Hadriel: Ask anyone trying to sight in with a rifle that close with a dangerous animal charging you, you need a sidearm. ask anyone that's done a decent amount of med. to lg. game hunting. Sort of a necessity.
Not really. I have a woman friend who hunts boar with a bow. We actually have a large problem with boars in some rural areas.
As I said before, I have asked people who are active hunters. A side arm is not necessary to be a good hunter. Not at all. If you ask any northern Canadian hunter about using a side arm in hunting, they would call you either a sissy or a bad hunter.