Anyone Remember Hunting with a Handgun in Canada?

Fox

Fox

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My brain has gone to the thought that some day, maybe, I would be able to hunt with a handgun in the US and how nice it would be to be able to pack a 22 sidearm on me for rabbits and grouse while deer/moose hunting or better yet a nice big chunk of iron for big game.

I know that you could hunt with a handgun, besides an air gun, at one point in Canada, back when my grandpa was young, can anyone speak to their experiences?
 
I think handgun hunting in Canada ended around 1969.
I was just starting to get into handguns around that time.
I missed out.
 
A friend of my dad's used to contact the local police department back in the 70's and get a permit to take his handgun out to the lake to hunt rabbits in the bush. This is in Manitoba. When I first got started in handguns, all the paperwork for permits was handled locally by the City police department. They issued you the permit to transport, etc. He simply asked for one to take it hunting, and they permitted it.
 
Grizzlypeg said:
A friend of my dad's used to contact the local police department back in the 70's and get a permit to take his handgun out to the lake to hunt rabbits in the bush. This is in Manitoba. When I first got started in handguns, all the paperwork for permits was handled locally by the City police department. They issued you the permit to transport, etc. He simply asked for one to take it hunting, and they permitted it.
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My grandma wanted to buy my grandpa a pistol for Christmas in 1964, she knew the local police and they knew he had his proper licenses. She was able to buy it, have the Corporal pick it up then drive it out to the house Christmas morning for him, all paperwork done. Back then you were still allowed to use it on your property (There are mixed opinions now), and since he owned like 1000 acres that time with a trout lake on it they would take it fishing with them to that lake. He said it was nice to have it in the tent, just in case, even though it was a 22. They had sheep and the wolves were very active at that time in the area.
 
starpuss said:
MY Encore & My Super Redhawk 9.5" 454 is just Waiting if the rules ever change!
Until than , my Antique's Just come along for the walk so i can almost feel FREE
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I wish the rules did not specifically say "no handguns" for big game, you can only use an antique in Ontario for small game, but a round ball load from an old 44 would do the trick :D, may try it one day.
 
I can remember my father taking a black bear with a handgun when I was about seven years old, about 1960. This was near Dunn Lake in the B.C. interior, he was working at a sawmill there and we would occasionally stay in a cabin there while he worked.
 
Back in the early 60's I had a permit that allowed me to carry for the purpose of target practice and small game hunting. This was in S.W. Ontario. As I recall it had no expiry date.
 
Neilm said:
Back in the early 60's I had a permit that allowed me to carry for the purpose of target practice and small game hunting. This was in S.W. Ontario. As I recall it had no expiry date.
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Awesome, see, why is this not reasonable now? If we are allowed to take them to a range then why not to a piece of private property for hunting, no more dangerous to anyone.
 
Hunted in Michigan with a 686 in .357 and later a 629 ported 44 mag with a Leopold 3x9 on it. My Winchester 94 was also on my shoulder.Handgun must be visible to Game Warden and transported unloaded and locked.Only got one shot at a deer with the .44 and that 6 inch barrel is loud with no hearing protection.It adds another layer of freedom when we can all wear sidearms.
 
More than one WWII vet in a certain area told me they always took a handgun with them while deer hunting, it seemed it was always a 1911 they'd acquired 'unofficially', carried in a shoulder holster. But they weren't hunting with them, the pistols were a backup or a comfort item or something. Actually I'm not sure because I never asked for an explanation, never occurred to me to do so. Apologies if this is off topic.
 
Interesting & timely topic for me OP. Just yesterday I watched a mule deer feed across my yard about 30 ft from the dining room window and thought at the time "man, what an opportunity to handgun a deer".

When I first owned a handgun back in the early 70's, I would take my New Model BH out looking for coyotes, I did get a couple shots but dont think I even hit the same 1/4 section the yotes were on. I also carried that BH on every saddle pack trip to the mountains for tent protection throughout the 70's-80's. I did know a fellow that had his sidearm taken away from him while trail riding on the Hummingbird meadows during that time frame. A busybody fire tower watcher spotted his holster when his coat opened up when mounting his horse. That was when I found out how good the glass was that those firewatchers use...she was over 3 miles away from the guy.

Also back in the 70's a buddy of mine & I traveled his FIL ranch freely shooting gophers with HG's. He used a Super BH and those gophers would do somersaults & backflips that would qualify them for the Olympics when hit with those "big meplat" .44 slugs.

Now you've got me pining for those "good ol' days" again.
 
A friend told me a true story that happened a few years after they banned using handguns for hunting. Himself and a few others were still taking a handgun to the deer camp and one evening there was a loud knock on the camp door and “Police, open up” was loudly shouted. My buddy kicked his Python under his bunk, picked up his guitar and started strumming as one other opened the door for the gestapo. Turns out a guy’s ex called the cops as revenge as she’d know for years he took a HG deer hunting…
 
bush1 said:
A friend told me a true story that happened a few years after they banned using handguns for hunting. Himself and a few others were still taking a handgun to the deer camp and one evening there was a loud knock on the camp door and “Police, open up” was loudly shouted. My buddy kicked his Python under his bunk, picked up his guitar and started strumming as one other opened the door for the gestapo. Turns out a guy’s ex called the cops as revenge as she’d know for years he took a HG deer hunting…
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so did they find it? what a cliff hanger you are leaving for us here.
 
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