helicopter for transportation

[Big Lew]

I know of a rich fellow with his own helicopter that commutes between his
principle home in the Okanagan and one of his farms in the Vanderhoof area.
Occasionally during goose season he will hunt on his farm and then transport
his birds back home. Is this technically legal? His argument is that he isn't
using the helicopter for hunting, only for commuting from one home to another.
There are good roads to his farm but the helicopter saves him hours and he uses
it for farm related business as well.

[rimfire]

Page 15: Article 29: (It's unlawful)

"To hunt wildlife within 6 hours of being airborne in an aircraft other than a regularly scheduled commercial aircraft"

As long as he is not using the aircraft for hunting and he waits six hours before hunting, he is fine.

Edit: However, as Bearvalley pointed out:

"Article 26, 27

26. To hunt or transport hunters or wildlife bya helicopter.

27. To use a helicopter, including a drone, whileon a hunting expedition."

[bearvalley]

It's illegal to use a helicopter for the purpose of transporting hunters or game.

[Big Lew]

It's illegal to use a helicopter for the purpose of transporting hunters or game.

That's my interpretation of the regulations as well.
Some rich dudes think they're above the rules sometimes. and I guess with the ability
to hire expensive lawyers, they often get away with it. In his case, as I don't know him
personally and am going by word of mouth, he would have to actually be caught with
game birds in his craft. Technically no one can even take them on commercial helicopters
running on established city to city flight routes if the regs are as I read them.

[rimfire]

Sorry, Lew, I missed the part where he was bringing the wildlife to his other house...

That's my interpretation of the regulations as well.
Some rich dudes think they're above the rules sometimes. and I guess with the ability
to hire expensive lawyers, they often get away with it. In his case, as I don't know him
personally and am going by word of mouth, he would have to actually be caught with
game birds in his craft. Technically no one can even take them on commercial helicopters
running on established city to city flight routes if the regs are as I read them.

And therein lies the rub. Even if he was caught with them on the craft, he is not likely transporting fresh killed birds which would delve into a gray area. Laws are generally written with certain ideas in mind; when someone deviates from the norm, while they may be "breaking the law" as written, they may not be breaking the law as intended.

The way the regulations are written, it sounds like what they are trying to prevent is some guy taking a helicopter to the top of a mountain, shooting an animal and transporting it off the mountain. If you are using the helicopter as your "commuter" vehicle to go between properties, then, I believe that is a gray area.

If we run the scenario out, buddy goes up to Vanderhoof for a few days to "check on his property" and happens to hunts some birds. He cleans them, preps them, freezes them up there then gets in his helicopter and flies back to his other house to consume them. As much as us plebs may disagree with how he does it, I doubt that the individual would be charged, let alone convicted. The law, as written, is likely to prevent the former, not the later scenario. He has a great alibi as well being that he is going to another property he owns. The "spirit of the law" is what his defense lawyer would likely use as a defense and I believe he could make a convincing case. The defense would likely use a scenario such as a the individual using a normal, fixed wing aircraft and argue that the law is written to prevent people from going up the mountain in the helicopter, not from transporting their legally hunted game animals from one property to the other.

[monasheemountainman]

who cares if the guy is rich? dont we all wish we were? Id have a chopper to fly to my farm if I could! All he is doing is bringing food home with him, big whoop

[f350ps]

who cares if the guy is rich? dont we all wish we were? Id have a chopper to fly to my farm if I could! All he is doing is bringing food home with him, big whoop

I agree, dare to dream? A little different than hiking to the top of a mountain only to find a chopper sitting there, then I'd be pissed, in this case good for him! K

[lorneparker1]

who cares if the guy is rich? dont we all wish we were? Id have a chopper to fly to my farm if I could! All he is doing is bringing food home with him, big whoop

This X 100000. if I had a chopper to take to the goose field and back I sure as F would lol

[Chopper]

That's my interpretation of the regulations as well.
Some rich dudes think they're above the rules sometimes. and I guess with the ability
to hire expensive lawyers, they often get away with it. In his case, as I don't know him
personally and am going by word of mouth, he would have to actually be caught with
game birds in his craft. Technically no one can even take them on commercial helicopters
running on established city to city flight routes if the regs are as I read them.

I personally think he would have some explaining to do if he was suspected of moving game and they found blood that the CO's did a DNA test on, or feathers. If they were pissed enough ... they would do the tests

[Gateholio]

I personally think he would have some explaining to do if he was suspected of moving game and they found blood that the CO's did a DNA test on, or feathers. If they were pissed enough ... they would do the tests

I think the opposite. Sounds to me that he is flying his personal helicopter from one residence to the other, then going hunting. Then he takes his birds into his house, butchers them and then flies them home. We can't be sure, of course, but it doesn't make sense to leave them whole for the trip home.

Would the CO's object? I have no idea, but I think it would be a bit of a waste of resources to pursue someone doing what I described.