Carrying Rifle While Scouting?

hansol

hansol

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Hey guys,

I'm just wondering if you guys take your rifles out with you when you are doing pre-season scouting through crown land?

I've always been curious about this, as my experience with the Fish cops are that they are dicks, and wouldn't have an issue charging you for "poaching" even though you are walking in grizz country scouting for elk, and just wanted to be safe.

That being said, I wanted to get other peoples' experiences and opinions on the matter before I proceed with anything. Cheers!
 
Carry some targets in your backpack and you're out for a walk in the woods and maybe a sight-in with your rifle. I love carrying with me, and there's no reason why you can't.

If they want to be a ####, they'll try. That's a risk you have to take, and so far it's ok for me. One of our hiking routes had a grizzly attack that ended up in the griz biting through a can of bearspray last year, so I'm carrying regardless of how a fish cop looks at me.

If I was dressed in camo with a tarp, ropes, calls, corn, and bags, maybe I'd be more likely to be in trouble...
 
The officer has to decide whether he thinks you are hunting illegally or not. That's his job and doesn't automatically make him a ####.

You need a good reason for carrying. Protection might be a valid reason in some areas. Target shooting may work. You'll need to explain why you hiked in 2 miles to target shoot instead of doing it 100 yards off the road.

Wearing a hunting/skinning knife and camouflage probably works against you.

Bottom line - carrying a hunting rifle in a hunting area out of season is enough to get you charged for poaching. Use discretion. Nobody comes looking for you if they don't know you're there.
 
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I carry any time i'm in the woods, tracking or not. there is no reason why i'm not allowed, the only problem i ever had was after i showed my license and then gave the "Status Card" issued to us by "Indian Affairs". I get the jealous C.O's, and at that point they have no control over me.

As i am a Substance Hunter for the Elders in my Community, there is a few of us with no seasons. As long as we are sure 1. there are not pregnant, 2. we know that they won't spoil. and 3. there is a need for the food.

I even get bullets issued to me from the Queen as per one of the treaties, that we signed with the crown.

for the most part we hunt on private land.
 
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what kind of crap are those rules , i live in kamloops b.c. an i carry my guide gun regularly on any trips to the bush, fishing scouting etc,i wonder,, just because you have a rifle doesnt make you a poacher, you must shoot something out of season to qualify, wade
 
There is no closed season for rabbits, hares and ground squirrels (and a whole list of other critters) in Alberta. No expectation of meat salvage from them either. SO carrying a .308 while scouting so that you might have something to swat at rabbits or gophers with is legal. Don't bring protection into the debate at all.

And yes, I always have a gun with me in the back country. Been checked by the Fish Cops too. Never a problem.
 
In Quebec, you are not allowed to target shoot on any land other than a recognized range. If you wanna carry a shotty or rifle in the woods, get a small-game license which will validate your carrying of a firearm.

Yeah, it DOES suck!
 
I always carry a rifle, usually my .30-30 when I'm in the mountains. It doesn't matter if I'm there to scout, fish, camp or just go for a walk. If I'm at a drive to lake it'll stay in the trunk, otherwise it comes with me. Yeah, I do have it for protection, but from lot's of things. Anything can happen out there. The weather can go from 0 to ##### in record time and you could easily get turned around. That means lost. I'd rather be lost with a rifle then without. There's bears that live there, lions too. I've never really had to worry about them, but it beats the Hell out of carrying a can of pepperspray, which treehumpers carry anyways whether or not they need to. I've never bumped into a CO in the bush, but I have at popular fishing spots and they have always been nice guys in general, I don't think they would be at all dinkish if I had bumped into them in the thick stuff. I did however have an encounter once with some holier than thou horseback riding folk who were convinced I was going to end up shooting them just because they saw the rifle. They gave me a wide girth after that. :rolleyes:
 
I've never used a firearm for defence, probably never will. But if the situation does come up i'd rather have it with me, not back at home in a safe.

I live in northern ontario (tons of black bears) CO for my area told me face to face if your cought with a firearm for defence you'll be charged. My firearm is for target practice, cause in bear country you never know when you might want to shoot some targets;)
 
Jimbobob08 said:
I live in northern ontario (tons of black bears) CO for my area told me face to face if your cought with a firearm for defence you'll be charged.
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Yet another reason for me to keep the great buffer of Saskatchewan and Manitoba between me and Ontario. :rolleyes:

How in the Hell can they charge you and for what? Do the fishcops in Ontario carry a pistol and keep a rifle in the truck? Why do they carry those?
 
We have no restrictions here on carrying guns at anytime of year, so being a gun guy, when I'm out wandering around I'll always have one. When I know white bears are around it'll be my .375, a 12 gauge, and/or a .44, the other times it will be an '06 and/or a .357.
 
Scouting is hunting under the regulations. wether you have a gun or not is inmaterial. You probably wont be convicted but you may be charged.

Question is can you afford to be charged.

I asked a MNR guy if preseason scouting is considered hunting he said it could be......
From the regs...


HUNTING:
Includes lying in wait for, searching for, being on the trail of, pursuing,
chasing or shooting at wildlife, whether or not the wildlife is killed,
injured, captured or harassed. You need a hunting licence to do any of
these things, except where the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act states
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otherwise.
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One time in the summer wife and I were going on a quad trip in mountainous country. Drove to the end of decent road, unloaded quad from truck and prepared to go up a little trail.
There were some other people there in a vehicle and when I put my short barreled 303 on the quad rack, a man came over and said, "What are you hunting?"
I told him, "Nothing, just insurance against anything that may want to hunt us."
I always take a rifle with me in the bush and never make any false claims of why I do it.
 
Holy smokes, lots of discussion for sure.

I wish it wasn't so complicated half the time. Maybe it's best to phone/fax the fish cops and get something in writing as to where they stand on the issue?
 
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