Take your shotgun west of Calgary

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1newgunnut

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So, the old girlfriend wants to go hiking this year west of Calgary, bragg creek and towards Banff, etc. Wants me to bring the shotgun with me in case we have bear, cougar trouble. It's a maverick 88 pump. Just wondering if there are any issues bringing that along for a hike anywhere west of Calgary...outside city limits of course. Where would one go to get info on that? Would it also be wise to purchase a hunting license or something? Not really into hunting anything but just want to be sure my ass is covered - in regards to the law. The last time I was in kanaskis, with a shotgun, was in 1992 and back then there was no problems bringing it out there and blasting away with it for fun (and this was from the ranger/conservation guys).
Anyways, has much changed since then or?
Let me know if anyone has info.
 
Hopefully you get mostly positive answers today. Lots of folks are busy with calibre arguments on Friday, 9mm vs 45. Bear defence Friday is pretty important too.

You will be fine to carry your shotgun on any provincially owned land which is not already regulated. Regulated land are provincial parks and some wild land areas. Banff National Park is also off limits to carrying and discharging a firearm.

For bears, you should strongly consider carrying a can of bear spray on each of you and a camera.

Carrying the shotgun all day on a hike is a good way to learn how much of a PITA carrying the shotgun on a hike is. If you're like me, you will take it a few times and after a while you'll start to leave it in the truck. Great if you're wanting to get a spruce grouse for supper though. (Read your regs!)

h ttps://www.albertaparks.ca/media/445808/regulations-brochure-web.pdf

Firearms and Hunting
• Hunting and the carrying and discharging of
firearms are not permitted in most provincial
parks and recreation areas.
• Hunting is permitted in wildland parks and
there are limited hunting seasons in some
provincial parks and recreation areas. For
information on hunting in these locations,
refer to the annual “Alberta Guide to Hunting
Regulations” (available in print and on the
Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource
Development web site at esrd.alberta.ca) or
visit AlbertaParks.ca/hunting.
 
Hey, thanks for answering. I use to carry a c9 in the army. Shotgun is nothing. Plus, the woman is with me and she can carry it (lol)
 
I'm not one of those people that find carrying a long gun too much of a hassle. My thinking is if you brought it, keep it on you. Don't leave it somewhere you can't get to it in time. Might as well sell it and buy something you'll use at that point. It's weight, not the end of the world. Each park can be a little different. Some allow firearms to be carried during any hunting season in the park and some do not allow firearms in the park except for passing through. Each park will have its own government website with atleast some info. Research each park before you go. Same thing with wilderness parks. Crown land is public land and carrying of firearms is almost always permitted year round. And if you're not hunting, don't bother with a license. Your PAL/RPAL is the license required to posses firearms. A hunting license is required to hunt game. Two different things. An AB wildlife certificate with no tags or licenses will raise questions and it expires at the end of march anyways. Google maps will show you parks and then you can google the park name to find the government website. If you stay out of the parks and city limits then the only thing to check is county bylaws if in a county. Usually there's no bylaws but better to know then chance it for the time it takes to look it up.
 
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