Best way to get PAL/RPAL/Hunters licenses?

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Popeye_000

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Hello,

I'm interested in getting my firearms and hunting licenses. The more immediate need would be my hunting license, as a friend is going to be taking me hunting for the first time in November.

I understand the one-stop Hunter licensing course also has the PAL course built into it, but then if I ever wanted restricted I would need to take that separately. I don't think that I will be interested in owning a restricted weapon in the near future (Living with parents until I complete university, I don't really think they would approve) , but the friend that is taking me hunting is encouraging me to get it just in case I ever wish to purchase one, which makes sense to avoid having to go through all the paperwork again.

Is taking the PAL/RPAL course and then taking the hunting course later my best option, or should I do the PAL/Hunting course and not worry about restricteds? I'm going to visit the person teaching the courses tomorrow, so I will get his opinion on it as well, but I figure more opinions never hurt.

(I realize this may be a dumb question, but the main thing is that I don't want to end up wasting money by taking courses I will never use. University is making me rather poor!)

Thanks for any assistance
 
First off .. welcome aboard Popeye 000, where are ya calling home (Province)?

The C.O.R.E. course covers firearms (but not restricted) to a degree equal to that of the firearms course BUT they are still two very seperate tests. If you are lucky enough to find a C.O.R.E. instructor that is also a firearms instructor, then you can take advantage of that if he/she offers a two in one course .. but it's still going to be two very seperate tests ...

If you've got the option of a C.O.R.E/PAL course, take it and deal with the restricted part later.
 
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If you're in Alberta you actually can take the first time hunter's course online now. It costs $70 and is found on the AHEIA website under learning. I did mine that way and it was really good. AHEIA also has a building in Calgary where you can take the PAL/RPAL courses along with the hunting course too if you want to do it that way. They are offered as 3 separate courses though, which is better I think because if you took everything all at once you wouldn't remember much.
Definitely get your RPAL even if you don't plan on buying anything restricted.
 
(Apologies for the double post)

TPK, I'm not sure if its just the CORE or a CORE + PAL course. Its a two day course though, so I was assuming it was CORE + PAL. That's one thing I'll clarify once I meet the instructor.
 
Try here for a list of instructors and call them:

http://www.fseso.org/905.htm

Too bad you don't live closer to Toronto, because York Region Firearms in Richmond Hill (yrfirearms.com) offers all three. The PAL and RPAL are done on a Saturday and Sunday, then the hunter's is done in the evenings on a Monday, Tuesday, Wendesday. I think it is about $400 (don't quote me on that) for courses, manuals and exams.
 
Popeye_000 said:
(Apologies for the double post)

TPK, I'm not sure if its just the CORE or a CORE + PAL course. Its a two day course though, so I was assuming it was CORE + PAL. That's one thing I'll clarify once I meet the instructor.
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Hmmm, if it's a two day course that covers both .... it can't be very indepth. When we put on our C.O.R.E course it runs for 5 nights, test on the 6th night (you go for three hours, two days a week .. so the course takes three weeks if you look at it like that or 15 hours if you look at it like that). Even with this time-frame we find we often need a little "extra" time to fit it all in. Two of our nights are spent on just firearms alone. Having said that .. I know a C.O.R.E. instructor that will show up at your door (here in the B.C. Interior) and without you having ever touched a gun or read the C.O.R.E. manual, he will do it all in one day .. including the test (C.O.R.E. only .. not the firearms course). Not sure how he manages to get away with that .. but he does. Any way the point I'm getting at is that if it's both the C.O.R.E. and firearms .. in two days ... they will only be covering the test questions and nothing else, so you're not going to come away with much in the way of knoweldge .. but you will have your Hunters number and or firearms license. If all you want is the certificaations and don't reaally care if you learn much .. the two day is the way to go .. if you actually want to "learn" and be both confident and competent with the content of the C.O.R.E. or firearms courses .... I would keep looking for someone else's course.
 
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