I have been invited to a hunt camp. I will not be hunting, no firearm, no licence. Am I allowed to go in the woods with a hunter? I will be wearing orange but no gun. Don't want to get into trouble with the COs. I will not push through the woods or help other hunters in their pursuit but I may help in recovering anything if needed.
Is this hunting?
- Thread starter Ed Smurf
- Start date
Each province has its own regulation for this sort of thing.
45ACPKING is giving you good advice.
In BC, there is a regulation concerning this.
I'm not sure how far it's intended to go, but if you accompany a licensed hunter on a hunt, even if you don't carry a rifle, a hunting license is required. I don't believe you need a tag, but I'm not sure. Lots of critters in BC are on the menu to hunt without tags, such as Bunnies.
I've never heard of it being enforced, and likely, it's something they throw at obvious law breakers.
45ACPKING is giving you good advice.
In BC, there is a regulation concerning this.
I'm not sure how far it's intended to go, but if you accompany a licensed hunter on a hunt, even if you don't carry a rifle, a hunting license is required. I don't believe you need a tag, but I'm not sure. Lots of critters in BC are on the menu to hunt without tags, such as Bunnies.
I've never heard of it being enforced, and likely, it's something they throw at obvious law breakers.
I remember when this was first brought in.
If you're assisting on a hunt, spotting game, maybe even helping to carry it out, it's assumed you're hunting and should have a license.
I've never heard of charges being laid, but I suspect it's something so they can charge people accompanying poachers?
If you're assisting on a hunt, spotting game, maybe even helping to carry it out, it's assumed you're hunting and should have a license.
I've never heard of charges being laid, but I suspect it's something so they can charge people accompanying poachers?
Yeahhhhh your interpretation is definitely wrong.
In BC the modifier that is important is the part that says “AND while in possession of a firearm; OR with the intent to capture an animal”.
Otherwise you are just out in the woods.
People can accompany a hunter and look for animals and help retrieve them all they want as long as they aren’t shooting at a game animal or chasing it with a butterfly net. Other provinces may vary however.
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In Alberta about 10 years ago we were pulled over by the CO on the way home from hunting when he spotted blood on the tailgate.
4 of us in the truck, all wearing camouflage 3 of us had tags and rifles and 1 fella without tags or a rifle. Just a long for the ride.
CO gave him a ticket for hunting without a license, Even though he had no gun and no tagged animal in the truck. Was always BS in my mind.
Should also add that we were pulled over in town on our way back home.
4 of us in the truck, all wearing camouflage 3 of us had tags and rifles and 1 fella without tags or a rifle. Just a long for the ride.
CO gave him a ticket for hunting without a license, Even though he had no gun and no tagged animal in the truck. Was always BS in my mind.
Should also add that we were pulled over in town on our way back home.
that's how i understand the BC regs too.
The Permit to Accompany that is availlable in BC is for non resident hunters who have registered with the BC Wild system, not for unlicensed companions along for the trip. The permit allows a non resident hunter to accompany a BC resident hunter for a designated time period for designated species which you denote on your applications when filling them out. The non resident hunter , if approved, then buys thier own tags , seperate from the host hunters tags and bag limits.
every province/territory has thier own regulations on the OP's question and I have no idea how things are done outside BC
When that regulation was first installed, "retreival" was part of "capturing"
I remember similar statements, and if you accompany a hunter, you're considered to be hunting was the way it was interpreted and declared as intent of the regulation.
That's another reason. It was set up to give hunters the opportunity to bypass "guided hunting" regulations for "specified situations"
- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
Ontario's current definition:
“hunting” includes,
(a) 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, or
(b) capturing or harassing wildlife,
except that “hunting” does not include,
(c) trapping, or
(d) lying in wait for, searching for, being on the trail of or pursuing wildlife for a purpose other than attempting to kill, injure, capture or harass it, unless the wildlife is killed, injured, captured or harassed as a result,
“hunting” includes,
(a) 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, or
(b) capturing or harassing wildlife,
except that “hunting” does not include,
(c) trapping, or
(d) lying in wait for, searching for, being on the trail of or pursuing wildlife for a purpose other than attempting to kill, injure, capture or harass it, unless the wildlife is killed, injured, captured or harassed as a result,
Whoa there!
“Hunting” is clearly defined in BC and probably elsewhere.
In BC, it’s
HUNT AND HUNTING - includes shooting at, attracting, searching for, chasing, pursuing, following after or
on the trail of, stalking, or lying in wait for wildlife or attempting to do any of those things, whether or not the wildlife is then or subsequently wounded, killed or captured:
(a) with intention to capture the wildlife, or
(b) while in possession of a firearm or other weapon.
The critical part is a and b. And crucially, b.
Since we are not talking about “capture” here, only B applies, and no “weapon” possession means no hunting.
Imagine a world where no one could accompany a hunter unless they had a license, especially given the requirements there, including age and CORE qualification.
I have a friend up here that when stoped/checked by CO’s unless he has an animal, he always tell them he ain’t hunting, even if he has a gun and tags on him, they ask him all kind of questions like how’s the hunting ? He respond not hunting. They ask why do you carry a gun? I like to shoot. Did you see any games? No. Etc etc
I like that guy!
Up here you are allowed to carry a firearm all year around and you don’t need hunting license and tags to do so!
I like that guy!
Up here you are allowed to carry a firearm all year around and you don’t need hunting license and tags to do so!
Although I always take stories like this with a grain of salt,
But if true, I hope that ticket was disputed.
For a variety of reasons.
Simply put, and assuming the subject of the story did not confess to borrowing a weapon and engaging in hunting, there is literally no way to substantiate the elements of that offence.
Also, that CO was an A$$hole and needed to stand up in front of a judge and face the music for his/her dooshiness.
