Ordered my license and tags for (2021-2022), how about you?

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Originally Posted by Linksman313

Hi Caddis and good to hear from you! Can you please explain the above statement.This happened to us last year so it totally applies. My pops buys a hunting license and goes grouse hunting, a buddy of his offered him a whitetail hunt on some private land, we ordered his tag online, he then continued to grouse hunt? his tag arrived and all went well. Can you just clarify why after you purchase a deer tag your general hunting license is suspended until that tag arrives??

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It is actually all very silly. It is the way the law is written. It obviously was not the original intent of the law at the time it is written, but our current government has decided to start interpreting it down to the very letter according to the ministry / Front Counter. Here is how they are playing it:

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Referring to the Wildlife Act for clarification, we find the following:


11 (1)A person who hunts wildlife commits an offence unless the person holds all of the following:
(a)a hunting licence issued to the person under this Act;
(b)any limited entry hunting authorization that is required by regulation;
(c)any other licence that is required by regulation;
(d)any other permit that is required by regulation.


And then we refer to the regulation:


"You must carry all your species licences while hunting, both cancelled and uncancelled. If you buy your species licence online, it will be mailed to you subject to Canada Post delivery times. If you buy your species licences in-person, you will obtain them immediately."


And of the definition of hunting of course:


"Hunt & 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."
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So what they are saying, is that when you purchase online, it is issued to you, but there is a period of time before you will possess it, and until then since you cannot carry it, you would be committing an offence by doing anything that falls under the definition of hunting.

It's quite ridiculous. I spent a couple weeks trying to argue about it, or push them to at least update the website if they are going to take that stance and change it from:

"Species licences bought online will be mailed. Allow approximately three weeks BEFORE your hunt."

to:

"Species licences bought online will be mailed. You will be required to wait up to three weeks BEFORE commencing participation in ANY hunting of ANY species once an online tag has been ordered"

I went as far as talking to a lawyer about it and our conclusions are about the same. Is it an offence according to the letter of the law? Yes. The definitions of "hold", "carry" and "hunting" are all quite clear. Would any Conservation Officer actually charge/fine a person for participating in a grouse hunt because he ordered a cougar tag that has been in the mail for 2 weeks? Very unlikely. Would a judge uphold said charge/fine? Also very unlikely. Combined Vegas odds on receiving a penalty that sticks? Virtually none. However, according to our current government, it is against the law.

It's all very dumb, but since it's easy enough to order tags in advance, in light of all this, I go that route so I can focus energy on hunting instead of thinking about the legal mess and how greasy our government seems to want to be towards hunters.

C, did you ask if a CO can see that you have a permit ordered or in transit and/or received?
If I'm out deer hunting while waiting for a moose tag to arrive, whose to know?

Ordered mine today too! Glad I saw the thread as a reminder! Thanks Caddis

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Originally Posted by boxhitch

C, did you ask if a CO can see that you have a permit ordered or in transit and/or received?
If I'm out deer hunting while waiting for a moose tag to arrive, whose to know?

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I have not asked a CO, but my understanding is they have a gadget that is synched with all current data for licenses / tags / leh authorizatios.

We don't have physical licenses or leh authorizations anymore, but they have the tech to see if you have a valid license or leh in the field without reception, so pretty safe to assume species tags as well. I would wager the data is as current as the last time they were in reception.

Would be kind of cool to know for sure though. Next time I get checked out of reception if they seem chatty I might ask how often their gadgets get updated as to be useful "out here" with no reception.

Maybe they spill some beans or "caddisguy why you always such a nerd" ... who knows :)

While you're in there, ask if you can run the light and siren, that will convince them.

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Originally Posted by boxhitch

While you're in there, ask if you can run the light and siren, that will convince them.

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Yesssss! Nailed it.

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Originally Posted by The Hermit

Ordered mine today too! Glad I saw the thread as a reminder! Thanks Caddis

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Which tags did you get? :)

Thank you for the complete story Caddis!
Much appreciated (and the extra bit with the lawyer on all of our behalf)
Cheers
Links

I ordered my moose caribou whitetail deer mule deer black bear Wolverine mountain goat and sheep tags

Shout out to the two little shops closest to me; Hope Outdoors here and Kent Outdoors in Agassiz they both carry licenses its been one or the other the last few years for me. Last year though when I went to HO for tags I found out they had my hunter number locked and I had to get sorted out on line to reconfirm residency or whatever their problem was...anyways that cost me a few days but I'm good to go either way now probably still use a store though.

Just deer for me this year and actually I'll throw a moose tag in too I'm seeing more and more moose in our spots and even the illusive immy bull last summer! That and grouse tags. I definitely won't forget my grouse tags.