Going for a hike....

[bcboy]

Well mom wants to take some friends from work on a hike up one of the logging roads. She and her friends are scared of bears so I offered to go, I told her I would bring my rifle....just incase. The area she wants to go has a pretty good bear population, as it is close to town.

Anyway, just wondering if anyone else has taken a firearm on a hike? Also do I need to bring my PAL or registration papers with me, or is it all against the law?

It aint in a park it aint against the law!!! FSR are generally crown land.

And ya some of these guys here are pretty freakin archaic in my book!!

I learned like most youth of my day, a little from dad and most form yours

truly, I prefer experience to book knowledge. I have hunted black bears

and can tell you this if you have a gun you are better off than not having

one! I hike alot without a rifle so what!! I aint alone in my opion, I dont

believe some of the BS coming here.. as long as you are not a freakin

idiot and I hope a responsible person why not carry a rifle, its open season

on black bears buy a tag.

I carried a 99sav. 308 when I was 14 cuzz me and my cousins all 7 of

us where pickin berrys and we had a wolf scare. I was more scared of

my parents than i was of any animal, as to what to do well some

might figure you should be 30 before you can decide.It aint rockect

science. If ya cant shoot , learn/

[CanAm500]

And how to you practice shooting under stressful situations? I have been hunting, and I do know how to use my rifle/shotgun.Another thing. It is a waste of my time and other's time to half to scroll all the way down the page just to find a answer to my questions.

Ok - i'm going to answer your question. But before i do, i'm going to give you some really good advice.

The fact you have to ask this suggests you're too new at this to be taking a firearm into a hostile situation with a bear without a little training. Seriously - firearms are great tools for bear defense, but your head is your number one defense, and unless you've got some experience with bears, or have a lot of experience shooting your gun in a situation similar to what you'll face with a bear, you're probably better off with pepper spray and a big stick.

Get someone to teach you a little before you do it. Seriously. There's ways to train, but if you're not a bit of an old hand at it you can get in over your head real fast.



Ok. Having said that - not only do i take a gun on a hike, really i'm often just hiking to get out in the woods with my guns

Any crown land not specifically forbidding guns (like a national park or something) that isn't part of a municipality is generally ok. You can find no-shooting areas and more information in the regular synopsis. Check it out for the area you're thinking of.

You do need your pal of course (c'mon dude - you've got a gun. You need license and certs with you, always. You should know that).

It's also good to take your hunting license with you. If an officer stops you you don't want him to think you're a poacher. Shouldn't be a problem given your circumstance.

Don't do anything crazy like hike around with a bunch of women with one in the chamber or anything.

[CanAm500]

Arent you like 13 or 14???

This hike is going to be planned when im 16. And what does this have to do with anything?

[johnes50]

I haven't heard of a bear attack on the Island Lcpaintballer, so you should be OK without a gun. Everyone I've encountered on the Island has run away when I saw them. Bells and whistle should be good enough. And those women will be chattering so loud you'll be lucky to see anything.

[Kirby]

Frist off, Sorry about all the BS you got on your way to the answer. Yes you need your PAL and reg cert to carry the rifle/shotgun. Also I would add support for foxers answer, before worring about dealing with a charging bear it would be good to get some trainning, and spend alot of time at the range.

Secondly.

This hike is going to be planned when im 16. And what does this have to do with anything?

You have to be 18 to posses and carry a firearm, unless in the presence of an adult with a PAL or POL.

Kirby

[reach]

You have to be 18 to posses and carry a firearm, unless in the presence of an adult with a PAL or POL.

http://www.cfc-cafc.gc.ca/info_for-r...ts/minor_e.asp

Sounds like there's a "Minor's License" that may allow you to use firearms unsupervised. It looks like you would have an interview with the firearms officer and your family present and they would decide from there.

[Iron-Head]

This hike is going to be planned when im 16. And what does this have to do with anything?

Because if your that age you may not carry a fire arm without a license holder so only if your mom or one of her friends had her PAL would you legaly be allowed to carry a fire arm,It states in the reg's that if your under 19 you need to be accompanied and under the close supervision of a licence holder.
Im 14 to buddy I know the restrictions.
Symon

[Foxer]

Sounds like there's a "Minor's License" that may allow you to use firearms unsupervised.

It is possible, if your parents agree, to be allowed to use 'em unsupervised by a license holder.

But it's at the sole discretion of the firearms officer, and he's going to want a reason. "bear defense" may not entirely be a good one. (maybe it is, i don't really know, but at a guess i'm thinking 'not so much')

This would be a different story if you had your adult firearms licesnse - and my reply was based on the assumption you were a licensed firearms owner.
You MIGHT also get the Firearms officer to agree to 'use with parental supervision' - which means you can use a gun without a license holder with you provided one of your parents are. That would mean you could carry even tho your mom isn't a license holder.

Call the CFO and see what they have to say.

[Kirby]

http://www.cfc-cafc.gc.ca/info_for-r...ts/minor_e.asp

Sounds like there's a "Minor's License" that may allow you to use firearms unsupervised. It looks like you would have an interview with the firearms officer and your family present and they would decide from there.

That exists, but the chance of the firearms officer giving you one for bear protection is little to none. I use to spend alot of time with biatholon guys, one kid was 17, and tried to get one for carrying his .22 when on the course, he was denied as it wasn't a good enough reason, he was competing nationally, and trained 4-5 days a week, but could only shoot 1-2 when his parents were around . I think this are pretty much limited to inuit, or other substinance hunters. But worth a shot.

Kirby

[CanAm500]

Yes there would be a licenced adult with us, and yes i do have my minors fire licence.

Who knows, I may just end up taking the bear spray and my hunting knife with me.