When do you load your gun?

[Brillo]

Legally in Michigan a gun cannot be loaded until legal shooting hours. I know that has been enforced for deer but I have not heard of it being enforced for turkey where it would make hunting roosted birds nearly impossible.  I always load before I leave the truck.  Anybody else deal with this?

[Notsoyoungturk]

To my knowledge, we do not have that law in Tennessee.  I load my gun at the truck before heading into the woods.  I can take my time and I know the gun is loaded safely and properly.   I make sure the safety is on and begin my walk.  From a safety perspective, I don't want to be rushed and trying to load my gun in the dark; that seems far less safe than practicing basic gun safety with a loaded gun.  From a hunting perspective, I don't want to be creating metallic noise in the woods.  JMO.

[lacire]

Normally I load my gun after I get out of the truck and unload before I get back in.

[Vintage]

At the truck.

[eddie234]

Right before I enter the woods


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[Sasha and Abby]

Mine stays loaded unless someone gets in my truck. 

[hunter85]

I think my deer rifle is still loaded in it's case. My turkey gun gets loaded when I park the truck at the first spot in the woods and gets unloaded when I get in the truck to leave the woods.

[Sir-diealot]

Normally not til I get to the blind or a little before it, I am in all honesty clumsy because of the car accidents I have been in. Last year or the year before we had a rabid skunk on the property (Out in daylight, charging vehicles, foaming at the mouth) so I was loading as soon as I was a couple steps from the truck.

[Marc]

I hunt in mountain lion country, and head into the woods to sound like one of their favorite meals...  I load my gun as I leave the truck...

I have actually seen lions on two occasions while turkey hunting...  The last one, I was peaking in an old abandoned mobile home that has been there for years (that I habitually check out for fun when walking by).  Late morning, I peek in, and there is a lion on the floor right in front of me...

He gets up, skids across the floor, and jumps out a window fixture...  I almost unloaded my gun and my pants...  And that is why I currently insist on wearing brown pants when turkey hunting...

[Bowguy]

Idk guys walking in the dark with a loaded gun isn't necessary or safe imo. I hunt roosted birds all the time, especially with kids. Never do we load til at the tree or set a blind.
Bear in mind all the setting of a blind if it's used, is within sight of the bird in tree and obviously morning of the hunt .
We go very early and take our time. Nearer daylight we load guns. Most are pumps, imo they're safer with kids but occasionally it's a semi. Pumps are easy. Very easy painfully slow closing makes minimal sound. With semis holding the bolt and easing it closed is easy. Putting shells in magazine equally slow, easy, quiet. I don't see an issue and never have. I'm very surprised guys are loading at the truck. Now if an accident would happen even if minimal and hopefully that the case  and you've broken a law you could assume personal liability in some areas.

[bear hunter]

Load it first day of season unload last day of season.

[GobbleNut]

First question: Define "loaded"?  To me, there is a big difference between having rounds in the magazine and having a round in the chamber.  "Loaded" to me is having a round in the chamber.  I do not put a round in the chamber until I reach a point where I am close enough to a gobbler that I think he might hear the sound  and perhaps alert him.  If I am hunting with someone, I want them to do the same. 

It only takes one misstep for what is supposed to be a joyous time to turn into an irreversible tragedy.  I personally know two individuals who were involved in hunting accidents that resulted in the deaths of their friends.  I will do everything I can to make sure that does not happen under my watch with the people I hunt with.  Shells in the magazine cannot inadvertently kill someone,...shells in the chamber when it is not necessary most certainly can. 

[Marc]

First question: Define "loaded"?  To me, there is a big difference between having rounds in the magazine and having a round in the chamber.  "Loaded" to me is having a round in the chamber.  I do not put a round in the chamber until I reach a point where I am close enough to a gobbler that I think he might hear the sound  and perhaps alert him.  If I am hunting with someone, I want them to do the same. 

It only takes one misstep for what is supposed to be a joyous time to turn into an irreversible tragedy.  I personally know two individuals who were involved in hunting accidents that resulted in the deaths of their friends.  I will do everything I can to make sure that does not happen under my watch with the people I hunt with.  Shells in the magazine cannot inadvertently kill someone,...shells in the chamber when it is not necessary most certainly can.

I have a round in the chamber walking out, and the gun could be fired.  There are lion prints at one of the places I will be hunting this year, as I am sure that is of some concern where you hunt as well. 

I have upland hunted all my life (which necessitates walking with a loaded gun, hoping to shoot flushing game), but, it is not the same as turkey hunting with a loaded gun in the dark.  Honestly though, it is not the walking out, that I feel is most dangerous; most of us have a sling on the gun, and I would assume the gun is pointed in a safe direction while slung.

It is setting up...  Removing our gear to get set up, we have to set the gun down somewhere, and that is where I feel the greatest risk is... (where the gun can be knocked down, stepped on, etc.) I generally remove the shell from the chamber at this time (and insert it sideways).  I still lean the gun against a tree that is stable, until I am set up, and sitting down.

I can put a shell in the chamber of my gun more quietly than I can get my butt settled on the ground.  Most guns can be loaded quietly (outside of a Benelli), if we are careful...  I have busted a few birds on my set-up, but never by loading my gun; and while there might be some reasons to walk out with a loaded gun, scaring turkeys is not high on the list.

But, when setting up, laying the gun on the ground is a horrible idea, as is leaning it against anything that the gun might fall over with.  Add multiple people, and the risk increases.

[Twowithone]

I load up when I leave my vehicle and the safety is on. Unload  when I get back to my vehicle.

[RiverBuck]

I find it funny that some have an issue with walking in the woods with a loaded shotgun and the safety on.

But I guess that's the same guys who don't keep one in the pipe if they conceal carry.