Hunting camp loaded rifle at night

geologist said:
At a hunting camp, is it legal to have a loaded rifle in camp (chamber empty, safety off, loaded tube mag in Marlin 1895GS) for things that go bump in the night?

In resource camps it is legal since it is for defense.

Also, I have an M3 light mounted on this GG. Would a CO frown on this in BC?
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If you do intend to leave it with mag loaded and chamber empty, have your camp mates inspect the empty chamber for their own safety, and make sure they agree with the decision to keep it loaded.

Be prepared to also accept that these hunters may not take you with them next time.
 
geologist said:
At a hunting camp, is it legal to have a loaded rifle in camp (chamber empty, safety off, loaded tube mag in Marlin 1895GS) for things that go bump in the night?

In resource camps it is legal since it is for defense.

Also, I have an M3 light mounted on this GG. Would a CO frown on this in BC?
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I have been doing this for the past 3 years with the same rifle, never had a problem.
 
boonerbuck said:
In all seriousness though, there never be a loaded gun in my camp unless there is actually a bear/cat in sight and I'm holding the fire arm. Too many accidents have happened with fire arms left loaded. Its kind of an oxy moron. Leave a loaded fire arm around for safety. :roll:
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if a fellow hunter shoots themself they DESERVE IT. PERIOD. those of us that make this our sport should know better. Darwin was right.

Safeties shoud NEVER be used. the only safe weapon is an empty one. and the STUPID crossbolt safeties on the marlin lever guns could get you eaten. the marlin guide guns are plenty fast and I see no advantage in a ful chamber. a full mag tube anf the rifle in a location of quick acesss is common sense in remote locals. I do a lot of solo camping/canoe tripping, I sleep cuddled up with my .450marlin. cross bolt safety removed, full mag tube, empty chamber.
 
If I am in camp, my rifle ALWAYS has rounds in the mag with the chamber empty. I do live and hunt in grizzly country which makes a huge difference. Some places where I hunt, I don't even go to the can without my rifle in hand, especially if there is an animal hanging on the meat pole near camp.

Note that I'm not talking about camping in a provincial park or something surrounded by travel trailers and such, but in the bush in a wall tent or less.

If you're not smart enough to have a rifle in camp in this condition, you're not smart enough to hunt with one either.
 
RickF said:
If I am in camp, my rifle ALWAYS has rounds in the mag with the chamber empty. I do live and hunt in grizzly country which makes a huge difference. Some places where I hunt, I don't even go to the can without my rifle in hand, especially if there is an animal hanging on the meat pole near camp.

Note that I'm not talking about camping in a provincial park or something surrounded by travel trailers and such, but in the bush in a wall tent or less.

If you're not smart enough to have a rifle in camp in this condition, you're not smart enough to hunt with one either.
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Ditto!!!

My gun is loaded from the time it leaves the truck to the time it gets back in, whether it is hours or days.

At night, I make sure the chamber is empty, and lean it against a tree while we make dinner etc. later on, go to sleep with it right beside me.

There is no way in hell I am going to leave my primary defense system unloaded when I am "in camp" :D

As for the light, well you cannot hunt with it. DOesn't mean you cannot attachit at night in camp. Not a bad idea, really.
 
geologist said:
Gatehouse

And more importantly, that light looks damned ###Y on my pimped out GG! :lol:
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I bet it does!! :D

Remember, we are talkign abotu BC Co's...They are mostly pretty practical.

I was spotting for sheep yesterday, ans a CO stopped by.

He said " You look like a sheep hunter?' Which I replied, yes.

I said "do you want to look at my liscence?' and he aid yes.

The CO's now record whatever info they can, whenever they can, so they have as much data as pssible in case of a foul they need to investigate.

The CO looked at my info, and never asked to see my rifle or reg papers or etc..

A BC CO worht his salt would say "You are gonna take that flashlight off for hunting, right?"

And thatwould be the end of it.

I think we tend to overcomplicate things at times.... :wink:
 
boonerbuck said:
In all seriousness though, there never be a loaded gun in my camp unless there is actually a bear/cat in sight and I'm holding the fire arm. Too many accidents have happened with fire arms left loaded. Its kind of an oxy moron. Leave a loaded fire arm around for safety. :roll:
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At night in camp my rifle has rounds in the magazine. To try and fumble around to put the cartridges in the rifle at night has more potential for disaster than leaving them in. :wink:
 
At night in camp my rifle has rounds in the magazine. To try and fumble around to put the cartridges in the rifle at night has more potential for disaster than leaving them in.
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Slapping a clip in gun requires little or no coordination! Closing a SxS shotgun is simplier yet! :wink: I think you all are a bit scared of the dark or you like to sleep on a pile of fresh bacon. :lol:

Seriously, while we don't have grizzlies in our area (they are a big problem in BC, I know) we do have agressive black bears and wolves.... Now we belong to the OLDEST incorporated hunt club in Ontario.... since 1919 and up until last fall we all slept in the old log cabin (built in 1929... The original log cabin burnt down in the 20's during a major forest fire).... Our camp has NEVER had loaded guns in camp. In over 86 years of operation, we have never had a hunting accident, let alone a fatality. No one has ever got attacked going to the ####ter (a few face to face encounters though :lol: ) Loaded guns in camp are an accident waiting to happen IMHO.

In our camp of 20-25 guys, everyone racks the gun in a centralized gun rack (a beautiful sight to see.... 25-35 guns standing at attention...) and the Hunt Captain appoints the 2 "Team Leaders" (divide our crew into two informal teams for a bit of fun competing for the Biggest Buck, First Deer etc.... and prizes) to grab each gun from the rack and take it outside for inspection. The guns are then re-racked and the "liquor - cabinet" is opened (if it is the end of the day's hunt) and everyone can go to dinner too. No one is allowed to touch the guns indoors. If you need to clean your gun or do adjustments et cetera, you take it OUTSIDE away from the camp in a designated area.

What I wonder if a loaded gun is so readily available, whether or not the individual would think the situation over first.... One would hate to shoot Bubba coming back from a late night appointment at the ####house??? And don't even think that accidents don't happen. Last year in Wisconsin, 18 people died opening week of deer season... WTF??? (I know that they are Americans... but... :lol: )

Just curious... do you guys carry loaded rifles on your ATV's too? Incase a bear charges your Quad? :shock:
 
sPuTnik said:
At night in camp my rifle has rounds in the magazine. To try and fumble around to put the cartridges in the rifle at night has more potential for disaster than leaving them in.
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Slapping a clip in gun requires little or no coordination! Closing a SxS shotgun is simplier yet! :wink: I think you all are a bit scared of the dark or you like to sleep on a pile of fresh bacon. :lol:

Seriously, while we don't have grizzlies in our area (they are a big problem in BC, I know) we do have agressive black bears and wolves.... Now we belong to the OLDEST incorporated hunt club in Ontario.... since 1919 and up until last fall we all slept in the old log cabin (built in 1929... The original log cabin burnt down in the 20's during a major forest fire).... Our camp has NEVER had loaded guns in camp. In over 86 years of operation, we have never had a hunting accident, let alone a fatality. No one has ever got attacked going to the ####ter (a few face to face encounters though :lol: ) Loaded guns in camp are an accident waiting to happen IMHO.

In our camp of 20-25 guys, everyone racks the gun in a centralized gun rack (a beautiful sight to see.... 25-35 guns standing at attention...) and the Hunt Captain appoints the 2 "Team Leaders" (divide our crew into two informal teams for a bit of fun competing for the Biggest Buck, First Deer etc.... and prizes) to grab each gun from the rack and take it outside for inspection. The guns are then re-racked and the "liquor - cabinet" is opened (if it is the end of the day's hunt) and everyone can go to dinner too. No one is allowed to touch the guns indoors. If you need to clean your gun or do adjustments et cetera, you take it OUTSIDE away from the camp in a designated area.

What I wonder if a loaded gun is so readily available, whether or not the individual would think the situation over first.... One would hate to shoot Bubba coming back from a late night appointment at the ####house??? And don't even think that accidents don't happen. Last year in Wisconsin, 18 people died opening week of deer season... WTF??? (I know that they are Americans... but... :lol: )

Just curious... do you guys carry loaded rifles on your ATV's too? Incase a bear charges your Quad? :shock:
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Oh man...You haven't got a clue. :shock:

You are talkign about a scenario that is COMPLETETLY alien to most of us in BC.


What I wonder if a loaded gun is so readily available, whether or not the individual would think the situation over first.... One would hate to shoot Bubba coming back from a late night appointment at the ####house???
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If you are such a bedwetter that you will start shooting indiscriminately into the dark, then you shouldn't have a gun, loaded or not.
 
Oh man...You haven't got a clue.

You are talkign about a scenario that is COMPLETETLY alien to most of us in BC.


Quote:
What I wonder if a loaded gun is so readily available, whether or not the individual would think the situation over first.... One would hate to shoot Bubba coming back from a late night appointment at the ####house???


If you are such a bedwetter that you will start shooting indiscriminately into the dark, then you shouldn't have a gun, loaded or not.
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Well you do have a bigger problem with Grizzly Bears out west, but here too Black Bears will come into a building for food. Clueless? I don't think so. In all my years of hunting the outdoors very few camps keep loaded guns indoors. Whenever possible we burn scrap food and cans etc. We do have hounds in camp, they tend to make quite the racket and are maybe a deterent for a wayward bear.

I am not afraid of things things that go bump in the night, nor am I "a bedwetter" that shoots indiscriminately at things in the dark. However, I am not God and can't safe guard myself from the reactions of others around me. You mean to tell me that you have never seen a bunch of people over excited/anxious over a bear??? So you still think an accident can't happen? Really? I also think that the number of hunters in the camp matters too... If you have 2 people in a camp and a loaded gun at the door, odds are you both are careful.

Camping outdoors in a tent is another matter. I can see why you may have a loaded gun handy.... on that topic.. My dad spent several years up in the Arctic near Baffin Island working on the DEW line in the 1950's.... They had Polar Bears right up to the steps of the tents... Polar Bears put Grizzlies to shame... those mother ####ers hunt you down from a mile away!

Gatehouse, I didn't mean any disrespect... please don't take it personal for no offence was meant.
 
Sounds to me like the issue is people's differing definition of what a "camp" is. If your camp is a solidly built house, cabin, cottage - by all means unload your guns. If camp is constructed mainly of canvas and is located in Griz country (as ours is) the guns stay loaded (chamber empty). We also have the "#####" (designated tent gun - 12ga mossy shorty) in a location of the tent easily accessed by everyone.

My ancestors worked long and hard to get to the top of the food chain - I intend to stay there. :wink:
 
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Well you do have a bigger problem with Grizzly Bears out west, but here too Black Bears will come into a building for food. Clueless? I don't think so. In all my years of hunting the outdoors very few camps keep loaded guns indoors. Whenever possible we burn scrap food and cans etc. We do have hounds in camp, they tend to make quite the racket and are maybe a deterent for a wayward bear.
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It's not just abotu grizzly bears. :wink:

When I say "clueless" I mean about BC, not about how to bear proof your camp.

You havent' a clue about BC and how it is here, that's why I said what I did. The thread was startd by a BC gunnut.

I'll unload at the truck or goign into a house, but I have never heard of such a thing as a "hunt captain" or a "team leader" or having someone else inspect your rifle.

Very few people in BC hunt from an established cabin with 20 people. A few folks have cottages that double as a hunting base. SOme guys have dogs, others don't. I've never hutned with a dog.

There is no indoors at my camps, since they are often tents.

I am not afraid of things things that go bump in the night, nor am I "a bedwetter" that shoots indiscriminately at things in the dark. However, I am not God and can't safe guard myself from the reactions of others around me.
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The hunting partners I have had have been mostly good. I try to avoid people that panic and shoot into the dark. I don't want to be around you if you are that type.

You mean to tell me that you have never seen a bunch of people over excited/anxious over a bear??? So you still think an accident can't happen? Really?
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Accidents can and do happen. So if you are the type to panic and shoot off rounds without knowing your target, I don't wantto be near you with a gun, loaded or not.

I keep my gun loaded, empty chamber, at all times when hunting. I expect my partner to do the same.


[quote="sPuTnik
Gatehouse, I didn't mean any disrespect... please don't take it personal for no offence was meant.[/quote
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I'm not offended. This is the internet... :wink: :D
 
I'm with Gatehouse on this topic - I hunt in grizzly country and have been fortunate so far not to have had any major encounters.

Bear spray in a canvas outfitters tent is not a good thing - especially if the bear recovers quicker than you and you're still blinded, stumbling around. I'd rather have the gun at hand with loaded magazine and empty chamber ready just in case the high intensity flashlight spotlights Mr Bear and company wanting to make me into a bedtime snack. And to hell with any Liberals who say I can't defend myself under those circumstances. Nuff said.
 
Camping outdoors in a tent is another matter. I can see why you may have a loaded gun handy.

What the hell do you think we are staying in, a ####ing cabin? :roll: If I am staying in a cabin I would never have bullets in the magazine.

I would like to see you in the west sleeping in a tent or under the stars as alot of us have done a time or two, then we will see who is afraid of the dark, you will be calling for your mommy. :lol: :lol:
 
if I was hunting in an area where the potential of a bear encounter is present, you can be damn sure I'd be having a rifle with shells in the magazine within easy grasp when I'm in camp.

there is a big difference between a camp that is a 5th wheel RV trailer or 20 person cabin in black bear country and tenting in the alpine in grizzly country. big difference. :shock:
 
Camping outdoors in a tent is another matter. I can see why you may have a loaded gun handy.

What the hell do you think we are staying in, a ####ing cabin? If I am staying in a cabin I would never have bullets in the magazine.

I would like to see you in the west sleeping in a tent or under the stars as alot of us have done a time or two, then we will see who is afraid of the dark, you will be calling for your mommy.
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Before you scoff at a cabin, I would like to see you built a long cabin from white pine bush logs.... old school. I have camped many of a time under the stars without momma to bring me a hot cup of cocoa :lol: ... I just make it a point not to smear my self with my dinner cooked in bacon fat. :shock: As much as I like roughing it outdoors... I am hunting to get deer, not sleep in freezing rain/sleet... after getting wet hunting. If I can use a cabin or trailer.... I'll use it. :wink:

I have hunted many ways, small groups 2-3 guys, individual... etc. Up in the neck of the woods we hunt (near Lake Nippissing - North bay area)... our Hunt Club has hunted the same crown land for almost 100 years... It is hard to hunt this area if you don't belong to a hunt camp, it is just the way it is. We hunt a really large area of crown land 3-4 miles squared. Our hunts are set up so that 18 guys are in treestands or positioned in a mile radius along a small slashed trail. Each position or "Watch" is separated from the next by physical terrain for safety. We then send two men with dogs to walk through the center of the hunt to get the deer moving or on a chase.

A Hunt Captain's job is to make sure the entire hunt goes smoothly. Having someone check your gun is not uncommon when you have 20 people in camp. We are all safe and curtious hunters... however we take safety seriously. We kill #### up here! Not each other! :lol:

It is an interesting way to hunt... some chases, other still hunt opportunity, or you can even jump a big deer while dogging.... Shooting a deer running full bore is something else! There is a lot of Camaraderie... you hunt, eat, sleep and drink (in moderation)...

If this was about having a gun in a tent, it wasn't too clear.... i am sorry for the misunderstanding. Gatehouse is correct, hunting in most of Ontario is a little different. IMHO I beleive that the government should allow hunters to hunt with certain handguns (like .44 Mag with 6-8" barrel). They would make an excellent tent gun or back-up piece.
 
Guys

Let's tone down the east-west rhetoric.

This thread was about sleeping in a tent in grizzly territory which I do a lot.

It's also for when I am solo prospecting, just me and my German Shepherd.

No trails, no government campsite. Food cache 200m away, no food in tent.

I'm usually a LONG ways into the bush where Nature rules and it's not always pretty.

So I'm going to keep on doing what I usually do. Empty chamber, hammer down, safety off, 4 rounds in the tube magazine of the Guide Gun and a couple of spares in the shell holder on the stock, M3 light attached and ready to go.

Betcha Tim Treadwell wishes he was prepared as me. Oh, wait a minute, he got himself and his Birkenstocks eaten didn't he?
 
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