You are correct. I know and work with several guides and do a lot outdoors myself. Everyone carries some form of side arm. These days it's not actually as common for game reasons... In a lot of states you aren't supposed to use a sidearm to even finish off game. Reasoning can be as simple as one guide told me earlier in the year. "I can't outrun those young fuckers anymore." Typically, it's a sub-compact and can be anything from a 9mm on up. Capacity is one thing, weight and ability to carry it in different locations is another. During a hunt, you don't have a lot of space to carry. Typically you have a pack on, so hip carry is toast. It doesn't do anything in a pack. So a lot of folks will either use a shoulder type holster or opt for a bino harness type approach. Sub-compacts work great in bino harnesses. A guy with a Cougar .40 for example will be perfectly fine in most of the lower 48. 10mm are bulky and heavy. 5.7 is bulky and heavy. In the end, nothing will help you though if you can't use it properly or cannot access in a moments notice.