Just had an interesting interaction a few days ago with an Alberta Wildlife Officer. I was out with my bow in the bush target shooting with the bow in preparation for archery season and had a ranch hand on my hip, mag loaded up, and holstered. In this area, we were still a little over a week away from the season opener. While on the walk back to my car, a Wildlife officer stepped out of the bush to have a chat. He had concerns about what was on my hip, and I told him, so we walked over to my vehicle where he had me unload it and offer it up for inspection. After some photos were taken of my gear, he informed me that I'm lucky it's not an open season as if it was he would likely be seizing all of my gear.
In his opinion, one cannot carry a firearm while bow hunting. I politely disagreed and said that although that may be true in some provinces with specific regulations and laws to that effect, no such prohibition exists in the Wildlife Act in Alberta. He then admitted to not being an expert in the wildlife act, but a gun would raise suspicion that I was hunting with a gun, and would therefore be cause for him, to seize everything and open an investigation. I explained that I in fact wouldn't mind being under suspicion if that's the price to pay for my own personal protection, and that I'm out there alone in grizzly country, but the reality is, that there would be nothing to charge me with since there is no prohibition in the act. He countered by explaining the he's not trying to say the gun is not justified, just that in his opinion, it shouldn't be with me while bow hunting. We politely agreed to disagree, and we parted ways.
The next day I followed up with a "subject matter expert" in the local Wildlife office on the phone. He confirmed my belief that there is no specific prohibition against carrying a firearm while bow hunting in Alberta, however the explained that each individual officer can in fact, under any suspicion they may have in a particular circumstance, seize firearms etc and open an investigation against a hunter. He suggested that if I insist on carrying it, that is should be unloaded. I explained that that would defeat the purpose of having it for protection from wildlife, and he explained that I in fact, when encountering a threat from wildlife, would have plenty of time to load the ranch hand, and chamber a round if needed. He could not however, point out to me anywhere in the wildlife act where any of this was in writing, and instead suggested that I educate myself on the enforcement section of the Act.
Again, I politely agreed to disagree with his assessment and we ended our phone call.
Just an FYI I guess.. for those out there in the bush this year.
