Night Shooting - Targets

Deltastone

Deltastone

CGN Regular
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Location
East York, Ontario
Hi guys!

While I am aware of the fact that hunting at night is illegal, unless you are specifically hunting raccoon's. I was wondering if target shooting at night is illegal.

I have seen many night shoots in the states, and the possibilities excite me. I have all the equipment necessary for such an endeavor(night vision, ir lasers/torches, ect), however I just can't seem to find out if it is legal or not. While it's fair to say that since night hunting is illegal, so should night shooting... But you never know until you ask.

Thanks for your input. If anyone confirms that this is possible, could you also provide me with a source that I may look at in depth? Thanks!

-Delta
 
Ranges usually follow a shoot until sun set rule for liability purposes or CFO directive

Crown land has restriction to sun down as well (mostly relating to hunting) in the regulations

Perhaps private land, town bylaw permitting?
 
ya know sometimes? I'd rather ask for forgiveness than permission, while taking precautions that my actions won't injure, kill, or impregnate?

And then sometimes I'd rather just play it safe and think of what everybody else would recommend as a course of action, and then I go home. Just saying.
 
Nothing against it as far as I know. Done both target shooting sessions with car headlights and also have set up lights shining on a target a few hundred yards away.
 
randas said:
Nothing against it as far as I know. Done both target shooting sessions with car headlights and also have set up lights shining on a target a few hundred yards away.
Click to expand...

It's starting to look that way. It doesn't seem like anyone has a clear answer on the subject. After some advisement, I also gave the CFO a call. I'll probably hear back from them Monday on the issue.

I'm really surprised no one has any experience on the matter. I can't be the first person to pose this question.
 
Did it many times, legally...then again it was while wearing a uniform and on various army bases around the world! France, Germany, Washington State, Ontarible...no idea on civie side.
 
I've never seen a mention of it other than being restricted
from hunting. I hear cutting glow sticks up, dumping in a spray bottle and soaking your clay pidgeons is great but I've yet to see this in person.

Clays are pretty luminescent as it is and I've shot many in the headlights in gravel pits, we've been saying one of these days we're going to bring out a generator and a couple halogen work lights.
 
There are absolutely many things I'd like to try, the glowstick suggestion being one of them. The primary reason I want to is I have a bunch of Gen 3 night vision, and it'd be nice to slap an IR laser on top and get some gun in with the green eye.

The Americans night shoots look absolutely spectacular. I'll put up some of the photographs from a shoot I found on one of the NVG forums later.
 
Our gun club sometimes shoot skeet under the lights. But just going out shooting at night might get you a pretty heavy fine.
Now New Years Eve could be a different story. Everybody I know was shooting after dark. It sounded like a war was going on.
 
Just want to revive this thread..... no one yet in this thread has said for sure if you can shoot after dark or not. Target shooting on rural private land in Alberta..... Does anyone have any reliable info on this?
 
I would say it's difficult to pull this off. I just took my PAL/RPAL course so I'm a newbie so take this for what it's worth. If we're talking about tactical training such as what they do in the US, ie low light training, then you're probably using Restricted Class firearms. In that case, you can only shoot them legally in approved shooting ranges. I don't think you can discharge a restricted anywhere else, so no Crown Land, no private property etc. As mentioned in an earlier post, most ranges have a sun-up to sunset rule. Maybe an indoor range that has a league, ie IPSC, that is willing to do low light sessions will be a possible option. Probably hard to find an outdoor range to do this. At least AFAIK for the ranges here near Edmonton, AB. If anybody knows otherwise, please chime in. I would like to do night/low light shooting as well.
 
The Parry Sound Pistol Club has lights and you can shoot all year from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm. We shoot 22 in the evening at the cottage using lights as well. You cannot hunt certain game in Ontario a night, target shooting is not hunting. You should be good as long as there are not discharge bylaws in your area.
 
I printed the Firearms Act and reviewed it........and could not find anything in it that says you cannot. I get it about hunting, but that is not what I want to know. I was hoping someone would tell me I'm wrong and cite something....CGN is really good for that. I should phone my local RCMP detachment but they will say "no don't do it because that's unsafe" or "that's a bad idea". If I politely ask for where the law is written I will get a massive amount of attitude. I have found dealing with law enforcement to be horrendously discouraging at best. I wouldn't be suprised seeing someone getting charged with poaching or committing an unsafe act because the RCMP or Fish & Wildlife officer doesn't like it and needs something to charge with.

I'm open to suggestions as to who to contact. I suppose I should be the guinea pig and call the CFO. They are going to love hearing my question. I can see the response now.... Who is this? Whats your RPAL number? And then downhill from there....lol
 
Asking for forgiveness will cost you in at least 5 figures for the lawyer.
In Ontario, if you opt to target shoot at night, you will be violating the hunting regs that say ALL firearms must be encased after sun set. Even though you aren't hunting, you'd likely still be charged. You must comply with all laws, not just the FA.
MB's hunting regs are likely similar.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikqXNtXIZ0w&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Get into contact with TV-PressPass. He has done night shooting (this is his video) and see if he can shed some light on the legislation regaurding it. (Pun intended)

When I was talking to him it sounded like there was provincial legislation for Alberta against night shooting, but it was not enforced strongly, if at all. From my understanding of it, there is no Federal law prohibiting you from doing so.
 
sunray said:
Asking for forgiveness will cost you in at least 5 figures for the lawyer.
In Ontario, if you opt to target shoot at night, you will be violating the hunting regs that say ALL firearms must be encased after sun set. Even though you aren't hunting, you'd likely still be charged. You must comply with all laws, not just the FA.
MB's hunting regs are likely similar.
Click to expand...
Wonder how we do it at our gun club, oh yeah we have some members who are fish cops that shoot with us. You are not hunting when target shooting that’s how you can do it. Several gun clubs allow shooting after official sunset or end of hunting time, again because you are not hunting.
 
I would like to know if this is allowed also. I've been out shooting on crown land a couple times and never had second thoughts about it. As long as you have targets up that should be enough to prove your not in the act of hunting right? Somebody said there might be a Albertan provincial legislation against night target practice... Links?? I was actually on my way out tonight for some fun but my buddy is freaked right out now haha
 
I phoned a few local district RCMP detachments and they either said they didn't know or said no don't after making me explain why I would want to do such a horrendous activity. I called the cfo last week. They gave me a specific name and extension for alberta, and said to call him in a week's time when he is in the office. Apparently this person can give me the final word.... I'll try and call him soon. There's no harm in asking.....right? Guess I'm going to find out.
 
K that would be awesome! And yes no harm in asking a question! All I'm seeing so far is a lot of peoples opinions and hearsay would be nice to have a real answer from the CFO. Keep us posted bro
 
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