Bringing an adult non hunter observer on a hunt?

[Gateholio]

I've don it on many occasions. Nothing illegal about it.

[guntech]

I don't see how anything is wrong or how he could ever be convicted of any infraction if he is simply along for company (no license, no gun, not beating the bush chasing game to you) ... or if he has a camera he can even be an official photographer...

[Mephizto]

How about getting your father that new license that introduces people into hunting? i think its $15 and he is allowed to hunt with you to a maximum of 12 times i think but don't quote me on that. He will be allowed to take game as long as he has a registered hunter with him. He can use a gun with you as a supervisor or a bow. Go to anyplace that sells your tags and they should know about it.

here is a link

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wildlife...nt/#initiation

Initiation Licence

Effective April 1, 2013, the new Initiation Hunting Licence for first time hunters aged 18 or older will be in effect. The requirements to complete CORE and to hold a Hunter Number Card are waived for this one-time-only licence.
It is anticipated the new licence will be available at Service BC locations and local vendors no later than March 20, 2013.
The initiation hunting licence is a new type of mentoring licence that allows a person 18 years or older who has never previously held a hunting licence in B.C. to try hunting for a one-year period. It is a one-time-only licence.
Government is introducing the new licence at $19.00 ($15.00 licence fee plus $4.00 Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation surcharge).
To be eligible for the initiation hunting licence, a person:

• must be a B.C. resident,
• must be 18 years or older,
• must not have held a B.C. hunting licence in the past, with the exception of a youth (junior) hunting licence, and
• must be under the close personal supervision of a licensed adult who satisfies the qualifications to be a supervising hunter.

Supervising Hunter for an Initiation Hunter
A person who holds an initiation hunting licence commits an offence if the person hunts unless the person is accompanied by and under the close personal supervision of a supervising hunter who is 18 years of age or older and meets the prescribed qualifications.
The prescribed qualifications to be a supervising hunter are

• the person must be a “resident” of B.C. and hold a resident hunting licence other than an initiation hunting licence (or be exempted from holding a licence),
• the person must have held a hunting licence in B.C. (other than an initiation hunting licence) or a licence to hunt elsewhere in not fewer than 3 of any of the licence years preceding the current licence year (or be exempted from holding a licence),
• if the person is an Indian residing in B.C., paragraphs (a) and (b) do not apply and the person must have received training in hunting and previously hunted lawfully without supervision, and
• the person must not be prohibited from carrying a firearm.

The supervising hunter may accompany no more than two initiation hunters at one time (or no more than two youth hunting licence holders, or one youth and one initiation licence holder).

If the holder of an initiation hunting licence is hunting with a licensed guide, the prescribed qualification in item (b) does not apply to the supervising hunter.

[Dannybuoy]

Thanks for everyone's perspective....yes I just want ot be sure I don't get my pop in trouble but I don't care if the discussion goes in another direction. Have at it!

Yes , you got your answer on page 1 .... No worries , you and your dad are good to go ! I really cant believe this one has been dragged out .!

[Clint_S]

don't believe what a co tells you.
like cops, they all have their own interpretation of the laws and their own view on what they'll allow/ignore.
one may say it's fine, the next may nail you to the wall.

Very true.

I asked one CO about needing a tag to chase cougars since I had no intention at the time of taking one.
He said it was fine to not have a tag.

Next time I was stopped a couple years later a different CO had a totally different take on the situation.

The interesting thing was he said they had hashed this all out amongst themselves at some point and there were differences in opinion.

[J_T]

haha, last year I was out for a walk in camo clothes (outdoor gear). No weapon, but I was confronted and put under investigation for hunting without a permit to do so.

Sometimes, CO's are just like people, they wake up, and they just can't find their happy groove.

[brian]

The "Dude" is not on a hike, he's accompanying hunters on a hunt.

Naturally you missed the intent of my post. I was saying that it would be difficult to have the charges stick even if it were illegal. The CO would have to prove intent.

The regs are VERY clear on this point. NO he can not "help" during the hunt, that includes glassing the cut blocks and helping identify animals. Makes NO difference if he has a firearm or not, if he's "helping" and does not have a license he's breaking the law. Once the hunt is ended, animal on the ground, yes he can help with game retrieval and processing/gutting.

I cannot find where the regs are very clear on this. If you are referring to the definition of hunting then it states...

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.

Considering that the person accompanying you has no intention to A. capture the wildlife or B. is not in possession of a weapon... they are not hunting. I cannot find where the regs make any mention of people helping out who are not engaged in the actual act of hunting (other than the guiding section which does not apply here). The regulation does not make clear whether possession of a weapon applies to individuals or whether it applies to a group (which I would find improbable). You may be able to make a some kind of case on the latter point, but I would suspect lawyers would need to get involved to clear that mess up.

[TPK]

Yes, that's the section I was referring to. It's pretty clear to me to me that if he's helping glass, or helping in any way, he's breaking the law if he doesn't have a license. To just go along and not help in any way until the animal is down and the tag is cut is fine. If the CO observes him standing beside or other wise in contact with the hunter while he's glassing, it's not a stretch of the imagination for the CO to assume he's helping in the hunt. If the hunter is not close by and he's not in contact with him (radio for instance), he can glass to his hearts content. This can be debated to nth degree and indeed has been. As pointed out it may be hard for charges to stick but really it comes down once again to ethics ... ask yourself the question ... is what you are doing helping the hunt in any way, if the answer is yes, it's illegal, if no, good to go. He will know, as will the hunter if what he is doing is helping the hunt. Pretty clear really.

[guntech]

Yes , you got your answer on page 1 .... No worries , you and your dad are good to go ! I really cant believe this one has been dragged out .!

Me too... dragged way out...

[TPK]

Me too... dragged way out...

It has dragged out because people are saying he can glass with his son which is not the case. The OP even stated that was the plan and that would have been illegal. The OP's subject of the post was a simple question can a non licensed person OBSERVE on a hunt, the answer to which is YES. The problem is if he is glassing the slash with his son in order to help locate animals (and again the OP said this was the case), then the answer is NO, that's illegal. If we can all agree on this then this thread is done .... finally.