Farm Defense Gun

No, this is incorrect.

Granted, plenty of farmers leave loaded guns in closets or barns, but these is absolutely no legal exception made for farmers.
By law, they are supposed to store their guns like everyone else does.

To the OP, unless you live in bear country, a light varmint cartridge should be sufficient for your needs.
Off the top of my head, I would list the .22lr .17 HMR, .22 magnum, and .223 rem as ideal rifle cartridges for around the barnyard.

If you're in a situation where you will be shooting predators at longer range (a couple hundred yards out in a pasture), slightly more powerful varmint cartridges like .223 Rem, .243 Win, and .270 might fit the bill. My dad's cartridge of choice for coyotes in the hay field is a 25-06, and it has worked very well for him. It's a bit overkill for shooting raccoons in the chicken coop though.

This. Specifically the part about zero exceptions for farmers. That was some bad info.
 
Somewhat correct. If a non-restricted fireatm is to be used for predator control, it is permitted to remain unlocked and out in the open so long as it is unloaded and ammunition is not readily accessible.

There is also a stipulation that allows a non-restricted firearm to remain out in the open, unlocked and with ammunition readily accessible in remote areas where hunting might reasonably occur
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this is what I've always understood to be true, and do practice it on a regular ongoing bases.
 
Traditional farm "defense" around here always involved a Cooey 12 gauge single. Rusted, of course, with a cracked stock.

Mines a marlin 35rem that occasionally gets put on a wire wheel to take the rust off lol.

I recently inherited one of those guns and I have to point out that both of you have omitted an almost universal and important detail, specifically the black hockey tape wrapped around the barrel and the foreend to hold it in place. And the fact that the hard rubber butt piece dried out around 1930, broke in 1938, and is half missing. Mine is also missing the firing pin, but I expect that is peculiar to mine alone. My father used to claim he knew what pond it's in. And if yours have the bead sight still in place and not just a little empty hole where it used to be, well you're darned lucky that's all I can say.
 
My uncle uses a Rem 788 .243. It was kept in close reach in the house in case a coyote or anything really was trying to get in the barn. Nail ground hogs 300 yards away and make them do tricks, Or put down a cow or horse.
 
STORAGE OF NON-RESTRICTED FIREARMS

5. (1) An individual may store a non-restricted firearm only if
(a) it is unloaded;
(b) it is
(i) rendered inoperable by means of a secure locking device,
(ii) rendered inoperable by the removal of the bolt or bolt-carrier, or
(iii) stored in a container, receptacle or room that is kept securely locked and that is constructed so that it cannot readily be broken open or into; and
(c) it is not readily accessible to ammunition, unless the ammunition is stored, together with or separately from the firearm, in a container or receptacle that is kept securely locked and that is constructed so that it cannot readily be broken open or into.
(2) Paragraph (1)(b) does not apply to any individual who stores a non-restricted firearm temporarily if the individual reasonably requires it for the control of predators or other animals in a place where it may be discharged in accordance with all applicable Acts of Parliament and of the legislature of a province, regulations made under such Acts, and municipal by-laws.
(3) Paragraphs (1)(b) and (c) do not apply to an individual who stores a non-restricted firearm in a location that is in a remote wilderness area that is not subject to any visible or otherwise reasonably ascertainable use incompatible with hunting.

It also does not strictly specify "predators" but "predators or other animals". A gopher could be an "other" animal, but it's not immediately dangerous at all......unless you trip in a gopher hole and fall down and happen to get bit by one.

Also, some of the firearms safety courses don't inform people properly. The RCMP site seems to think that all non-restricteds need to be locked at all times (or I'm blind and didn't see the exceptions as stated in the FA) and I recently got into an argument over this with one of my brothers who had recently taken the safety course. He was insisting that every last one of my guns needs to be locked up at all times unless I'm using them, I told him he was misinformed but he wouldn't believe me because the course told him otherwise of what the FA states.

All that being said......I think the layout of a person's yard helps determine the best choice, obviously I don't want to be blasting off a 30-30 with buildings in the background, but maybe the 12 gauge with bird shot won't harm anything. If buildings aren't the issue, and in the area I live, my 17HMR is actually my "go-to" for pests and such. Not overly loud, but decent range and damn fine accuracy.
 
I would anticipate more than most threats threats would arise during periods of darkness.
Without sounding like a tactifool my choice would be a pump shotgun full of 00 buck with a high lumen light affixed to it.
 
And this exception, this specifically pertains to farmers? If so, I apologize for my error, that is totally new information to me.
Learn something new every day...

Well, you were correct in that there is no exception specifically for farmers. The same exceptions in the FA apply equally to anyone who meets the conditions.


Found it:

(2) Paragraph (1)(b) does not apply to any individual who stores a non-restricted firearm temporarily if the individual reasonably requires it for the control of predators or other animals in a place where it may be discharged in accordance with all applicable Acts of Parliament and of the legislature of a province, regulations made under such Acts, and municipal by-laws.

Dang, I never read that before, interesting...

What defines "temporarily" in regards to storing? Tucking a gun behind the coat rack for an hour? a day? a week?


Except for those terms specifically defined in the law itself, the law is intentionally written to be non-definitive so that interpretations can be weighed against a variety of real life circumstances.

For instance, in one legal case a pharmacist kept a loaded firearm in the corner at the back of his store. After an incident where he used the firearm in defense during a robbery, he was charged in relation to his 'improper' storage, and successfully defeated the charges. His defense was built around the idea that because the firearm was 'in use' for self defense, it wasn't in storage at all. If it wasn't in storage, then it couldn't be improperly stored. So sometimes non-definitive laws also work in a person's favor. R. vs Bowskill.

From the NFA site...

R v. Bowskill -- A lawyer called the National Firearms Association and asked if we could suggest any defence for an Ontario druggist who kept a loaded shotgun in the back room, and who had been charged with improper storage. David Tomlinson, the National Firearms Association's Legal Chairman advised the lawyer on how to proceed. The counsel agreed, with what Tomlinson suggested -- and so did the judge. The shotgun was not in storage -- it was in use for personal protection. Bowskill was found innocent.

Presumably, if you were out in the country where you could fire the gun, and kept a loaded firearm for predator defense, you could use the same defense, despite the fact that the storage regulations specifically state the firearm must be unloaded.
 
Traditional farm "defense" around here always involved a Cooey 12 gauge single. Rusted, of course, with a cracked stock.

Mines a marlin 35rem that occasionally gets put on a wire wheel to take the rust off lol.

Well, you were correct in that there is no exception specifically for farmers. The same exceptions in the FA apply equally to anyone who meets the conditions.


Except for those terms specifically defined in the law itself, the law is intentionally written to be non-definitive so that interpretations can be weighed against a variety of real life circumstances.

For instance, in one legal case a pharmacist kept a loaded firearm in the corner at the back of his store. After an incident where he used the firearm in defense during a robbery, he was charged in relation to his 'improper' storage, and successfully defeated the charges. His defense was built around the idea that because the firearm was 'in use' for self defense, it wasn't in storage at all. If it wasn't in storage, then it couldn't be improperly stored. So sometimes non-definitive laws also work in a person's favor. R. vs Bowskill.

From the NFA site...



Presumably, if you were out in the country where you could fire the gun, and kept a loaded firearm for predator defense, you could use the same defense, despite the fact that the storage regulations specifically state the firearm must be unloaded.

I hope it'll work for the numbers of farmers I know or have heard of that keep a loaded firearm handy. When you're already working in one of the world's most dangerous professions, the hazard of a loaded shotgun hidden in the doorway of the barn may not seem as serious as some would have it.
 
I would anticipate more than most threats threats would arise during periods of darkness.
Without sounding like a tactifool my choice would be a pump shotgun full of 00 buck with a high lumen light affixed to it.

Actually, now that I think about it, a flashlight attachment would be a fantastic addition to a farm gun.
Much better than trying to fumble around at night with a light in one hand and a gun in the other.
 
My paintball gun has been effective at scaring a few small pests away with no return. Haven't actually hit any of them, just send a burst of shots close and watch them run.

Has anyone considered a pistol caliber carbine on nuisance predators/pests?
 
My paintball gun has been effective at scaring a few small pests away with no return. Haven't actually hit any of them, just send a burst of shots close and watch them run.

Has anyone considered a pistol caliber carbine on nuisance predators/pests?


Yes friend on mine uses one, just about perfect... has a flashlight attached, keeps mag close. .. only single issue is that its a semi.... have to watch shooting around hay or in dry barns. Plus picking up brass in thick spots is a pain
 
12 gauge and #4 shot.


Thats what i keep handy. when the sun starts to set, i take the trigger lock off the 12g. before i got to work in the AM, the trigger lock goes back on. i figured thats about the best way to prevent a charge. I'm positive that if required i could defend a charge of unsafe storage this way. Although im not a lawyer
 
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