Hunting or discharge of firearm in close proximity to the BC/US Border.

[Rieber]

I can't seem to find anything about the allowable distance to hunt or discharge a firearm in relation to the BC/US Border. Out of common sense I wouldn't discharge anywhere near the border crossings but what about up in the mountains near the boarderline - is there a Law or Regulation regarding this?

[MOOSE MILK]

Don't hop the fence.

[albravo2]

I've always wondered what would happen if you shot a critter and it ran across and died on the other side of the line but I've never wondered about shooting near the border.

I can't recall any reg that would indicate that shooting near the border was any different than shooting in the middle of the province.

[IronNoggin]

I've always wondered what would happen if you shot a critter and it ran across and died on the other side of the line ...

Well, I can tell you about one such occurrence...

I was hunting antelope with Pa, my Brother, another Buddy, and the local Rancher.
We had wandered down early, so knew of three rather fine bucks to target on.
Come opening day, two of the three went off with nothing unusual involved.
I was up for number three.
We located him around 250 yards from the border (southern Saskatchewan / Montana) but nearly 1200 yards from us.
I put a fairly long stalk on him and closed to a comfortable 300 yards.
At that point he was less than 50 yards from the Medicine Line.
Took the shot, tossed a few "feathers" out behind him, and he was off like a shot!

He made it about 75 yards into Montana before piling up.
I simply hopped the double fence, and drug him back into Saskabush to dress him.
Left a white stripe of hollow hair most of that drag...

Within minutes, we heard a helicopter approaching.
And shortly after that we saw it coming along that fence line.
When they got to the white stripe, they immediately sheered over us, and then landed a short distance off. :shock:
Pilot, US Customs, US Fed F&W and a Saskatchewan CO onboard.

VERY good thing for the feathers marking the hit, and the blood that was there and sporadically in-between that spot and the fence!!
Without being able to point directly at that, I am 100% positive our day would have gone a lot differently than it did.

Still to this day I marvel at just how quickly they showed up...

Cheers,
Nog

[Treed]

That’s a great story!

[Foxton Gundogs]

We shoot waterfowl within a few hundred yards of the Medicine Line often. Never a problem from either side.

[Liptugger]

Well, I can tell you about one such occurrence...

I was hunting antelope with Pa, my Brother, another Buddy, and the local Rancher.
We had wandered down early, so knew of three rather fine bucks to target on.
Come opening day, two of the three went off with nothing unusual involved.
I was up for number three.
We located him around 250 yards from the border (southern Saskatchewan / Montana) but nearly 1200 yards from us.
I put a fairly long stalk on him and closed to a comfortable 300 yards.
At that point he was less than 50 yards from the Medicine Line.
Took the shot, tossed a few "feathers" out behind him, and he was off like a shot!

He made it about 75 yards into Montana before piling up.
I simply hopped the double fence, and drug him back into Saskabush to dress him.
Left a white stripe of hollow hair most of that drag...

Within minutes, we heard a helicopter approaching.
And shortly after that we saw it coming along that fence line.
When they got to the white stripe, they immediately sheered over us, and then landed a short distance off. :shock:
Pilot, US Customs, US Fed F&W and a Saskatchewan CO onboard.

VERY good thing for the feathers marking the hit, and the blood that was there and sporadically in-between that spot and the fence!!
Without being able to point directly at that, I am 100% positive our day would have gone a lot differently than it did.

Still to this day I marvel at just how quickly they showed up...

Cheers,
Nog

One might think you were eye balled prior to the shooting

[Danny_29]

Grew up close to the border, have heard lots of stories of guys finding black boxes. Thinking nothing of it throw it in the truck only to have to people show up shortly after to retrieve it. Not sure if this technology would still be in use though.

[Rieber]

With border security the way it is now, I suspect keeping away from the borderline would be a good idea when hunting. That borderline cut seems like an attractive place to sit though. If I had one hop the fence after being shot sadly I would call that one lost - retrieval would not be an option. I not going to risk jail, fine and no future admittance into the US over a deer. It would be a big disappointment for sure but I'm not risking it.

[IronNoggin]

... If I had one hop the fence after being shot sadly I would call that one lost - retrieval would not be an option. I not going to risk jail, fine and no future admittance into the US over a deer. It would be a big disappointment for sure but I'm not risking it.

Never happen on my watch. You shot it, you make every possible effort to retrieve it.

In the case I cited above, it very much helped that I was a Dual Citizen at the time (as was Pa & my Brother), and I did not pack a firearm over the line. Even so, I could have easily been charged with Illegal Entry.
However the Fed US F&W Officer ruled the day, and suggested that the retrieval was "the right thing to do".
Not sure just how that might fly today...

Cheers,
Nog

[albravo2]

That is a great story Nog. Couldn't have scripted it much better as far as being able to prove what actually happened.

Probably didn't hurt that you were dual either.

[bigredchev]

It's not worth the hassle. I'm just as leery shooting an animal near any large portion of private property.

Try explaining the animal ended up on their property.... it's not easy. And I dont blame the ranchers for being hard nosed, they deal with with a lot of idiots.

[Yuritau]

If you happen to be in cell service while looking at your kill on the other side of the border, a call to the CO to see what you're allowed to do wouldn't be a bad idea, imho.

[Redthies]

It's not worth the hassle. I'm just as leery shooting an animal near any large portion of private property.

Try explaining the animal ended up on their property.... it's not easy. And I dont blame the ranchers for being hard nosed, they deal with with a lot of idiots.

I tend to agree. I have a deal with a rancher in the Kootenay area. I do everything I can to be zero impact while on his land. I doubt I would readily allow people I don’t personally know very well to wander around my property shooting at things!

[hunter1947]

One reason I don't hunt the boarder is if you are hunting along the canadian boarder you shot a deer or elk good chance the animal can run across into the USA even with a solid shot on the animal..

[twoSevenO]

I was retrieving a trail cam in July near the border and 1.5hrs drive from nearest town. I ran into a couple with overnight gear very close to the border. I watched and waited by the "trail" until they were 30 yards away to say hello.

They were spooked as all hell and asked if I was with the border patrol on account of my tactical looking shotgun I carried.

Turned out they wandered across the cut line and spent a couple of nights in the USA wilderness.

No one ever saw them. No one came to question them.

[Monashee]

I was out deer hunting near the border out of Trail area years ago when i saw a nice herd of elk with a big bull , they were about 200 meters away off a logging road across a fence . Pretty soon a truck comes along behind me and a guy jumps out and takes a shot at the bull , first shot .. clean miss , low , second shot , solid hit bull staggers and is about done for , he shoot again and down goes the bull . So i walk over to the guy and say oh , I guess you got a draw and he says yes . I say you know the bull is in the USA ... he didn't know that . Anyhow i gave him a hand cutting it up and packing it out .

[digger dogger]

I know a "guy" who hopped the border in hope to get his trash chasing hounds. Probably about 500+ yards on the US side. Nothing happened and no fly overs, etc.

[Norwestalta]

This year I shot my antelope about 300 yds north of the border. The road we were on is on the us side. I got out of the truck and made sure I walked north. Lol. It didn’t take long for the border patrol to show up but they respectively watched from a distance instead of ruining my stalk. A friend of mine said that farm neighbors on both sides of the border must use the border crossing. He also said they’ve got blackhawks, drones and some kind of motion sensors along the border.

[Walking Buffalo]

To answer the OP, I'm pretty sure firing a bullet into a neighboring Country may be considered an act of war....


I've killed several animals within spittin' distance of the border... never had one get over the line, was watched from above several times, no problems.

When I was a little kid, first time chasing Pronghorns in Alberta, we ended up in the true SE corner.

Being a proud Albertan, the urge hit. I climbed up the corner post and took a piss into Sask. and Montana.
Not sure why but it felt like the right thing to do. 8)

[Island Idiots]

Once very long time ago Dad and I were out fox hunting and rabbit hunting in Manitoba. We were, like always, in the government station wagon with the dogs, guns etc. Eventually we found ourselves on a small quarter section road that turned into a one humper and then into a trail across a field. We followed it and eventually it turned into a quarter section road and then hiway. We rolled into town and thought gee sure a lot of North Dakota plates on these vehicles. Soon we realized we has made a bit of a boo boo.
Dad went to the Canadian border and explained what happened to the Canadian border guard. He turned us around and sent us back to the American Border Guard.
They were mad as hell. Guns dogs, government vehicle, kid, all causing much angst. Not wishing to make a international incident out of it, they asked for the information on how we got across undetected in exchange for a free pass back home. Importantly we were both American citizens and Landed Immigrants in Canada.

I remember Dad being more than a little upset at this whole fiasco. But I am sure many cross the line by mistake.

[Rieber]

I appreciate the ability to travel relatively freely into the US whenever I want. I won't do anything to compromise that and this is why I ask the questions. Several people have viewed this and nobody has been able to point out a specific law or regulation stating that you can't hunt or discharge a firearm in close proximity to the Can/US border. If I did shoot an animal and it did hop the fence before expiring, I would try what I could do from the Canadian side but I will not cross that border without authorization to do so. At the very least if a Game Warden was called to the scene, and I the game wasn't retrieved for me, I would hope the carcass be used in some capacity. The place was a lot more rational before 9/11 - nowadays, I wouldn't even dare point a firearm in the direction of the USA.

[hunter1947]

You can discharge a firearm standing right beside the canadian US border on canada grounds on crown land as long as your the safe distance from a dwelling

[Edzzed]

Here is a funny one on the border. If in Tsawassen and you want to cross into the USA. FYI, they messed up on the 49th parallel by about 750 feet. Go to google earth and you'll see what I mean. We got shorted on land. google Earth displays coordinates. If they messed up there, They could have messed up anywhere along the border so you could be in the USA without even knowing it or vice versa. What I would like to see is someone challenge the border before Trumpsky puts up a wall.