn’t read my post about walking into a pack of wolves last week with 3 dogs, or the one about a wolf attack on an armed group of youngsters in another county. I snowshoe that same area alone, sometimes with my dog. Never carried on those trails but WDNR now recommends it. It would be stupid to not take some firearm. Fear’s got nothing to do with it. Try to keep up between episodes of WK.

Meanwhile, I’m wondering if it’s legal to kill a wolf to protect a dog.
 
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