While driving through a small community in the California's high Sierras, my grandchild and I stop at a small restaurant to have something to eat. When we went in, we saw almost everyone wearing a weapon of some sort, mostly pistols. I ask my grandson what month is it and he says, "It’s August."

I guess the men who are wearing weapons are deer hunters — deer season must have started in California. 

There were two game wardens eating in a booth, which we stopped and said, "Hello, could we ask you a question?"

"Why are the men here, in the restaurant, wearing guns?"

"It's deer season and it starts this month."

"But these people are wearing small arms?"

"Yes, they are, it's for their protection against deadly snakes, wildcats or any other wild animal that they meet while in camp."

"Isn’t it against the law?"

"No, as long as it’s open and not concealed."

I asked them, "When do you have most of your problems with deer hunters?"

"Usually, at night when deer poachers come out and shoot at deer from their car or truck. Our worst one was when poachers tried to shoot a deer near a house and almost hit a family of four eating dinner. It took us all night to catch them, but we did."

"The story started when the father of the house called the sheriff's office and told them that his family was shot at while they were eating dinner. The sheriff’s office, right away, sent out two deputies and then called us. It was raining when we got to the house, and we could see that their front window was shot out; a bullet was in the wall; the dishes on the floor, were broken; and three chairs were turned over, like someone got out of them in a hurry. We went outside to the wet road and saw two tire prints facing north toward the main highway. You can see where the tire prints stop and then proceeded on. They stopped right in front of the window that was shot out — about 50 feet from the house."

The warden went on to say, "We traced the poachers to a small community in Jamestown, California, and caught them in an old warehouse fitted out as a butcher shop — two deer were on racks and one on a table being skinned and butchered."

Therefore, California's deer hunting season starts this month, August, in the California's Sierra, so don’t be surprised to see men or women wearing small weapons. 

If you want to go deer hunting you must take a course on how to use your weapon legally, hunting laws, and the most important thing is common sense.