What I have been told on two occasions by BC conservation officers is that the situation will be interpreted by what an officer finds.
So.... you are out hiking and have a shotgun strapped to your pack for protection.... first thing they are going to check is if you also have bear spray or bangers and what kind of ammo do you have. Do you have game processing gear in your pack or just snacks a camera and gps?
Say you are hiking up to a good target shooting spot while camping for the weekend. What's in your pack? They are gonna check your ammo..... is it soft point hunting ammo or FMJ target ammo.... got targets and a stapler in your pack or game processing items?
CO's are trained to assess these things and come across non hunters with firearms frequently so they will usually know pretty quick if someone's story behind carrying a firearm checks out.
Around here I have never been asked for a PAL by a CO, just a hunting license. Also around here, hunting season is year round. There is always something open year round so just use common sense and remove items specifically associated with hunting from your kit and you should be fine. British Columbians have been using firearms on crown land for recreation and protection since before the country was formed so I'm pretty sure folks shouldn't be too concerned about the practice. Just be safe and use common sense.
as far as dispatching an animal that is threat..... self report it to the CO service for your region as soon as possible.
I had to go thru this very thing after having a gun fight with a pack of wolves. Animals were killed and wounded and left with no ability for retrieval. I was interviewed twice by phone by BC conservation officers and subsequently cleared of any and all responsibility. So it's not like they are looking to screw every gun owner for real life situations when firearms are used for what they are intended for.
