I've had heard of this happening here in Alberta, you would think that common sense should tell the fish #### that those are not the droids he is looking for.
Is this hunting?
- Thread starter Ed Smurf
- Start date
found out very quickly after the fact that he was a very well known A hole, even others who worked with him had issues. I'm not sure if he fought it or payed it to be honest. When I see him again I'll ask. It wasn't a pleasant experience at all.
milkbone96
Member
- Location
- Southern shores of Georgian Bay
Carry a camera...
no, wildlife photographers do not need a hunting license in BC..... not sure about other provinces....... unless they are also carrying a weapon during an open hunting season.
A life long friend of mine is a wildlife and underwater photographer and he did get his CORE so he could carry a firearm during his adventures on the land. Reason being is that if you are pursuing wildlife "for any reason" in BC and you have a weapon with you , even if it is simply for self defense against bears ect, the law considers you a hunter.
The key is the weapon or lack thereof. In BC , if you are on the land during an open hunting season with a firearm , the CO will interpret that as hunting unless you can prove otherwise. Have been in that very situation more than once while target shooting on crown land in september and had not purchased any licenses or tags yet. It was obvious what we were doing with targets and shooting table set up and zero "hunting gear" present. However, if you are actively pursuing game with a camera for photgraphy purposes "and" you are carrying a firearm (for any reason) , the law says you are a hunter. Carry bear spray instead of a firearm and the law says you are not a hunter.
Years ago when we were first married, I had my new wife accompany myself on a morning whitetail hunt. She was dressed in full camo, no license, no tags, no rifle.
On the way out late morning we ran across some CO's that quickly pulled us over to check things out. After checking me and my rifle they asked about my wife. I told them she was just along for the ride. They chuckled and went merrily along their way, and we headed out home.
NO problems, no further questions.
This was in BC, and things have NOT changed since then 27 years ago, besides how the CO's check your license.
When kids are along, same thing, no issue, no questions, unless they seem old enough to possibly have tags, or are clearly carrying a rifle.
On the way out late morning we ran across some CO's that quickly pulled us over to check things out. After checking me and my rifle they asked about my wife. I told them she was just along for the ride. They chuckled and went merrily along their way, and we headed out home.
NO problems, no further questions.
This was in BC, and things have NOT changed since then 27 years ago, besides how the CO's check your license.
When kids are along, same thing, no issue, no questions, unless they seem old enough to possibly have tags, or are clearly carrying a rifle.
I do actually recall an encounter with CO's up in the east harrison that rolled into our camp up near cogburn creek . I was the only person in the group that was hunting. My other friends were just camping for the weekend and shooting skeet with a hand thrower over the river gravels when the CO truck pulled in. Everything was on the up and up and the usual license checks and the COs didn't read anything more into it.
Since i moved to 100 mile, I've been checked by COs 4 times while target shooting/sighting in rifles on crown in and around hunting season and once by 2 rcmp trucks way out past Canim Lake. That was when having M14 type rifles and a GM6 Lynx 50 cal and shooting them on crown land was a perfectly legal and very Canadian thing to do waaaayyyy out in the bush with a mountain backstop at 1100 yards LOL Was an innteresting encounter but again, with everything on the up and up, what are they really going to do?
Around here lots of folks are out on crown land cutting firewood for the winter and bring friends or family along to help and you can bet the deer rifle will be in the truck and not everyone on board will be a hunter necessarily.
BC seems fairly reasonable surprisingly but every region of this country likes to tweak it to thier comfort level. I was watching some US game warden show the other night and guys were getting 175.00 fines just for having rifles uncased in thier vehicles and another guy was uncased and a live round still in the chamber of his shotgun in the rear cab of his truck...... here the sky would fall but there..... a roadside ticket and fine LOL
At least here in BC we don't have the "rifle must be cased" rules and we don't have mandatory orange clothing rules and no hunting on sunday rules LOL
This is how Alberta law is written. I don't think you need a tag unless you want to carry a firearm.
Yep, that is the law. CO certainly was a d!ck about it.
Alberta law says if you are with a hunting party you are participating in a hunt and need a license, whether you are carrying a gun or not. The guy could probably have fought that ticket in court, but you never know how that will go.
Agreed.
No, it's not. Every province has their own game regs and this will be defined there. OP should take 45ACPKING's advice and call his local CO office for the rules in his province.
Mark
So in Alberta,
You can’t take your kids hunting?
You can’t introduce an aspiring hinter to the sport?
They have to be a hunter already?
So in Alberta, do eggs have to be chickens before they hatch ?
there is no assumptions here. BC laws are clearly written as I'm sure are other jurisdictions.
First you look in the hunting regs for general stuff, then you go look at your jurisdiction's actual wildlife act and firearms laws (provincial) 99.9% of the time if a person looks to these resources instead of social media or google AI, they will find reasonably clear answers to thier questions. Failing that, a call or email to the ministry will certainly clear up anyone's confusions or misconceptions...... or assumptions
lol 
If this is true that CO should be sh’t Kicked . JMO
Short answer is no, not for big game. Legally, anyway.
When my kids were young they needed to be 12 to get a big game license. Now it is 10.
I argued with a CO about this when my kids were under 12 and he was adamant they had to have a license or it was unlicensed hunting, regardless of age. I took mine anyway and figured I would go to the media if I ever got a ticket for it. Never saw a CO while my kids were under 12, so it wasn't an issue in the end.
For game birds kids under 10 can hunt without a license as long as they are supervised by an adult. At 10 they have to get a license like everyone else.
To take a new guy out he would need to do the hunter safety course and buy a wildlife certificate (hunting license) in order to accompany me.
Again, this is the legal requirement. What people do in reality may differ.
You would have to ask the government, nobody asked me before they made the rules.
Mark
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The advice to “call your provincial department and ask” is ridiculous. The officer who pulls up on the side of the road while you’re unloading gear or hauling out an animal is not going to believe you, care or change his opinion if you say you called the phone number and asked. They hear that all the time. An email response might be better but probably only if he recognizes the name at the bottom.
I got stopped and accused of trespassing by opp once while hunting on private land. I said “I know the owner ————- and he gave me permission”. The cop said the owner called 911. I called my friend who owned the property and he explained it to the cop. Turns out some random person who lived way down the road was against hunting and thought it belonged to someone else (apparently). If I hadn’t been able to get the owner on the phone I would have had to go to court to fight it. The cop literally said to me “sorry about the confusion, we hear that all the time”.
Personally I think you’d be okay but I’m not a Quebec hunter nor a lawyer.
I got stopped and accused of trespassing by opp once while hunting on private land. I said “I know the owner ————- and he gave me permission”. The cop said the owner called 911. I called my friend who owned the property and he explained it to the cop. Turns out some random person who lived way down the road was against hunting and thought it belonged to someone else (apparently). If I hadn’t been able to get the owner on the phone I would have had to go to court to fight it. The cop literally said to me “sorry about the confusion, we hear that all the time”.
Personally I think you’d be okay but I’m not a Quebec hunter nor a lawyer.
Took mine a few times when they were young. Went through a checkstop with mounties and fish cops on the way out. They never said anything about the kids. - dan
We asked a local CO. We asked two other departments seperate from our local one. Got emails. If I don’t actively participate in pursuingthe game I cannot be charged. Once on the ground I can help pack it out.
Also if I was out in hunting season with a gun they would have to see me “hunt” something to be able to charge me. If the CO at a check stop gave me a ticket I would let him know he will see me in court. If I was hunting then I would say I was cuz I’m not a poacher and have nothing to hide. Talk to the CO’s and learn what they consider hunting.
Also if I was out in hunting season with a gun they would have to see me “hunt” something to be able to charge me. If the CO at a check stop gave me a ticket I would let him know he will see me in court. If I was hunting then I would say I was cuz I’m not a poacher and have nothing to hide. Talk to the CO’s and learn what they consider hunting.
Hand Skills
CGN Regular
- Location
- In the 'heartland', southern SK
You might want to look at the Saskatchewan regs
Apparently there have been problems in the past with 'party' hunting, so legislation was introduced to curb that.
Now our home province each member of a hunting party must have their own license
Sadly, I do not have to imagine
Sure makes it more difficult to mentor new hunters....
look at your provinces definition of hunting in the hunting regulations.
I remember my grandfather telling me when he was a kid during the depression his neighbour was a game warden a mean sob of a game warden at that. Apparently one day he went to work never to be seen or heard of ever again. I can only imagine he caught someone takeing game to feed his starving family and the incident did not go in his favourIf this is true that CO should be sh’t Kicked . JMO
