Crown Land Question / Chilliwack Bylaws

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DougPeach

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Wainwright Alberta
So, I ran into some RCMP today and got a chance to play the part of friendly firearms enthusiast.

While up Chipmunk Creek Forest Service Road in Chilliwack off of Chilliwack Lake Rd we were shooting some shotgun and .22 when all of the sudden some officers showed up on quads. I made the gun safe and placed it on the ground before approaching and asked what the problem was.

The officer noted we had a safe backdrop, were picking up our spent casings, were shooting safely with an informal firing line and informed me that I was firing in a no discharge area.

Now I found this really surprising, seeing as the roadway and many campsites on the way to where we were shooting were literally littered with casings. Not to mention I had been to that particular spot with my stepdad shooting for years.

They ran my pal, and driver's liscence, asked if we had been drinking (wtf?) And the older officer asked me who owned the guns, when I told him I did he responded with, "there are no firearms registered under this liscence"
I told him I didn't have to register them and he looked confused for a moment until I mentioned bill C-19 and them being long arms. They tried to play it off like a joke (not that I was upset, can't expect them to know every law) that they weren't just about to slap me with a criminal firearms charge.

The officer that asked me about my registration handed me a warning for illegal discharge of firearms (325$?) And informed me that I had to be "400 meters" from any road or trail (REALLY?), paved or not in order to discharge my firearm.

Now that my story is done, here is my question:
WTF, 400 meters? I checked with the hunting regs (for good measure) and it showed the area as single shot rifle or shot permitted for hunting, and then checked the chilliwack bylaws and found only that some areas of the city were no discharge zones, I did hear mention of 150meters from a public highway somewhere, what is the actual law in regards to this? Why have I never heard about it? If that were a chilliwack bylaw, does it apply to crown land?

I wanted to add that the wtfs and really's were just to show you how shocked I was, not pissed. Also, the LEOs I spoke with today were doing a terrific job, and I honestly felt bad for taking up their time.
 
Wating for bylaw office to call me back with the EXACT specs on this.

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wildlife/hunting/regulations/1214/docs/region_2.pdf

No shooting within 400 meters of Trans Canada highway. Maps B2-B3-B4

Along the stretches near the prison 800 meters, between the Indian reservation to chilliwack lake are shot only.

Now when you look at the link http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wildlife/hunting/regulations/docs/FVSAH2011Web.pdf

General statement is that single projectiles are A-OK all along that area, confusion made on purpose.

I'll post back when the bylaw officer gives me the full low down on all the FSR's, I shoot out that way a LOT and don't want to have same issue you are.
 
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FTR; no ticket issued, I complied and was very polite, they just wrote it down on a traffic ticket, scrawled WARNING across it and I packed up my things and left. I totally should have called CFO / CFC to verify. Will do after work.

I was technically on foley service road after reading the ticket again, and I was approx 2.8k up said road. Far ways away from both the prison and the hwy, however! I have noticed that the legal definition of a highway is any publicly accessible road, trail, path, bridge or walkway that is currently open to the public.

Man that made me sweat bullets though when they were running my PAL, I am a law abiding citizen (unless by accident as in this case) and a gun safety fanatic at times but the image of confiscation and court battles and possibly a criminal record (breaking by discharge bylaws is up to 20,000$ fine and or jail time if I recall) was terrifying.

Please keep me posted with your findings I appreciate your help! :)
 
In Ottawa it's 400 meters from any bike path, stream, road, dwelling, etc. Basically you have to be in the center of a square KM of nothing. But it is all very clearly laid out in the discharge bylaws. I was surprised that it was so clearly printed.

Don't know about how it's written in Chilliwack, though.
 
Wow USELESS...........CHWK city hall has no idea on any of the firearms regulations/ect and I'm awaiting call back from FVRD bylaws office themselves.

I will get my legal answers one way or another.

Gotta love how our info PDF's over here are CORRUPTED and incomplete.....
 
OK forum has stopped glitching, I've made contact with the Ministry Of Forest, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. (On top of lots of other organizations.)

Forest Service Roads are not paved or maintained regularly like PUBLIC roads are, discharge along them is permitted as long as you meet out of city limit regulations and no other postings restrict usage.

1 604 586 5650, you can call for yourself and confirm this statement.

I was told to be vigilant while out shooting and that unless an officer can PROVE there are restrictions they are blowing smoke out their asses.

UNLESS STATED ILLEGAL, DO AS YOU PLEASE is what I was told.
 
Woo-hoo, my (WTFs?) Weren't for nothing! These guys just wanted me to stop obviously and intimidated me into doing so, even so, I don't blame them. Just misinformed, it's our job to inform in this situation.

It feels like I just rediscovered shooting that area, was quite depressing to think I wouldn't be able to bring my kids there one day.

Thanks grove, for the pm and your help in this.

Also thanks for the hunting regs zoning. I found that too but as stated it didn't really apply to this area.

You guys rock,
Long live gun nutz!
 
I came across this post when searching for a place to go and sight in a rifle, and I live in Chilliwack.
For anyone going up Chilliwack lake Road, including FSR, firearms cannot be discharged within 800m of the centre of the road.
Once you reach where the road forks to a FSR on the left and Chilliwack Lake Park on the right, the FSR is only 400 metres, and only for the first few km.
There is very clear signage, including a map, on the right after you cross the Slesse Creek bridge.

Of course, if you are driving that far, why not just get a Fish and Game Club membership?
 
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