Question to hunters in BC's lower mainland

[Rhythm & Soul]

The question is regarding hunting locations and I'm a little confused.
What map or resources are you using to know where you can and can't hunt?
These two map say different things, specially on the area north of Abbotsford and east of Mission. What am I missing?

This one is from gov.bc.ca, and this one is from fvrd.ca

 

[FLHTCUI]

One covers the Fraser Valley specific.....
Rob

 

[Rye_one]

I believe the FVRD map is intended to show areas where shooting has been prohibited entirely, while the BC government map is specific to hunting.

 

[Butcherbill]

Correct me if I’m wrong as I left the lower mainland before the last shooting restrictions in the valley took place but the fvrd no discharge rules don’t apply to hunting, just target shooters.

 

[Rhythm & Soul]

I believe the FVRD map is intended to show areas where shooting has been prohibited entirely, while the BC government map is specific to hunting.

That's what thought, but I'm confused because the map from the BC government says "Use of Firearms permitted", on the same area that Fraser Valley says "No shooting area"

The Fraser Valley Map does say "With the exception of persons engaged in lawful hunting or trapping, the discharge of firearms is prohibited within 400m of the indicated roads" So I understand it as, you can discharge your firearm in a No shooting area, as long as is for hunting and you are licensed for it.

Would an office from the ministry of forests, land resources, and natural operations be the right place to get face-to-face information?
Or how do hunters know all this and stay up to date?

 

[boren]

Probably won't get much info from them. Just go and follow the hunting regs about distances from roads and houses. Don't shoot across logging rds etc.

 

[Rye_one]

The Fraser Valley Map does say "With the exception of persons engaged in lawful hunting or trapping, the discharge of firearms is prohibited within 400m of the indicated roads" So I understand it as, you can discharge your firearm in a No shooting area, as long as is for hunting and you are licensed for it.

The map shows designated no shooting areas, as well as roads where the “no shooting within 400m” rule applies. The exception for hunting does not apply to the defined no shooting areas, only to the affected roads outside the designated areas.

 

[Butcherbill]

The map shows designated no shooting areas, as well as roads where the “no shooting within 400m” rule applies. The exception for hunting does not apply to the defined no shooting areas, only to the affected roads outside the designated areas.

I don’t think that’s correct it says this on each map, so if you’re hunting or trapping you aren’t required to follow the discharge rules.
http://www.fvrd.ca/assets/Government/Documents/NoShootingAreas.pdf?opwvc=1

“NOTICE: With the exception of persons engaged in lawful hunting or trapping, the discharge of firearms is prohibited within 400m of the indicated roads.”

 

[45ACPKING]

That's what thought, but I'm confused because the map from the BC government says "Use of Firearms permitted", on the same area that Fraser Valley says "No shooting area"

The Fraser Valley Map does say "With the exception of persons engaged in lawful hunting or trapping, the discharge of firearms is prohibited within 400m of the indicated roads" So I understand it as, you can discharge your firearm in a No shooting area, as long as is for hunting and you are licensed for it.

Would an office from the ministry of forests, land resources, and natural operations be the right place to get face-to-face information?
Or how do hunters know all this and stay up to date?

if you have a special area license and tags , you may discharge firearms for the purpose of hunting in a lawful season within the special area zones as indicated.
The other restrictions and where the confusion comes in , is where municipalities and districts have the authority to restrict the use of firearms for those not partaking in hunting.... ie: crown land target shooting within the region and designated areas, which judging by the maps is what the restrictions are all about.

 

[Rye_one]

if you have a special area license and tags , you may discharge firearms for the purpose of hunting in a lawful season within the special area zones as indicated.
The other restrictions and where the confusion comes in , is where municipalities and districts have the authority to restrict the use of firearms for those not partaking in hunting.... ie: crown land target shooting within the region and designated areas, which judging by the maps is what the restrictions are all about.

FVRD restrictions are no shooting restrictions. The BC Hunting synopsis references that municipal regulations are in addition to the hunting regs, which means you go with whichever is stricter. In many of the FVRD no shooting areas there has been a history of problems with unsafe shooting, and you can expect that locals will know the regs to the letter, and they will call you in.

 

[45ACPKING]

FVRD restrictions are no shooting restrictions. The BC Hunting synopsis references that municipal regulations are in addition to the hunting regs, which means you go with whichever is stricter. In many of the FVRD no shooting areas there has been a history of problems with unsafe shooting, and you can expect that locals will know the regs to the letter, and they will call you in.

I lived , fished, hunted , hiked and 4x4'd in and around the lowermainland for the first 40 years of my life, I do understand the current changes and regulations just fine. Some of my friends have switched to bow hunting some of the overlapping areas to adapt to the changes around maple ridge and mission.
I would suggest the OP, and anyone else with these questions, contact the Conservation Officer service for the region you are planning to hunt and just tell them what you intend to do and where and could they outline and explain the two maps and what they indicate.
Indian reserve land is one that confused me a bit and I took the "ask the local Conservation Officer" route to get it explained to me. There is an area I access for fishing that most folks around here assume is FN reserve land. It is adjacent to the reserve lands and they do have a lease for timber/firewood harvest. I think a couple of them have trap lines as well. I did however find out that in this case, the leased area adjacent to the reserve is still crown land and is accessable for hunting purposes...... just can't harvest firewood.
I would never have known that without talking to the CO directly about the area in question as the BC hunting regs maps are not totally clear on this one.