Hunting Essential Status

[rageous]

Hunting and fishing was previously deemed essential by the NDP/PHO

Now as of today at some point deemed NOT ESSENTIAL.

How can what is essential be changed to non essential?

[todbartell]

two weeks to flatten the curve brah

[Rob Chipman]

I think it's essential to hunt, but they deem it "recreational" if you have to travel to hunt. (I could be wrong if there have been recent changes, but that was the angle they worked in the past).

[RackStar]

Time to listen to the LMLers squak

[todbartell]

hear me squak when I get a rosie draw on the island!

[Stone C. Killer]

Yeah who cares about the lml hunters. As long as guys who live in the bush can hunt we're good.

[RackStar]

It’s communism

[RackStar]

hear me squak when I get a rosie draw on the island!


It then becomes essential.. duh

[Stone C. Killer]

It’s communism

At least your free from it

[orest.06]

This travel restriction is til after the May long weekend Bubba Hotep!

[Squamch]

Screw em. Do what you want.

[RugDoctor]

When I hear from a government with an ounce of credibility, I may consider following their rules......until then, I’m doing whatever I can get away with. No rules for this guy other than don’t get caught.

[notyalc]

This doesn’t change shi* for me, I’m still going to travel 4.5hrs to my cabin in two weeks to hunt and fish.

[Huntingtyler123]

It’s says strongly discourage and strongly recommend...

[Keta1969]

hear me squak when I get a rosie draw on the island!

Seen as I'm on the Island I'll take care of it for you. I'll even post up pictures and a story for you to enjoy!!!

[breakaction]

All outrage aside, are there any legal minds on this forum that can explain if the government can legally change the status of hunting from essential to non, strictly to suit their new guidelines? This sets a dangerous precedent for all of us, lower mainland or not, when the definition of “hunting” can be changed depending on the circumstance. Curious what the associations would have to say, as well.

[Gun Dog]

In our parliamentary legal system the government has all the power and grants rights and privileges to it's subjects. The government can change it's mind at any time. Even the Charter of Rights has "subject to" clauses built into it. Look at mobility rights. You have the right to move to and pursue a livelihood in any province unless there are laws that say you can't. (Note that there's no right to freely move around your province whenever you want. You'll allowed to reside and work. No pursuit of happiness here.)

6.(1) Every citizen of Canada has the right to enter, remain in and leave Canada.

(2) Every citizen of Canada and every person who has the status of a permanent resident of Canada has the right
(a) to move to and take up residence in any province; and
(b) to pursue the gaining of a livelihood in any province.

(3) The rights specified in subsection (2) are subject to
(a) any laws or practices of general application in force in a province
other than those that discriminate among persons primarily on the basis of
province of present or previous residence; and
(b) any laws providing for reasonable residency requirements as a
qualification for the receipt of publicly provided social services.

(4) Subsections (2) and (3) do not preclude any law, program or activity that
has as its object the amelioration in a province of conditions of individuals in
that province who are socially or economically disadvantaged if the rate of
employment in that province is below the rate of employment in Canada.

[andrew5]

How can we organize to her this amended. It sounds like the government is still ironing out the details, given they pushed the start date back.

I just wrote a quick letter to the BCWF asking if and what their plans are to get hunting added. Maybe others on here could do the same to get them working on our behalf?

link: https://bcwf.bc.ca/contact/

any other ideas? Time to get loud. Scary precedent.

[Rob Chipman]

How can we organize to her this amended. It sounds like the government is still ironing out the details, given they pushed the start date back.

I just wrote a quick letter to the BCWF asking if and what their plans are to get hunting added. Maybe others on here could do the same to get them working on our behalf?

link: https://bcwf.bc.ca/contact/

any other ideas? Time to get loud. Scary precedent.


OK, this link is, as I understand it, 5 days old, so it's current (or as current as I can find).

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/info/essential-services?keyword=essential&keyword=businesses

Hunting is deemed essential already.

BCWF was instrumental in getting that designation last year.


Subsequent to that the government has stated, various times, that while hunting is essential, travelling to hunt renders hunting recreational. There is a great argument to be made that the government has made a BS decision, but unless I'm very much mistaken there isn't a new interpretation: hunting is essential is you don't need to travel, but recreational if you do need to travel. No, "travel" has not been defined.

BCWF has talked to government about this. I think everyone needs to understand that government is using the definition as a simple work around, they understand what they're doing and they're choosing to restrict travel for hunters, despite ruling that hunting is essential, because it helps them on a number of other issues.

You can wrote a letter to BCWF, or...just going out on a limb here....you could join the BCWF AGM which is currently underway and just ask the question directly to the Board, exec and attending members.

BCWF has no plans to get hunting added to the list of essential services - *because it already is on that list*. We got it put on the list.

I will be in 2 meetings with Wildlife Branch next week and we will bring this up.

Call your MLA. If you can't call, email them. The issue is that while hunting is essential, travel to hunt renders it recreational, and there is no definition of how far you can travel.

[Rob Chipman]

Of course, the best way to organize to get these rules changed is to get loud, join a hunting conservation group like BCWF, WSS or BHA, and get involved as a volunteer.

I say join all three and commit to volunteer to contact your elected reps and commit to reading from the same song sheet as the rest of the people doing it.

Then recruit your buddies.


The same message, repeated frequently, by a lot of people, will improve things.

[KBC]

I emailed my local MLA this morning and I plan on calling next week to follow up.

[j270wsm]

The government is hiding behind the emergency act( or what ever their calling it) which pretty much gives them the ability to do whatever they want. It’s all bullshit. Like others said, the only way to have any chance of changing things is to get numbers and get loud.

[Huevos]

You guys got it all wrong. I travel for medical purposes. Hunting is directly connected to my mental health. I am sure medical travel is essential.... JUst sayin....

[Rob Chipman]

IronNoggin posted an updated link a couple days ago. Hunting, whether for food or recreation, has just recently been re-classified as "non-essential". My earlier comments on the status were incorrect (thx again, Nog for posting that info).

I'm not saying go or no go. Just providing the update.

[rageous]

Are you sure Rob?

or is it the “travel” aspect of hunting or fishing?

[Rieber]

I understand it as you can go hunt and fish but you have to stay within your zone. They want to keep us LML'ers like me confined to this area so we're not spreading the bug to the interior or the Island. I sure hope it helps because I was planning ready to chase bears and trout in May. Sure hoping they let us out on May 25th for good behavior.

[David]

The relevant ministerial order is here:

www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/mo/mo/m0172_202 (http://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/mo/mo/m0172_202)

Paragraph #3 lists the essential purposes for which you may ignore the travel restrictions. Hunting/fishing is not considered essential for the purposes of the travel restrictions.

Please also note that the Hope Health Area is not considered part of Fraser Health for the purposes of the travel restrictions. It is considered part of interior health. That means people in Fraser/Coastal health cannot travel to areas like Boston bar, Nahatlatch, Skagit, etc. Here is a map of the Hope Health Area:

www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/data/geographic/land-use/administrative-boundaries/health-boundaries/211_hope.pdf

Don't shoot the messenger

[Huntingtyler123]

Bring your construction tools with you when you travel for work .. your atv is also a tool

[browningboy]

A foreman of mine got a paper signed by his doctor to go to his cabin for his mental health last week, he went away for the weekend and told me no sign of any police, from Langley to 100 Mile.

[Stresd]

My son came down to the coast and back from Kelowna this weekend. No problems. He said lots of campers and trailers traveling on the roads. But nary a cop to be seen with the exception of one radar trap in their usual spot on the Coq.