Hunting in Alberta -PAL ?

A

Adrian J Hare

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Guys, I got into a conversation with a fellow about hunting in Alberta and both of us wondered if the guys hunting out there need or has to carry a POL/Pal with their firearms ?

Theres been so many angles about this I was not sure one way or the other..

Thanks guys
 
You should carry your PAL wherever you are hunting,Provincial Game Wardens will likely not ask to see it,but any RCMP Constable will,and in BC we have game checks on occasion that are manned by both.I have my PAL and Registration certificates with me whenever I'm carrying a rifle or shotgun,range,hunting whatever. Mur
 
I was stopped 3 different times this season and not once did the Fish and wildlife officer ask for my PAL. Now when I got pulled over by the RCMP something about bloody hand prints on the tailgate of my truck. He did ask to see my PAL because I had my .270 in the truck and a deer in the bed of my truck hence the bloody prints.

It is just easier to have the paperwork handy than not have it. I would rather have it and not need it than not have it and need it.
 
i never carry registration certificates with me when i'm hunting or going to the range. but i do carry my PAL , if they want to check if it's registered i figure they can phone miramachi. that's what they're there for isn't it?

not sure that you need to carry your reg certificates, but i'll check it out .
 
I've been stopped three times hunting south of Fort Mac, and not once was I asked for my PAL or certs. Just hunting license and WIN card. He did want a close look at my T/C Encore though..he thought it was cool.
 
hornhead said:
not sure that you need to carry your reg certificates, but i'll check it out .
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The short answer is, yes, you need to have the registration cert with you as well as your licence.

91. (1) Subject to subsections (4) and (5), every person commits an offence who possesses a firearm without being the holder of

(a) a licence under which the person may possess it; and

(b) a registration certificate for the firearm.
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From here: http://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/C-46/page-3.html#anchorbo-ga:l_III-gb:s_88

The current amnesty means that you will not face charges if you don't have the cert, but the LEO can still seize the firearm and hold it until you produce a cert for it. If you are somewhere on a multi-day hunt, having your rifle seized would ruin your day, me thinks.

My limited experiences with Alberta CO's is that they don't care much about your firearms paperwork, but they will go through your hunting paperwork with a fine toothed comb. I have not had to deal with an RCMP officer while out hunting, so I have no personal experience on that one.

Mark
 
hornhead said:
i never carry registration certificates with me when i'm hunting or going to the range. but i do carry my PAL , if they want to check if it's registered i figure they can phone miramachi. that's what they're there for isn't it?

not sure that you need to carry your reg certificates, but i'll check it out .
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We are supposed to carry reg certs all the time with the firearms, whether hunting or going to the range. Its a federal law, not provincial.

Tazzy said:
I've been stopped three times hunting south of Fort Mac, and not once was I asked for my PAL or certs. Just hunting license and WIN card. He did want a close look at my T/C Encore though..he thought it was cool.
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I have never been asked either, but doesn't mean it won't/can't happen, and I'd rather be prepared than have them take my rifle until I can prove they are mine. Puts a damper on your hunt.

Its more likely to be the police that ask, not a CO. Sometimes around here they travel together. The CO covers fish and game laws, and the OPP will check firearms and traffic violations, and check for booze.
 
While the law is federal, I have never been asked for a PAL by any LEO in AB yet. CO's will never ask.

I live in nothern rural Alberta, and I bet at least 1/3 of hunters have no PAL or POL and/or are using an unregistered firearm. I am not saying the RCMP are not concerned, but setting up a checkstop at any popular moose hunting road would guarantee 20 charges on a Saturday--and it hasn't happened yet.

I have told the story before, I was at the range one day, maybe a dozen guys there. An RCMP cruiser pulled in with a uniformed member planning to shoot his duty shotgun. 3/4 of the guys there cased their guns at the sight of the cuiser and stopped shooting and wouldn't shoot in front of him. I wonder why?

Again, wouldn't take much effort on the part of the RCMP to lay a lot of charges. But, they choose not to, so it does seem like the law is not being enforced.
 
riden said:
While the law is federal, I have never been asked for a PAL by any LEO in AB yet. CO's will never ask.

I live in nothern rural Alberta, and I bet at least 1/3 of hunters have no PAL or POL and/or are using an unregistered firearm. I am not saying the RCMP are not concerned, but setting up a checkstop at any popular moose hunting road would guarantee 20 charges on a Saturday--and it hasn't happened yet.

I have told the story before, I was at the range one day, maybe a dozen guys there. An RCMP cruiser pulled in with a uniformed member planning to shoot his duty shotgun. 3/4 of the guys there cased their guns at the sight of the cuiser and stopped shooting and wouldn't shoot in front of him. I wonder why?

Again, wouldn't take much effort on the part of the RCMP to lay a lot of charges. But, they choose not to, so it does seem like the law is not being enforced.
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Same thing in Sask.

To much awesomeness in AB and SK for bullshoit i guess :D
 
riden said:
Again, wouldn't take much effort on the part of the RCMP to lay a lot of charges. But, they choose not to, so it does seem like the law is not being enforced.
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hillmanr2 said:
Same thing in Sask.

To much awesomeness in AB and SK for bullshoit i guess :D
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I have been told that the lack of enforcement of C-68 paper offences is due to Alberta's court challenge of the law and losing it. When the case was lost, the government said "Fine, we are simply not going to bother enforcing these laws" as a f**k you gesture to the federal Libs.

That said, I have also heard of two people (never firsthand, always a friend of a friend deal) who claim to have went through hunting checks where they were asked for their firearms paperwork. Both were in the last couple of seasons.

riden said:
YA, I can see where a lot of people would be telling the OP, these laws don't apply.
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Assuming that is a dangerous game. While the enforcement may be very selective and sporadic at most, the laws are federal and carry significant penalties in some cases. YMMV, however.

As riden says, many of the hunters in Alberta have neither license nor registration certs and get away with it for years. While I don't know many guys who aren't licensed, I do know a lot of hunters (not gun enthusiasts, just people who use guns to hunt) whose guns are all unregistered and they couldn't give a lesser s**t about gun laws imposed by eastern politicians and the much hated Liberal party.

Mark
 
blargon said:
We are supposed to carry reg certs all the time with the firearms, whether hunting or going to the range. Its a federal law, not provincial.
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If you really want to get technical about the details of the law, it says you must posess registration certificates for all the firearms you own, but then does not define possession to mean that the certificate must be with the firearm at all times. Only restricted/prohibited guns must have the cerificate with them.

I can "possess" the certificates at home for non resitrcteds, and it doesn't affect the guns at all. A LEO who wishes to be a PITA can seize your gun if you don't provide it, but has to give it back as soon as you produce it. He has to wait 14 days before he can go before a court to try and dispose of it if you fail to reclaim it before then.

I find keeping extra paperwork with me to be a pain, hence I choose not to carry the certificate with me when I am out and about with any of my non resitrcted guns. They can look it up in the fancy over priced computer system we paid for , or they can seize it and I'll meet them at the station before they hardly get back there to reclaim it. or they can do as most do, and not bother worrying about a useless piece of paper.
 
mmattockx said:
I have been told that the lack of enforcement of C-68 paper offences is due to Alberta's court challenge of the law and losing it. When the case was lost, the government said "Fine, we are simply not going to bother enforcing these laws" as a f**k you gesture to the federal Libs.

That said, I have also heard of two people (never firsthand, always a friend of a friend deal) who claim to have went through hunting checks where they were asked for their firearms paperwork. Both were in the last couple of seasons.
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I was told first hand by the CFO of southern Alberta that when Klein made that promise he was blowing smoke that C 68 would not be upheld in AB and that no gov't official can authorize what parts of the criminal code are enforced and what are not. That does make sense too.While it appears you are right, I think LEO 's just have bigger fish to fry than chasing guys that are just breaking paper laws. But who knows for sure?

I have met two people who say CO's have asked for PALs, they are both native and I assumed the CO's were just hassling them.
 
Pal and gun registration is a must. Honestly I was never asked for that, just for hunting permit but it is a Federal Law so it is a must
 
I have not had to deal with an RCMP officer while out hunting, so I have no personal experience on that one.
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I have been stopped at a checkstop,where both the RCMP,and F&W were present,and the RCMP asked to see my PAL,and the registration certificates.F&W just checked for licenses and for tags on animals.
 
TimberPig said:
I find keeping extra paperwork with me to be a pain, hence I choose not to carry the certificate with me when I am out and about with any of my non resitrcted guns.
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I have laminated copies of my certs, and carry one in my wallet for the matching rifle I'm using that day.

Not that I agree with these stupid laws, I just try to avoid having my day ruined.
 
riden said:
While the law is federal, I have never been asked for a PAL by any LEO in AB yet. CO's will never ask.

I live in nothern rural Alberta, and I bet at least 1/3 of hunters have no PAL or POL and/or are using an unregistered firearm. I am not saying the RCMP are not concerned, but setting up a checkstop at any popular moose hunting road would guarantee 20 charges on a Saturday--and it hasn't happened yet.

I have told the story before, I was at the range one day, maybe a dozen guys there. An RCMP cruiser pulled in with a uniformed member planning to shoot his duty shotgun. 3/4 of the guys there cased their guns at the sight of the cuiser and stopped shooting and wouldn't shoot in front of him. I wonder why?

Again, wouldn't take much effort on the part of the RCMP to lay a lot of charges. But, they choose not to, so it does seem like the law is not being enforced.
Click to expand...

go figure, I guess the police have better things to do then harass people over paper crimes. And if they did they would loose what respect they have left and then have to deal with a whole lot of pissed off people that would normally help the police.

I don't carry any firearm registration papers when hunting, just my PAL and hunting licences.
 
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