Walking up to the dog with hammers cocked and gun closed is as unsafe as walking up with the safety off. Don't do it!
While I agree with Legg in principle, I haven't found a better remedy for the problem of getting the hammers back on a covey rise. Walking around with the gun cocked and broke means two things: you're going to 'sweep' the dogs when you close the gun (or drop the shells out if you hold the barrels up); and you're just asking for an accidental discharge when you trip and fall and the barrels come back 'in battery' as you do. At least when you cock the gun at a point, you can point it in a safe direction. If the dogs point and you have to negotiate a briar patch, don't cock it till you see you have safe footing...Geo
