It’s unlawful to : page 14, item 20

[Leveraction]

Looking at the regulations on line.
page 22 under “ it’s unlawful “
item # 20
to shoot wildlife from a motor vehicle or a boat propelled by a motor.

The legal meaning of a boat is:

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwj3rtzilcDzAhUBCTQIHX8oBdUQFnoECAIQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FBoat&usg=AOvVaw0kv_JoC8Z2qzb-WPeKAGll


I get the motor vehicle part, so no questions there.
my question is about the boat.


Does this mean,
It’s unlawful to shoot wildlife While the boat is under propulsion by the motor……… yes or no.
or
It’s unlawful to shoot wildlife from a boat that has a motor on it, period. whether or not that boat is being propelled by the motor at that time.
so is shutting the motor off and drifting , and then shooting wildlife permitted.

So if I’m in an inflatable or a canoe, with a minn Kota electric motor, calling moose out onto the shoreline, and I shoot a moose, They way it reads ……….I’m illegal.

#25 is also questionable about discharging a firearm while in any sort of conveyance ( motor vehicle, sleigh,aircraft,bicycle ) but does not say boat.


what’s your opinion on this as I’m betting there are more than a few of us that hunt from a boat, in My case I hunt from a canoe, under my own propulsion and I’m sure there are many of you that go in on fly in drop camp hunts, end up hunting from a small inflatable boat.

would appreciate some factual feed back, and not an argument on opinions

Graham

[swampthing]

You can shoot if the motor is shut off.

[Drillbit]

Pretty hard to get out of a boat to load your gun n shoot

As long as the boat isn’t being propelled by the motor, you’re legal to shoot.

some guys even tilt their motor too (outboard) but it’s not required, can’t tilt an inboard either

[Tuffcity]

Always check the "definitions" page of any regulations first... google definitions isn't always going to give the intend detail. In this case see page 5 of the BC Reg's- Power Boat.

[crazy ducker]

You can shoot from a boat with a motor on it albeit the motor has to be shut off. All movement has to be stopped except wind drifting ( so you can’t run up full speed stop motor pop a shell and start shooting) all motors electric gas has to be stopped

[GOLDEN TOP SNIPER]

Are you sure ??? i think im going to have to a chat with a C.O. About this .. because im sure its not lawful to discharge a firearm or Bow from a boat ..regardless if it has a motor or not .. or in motion .. you must get on the shore.. this is a rule im sure i was told many years ago.. but now that it is under question . . i think im going to ask him myself.. Keep you all posted ..

[Brew]

It’s legal to shoot from a boat as long as the motor is not running.

[Ron.C]

Graham,

I recommend you contact the CO service if you don't want opinions. If you send them an email, you will get a response from either a CO or a policy analyst. I'd take and retain copies of the repsonses and take it as gospel. You can also google the wildlife act and get more definitions, article #'s to reference. Responses like mine are my personal interpretation of the regulations as I read them ( my opinion ). Take it for what it is.

I can't see anywhere in the regs where it says you can't hunt from a boat. It does however say you can't hunt from a powered boat.

Power Boat - means a boat, canoe or yacht powered by electric, gasoline, oil, steam or other mechanical means, but does not include a boat powered manually nor a boat with an outboard motor provided the motor is tilted or otherwise disengaged so as not to be ready for immediate use.

(So a rowboat, aluminium, canoe, kayak, drift boat, raft basically any boat without an engine gas electric or other is not a power boat. Nor is any boat with an outboard if it meets the definition above.)

It's Unlawful to:

20. To shoot wildlife from a motor vehicle or a boat propelled by a motor ( key word here is being propelled, and see definition of a power boat. This is the answer to your first question)

21. To hunt migratory birds from a powerboat, unless the boat is beached, resting at a launch or or fastened within or tied immediately along side a fixed hunting blind.

There was however a new BC firearms legislation tabled earlier this year that contradicts the wildlife act. But I will continue to follow the regulations as written in the wildlife act as they haven't been amended or changed.

[Weatherby Fan]

Its unlawful to drink white wine with a Steak Dinner, must be a good red !

[silveragent]

Thanks Ron for itemizing it. We should sticky the post since it keeps coming up.

[boxhitch]

but does not include a boat powered manually nor a boat with an outboard motor provided the motor is tilted or otherwise disengaged so as not to be ready for immediate use.


Is it right to consider the tether cord/kill switch as an ignition switch on an outboard motor
Tilting an outboard involves lots of motion and can drastically alter the drift characteristics of a boat
Pulling the kill cord stops (disengages) the motor, similar to turning the ignition switch to 'off' and pulling the key in a jet or i/o boat

[Ron.C]

Is it right to consider the tether cord/kill switch as an ignition switch on an outboard motor
Tilting an outboard involves lots of motion and can drastically alter the drift characteristics of a boat
Pulling the kill cord stops (disengages) the motor, similar to turning the ignition switch to 'off' and pulling the key in a jet or i/o boat

Good question, is removing the safety tether cord considered "disengaged so as not to be ready for immediate use"?

My personal interpretation is yes.

But I would be clarifying with a CO or policy analyst as to what constitutes "disengaged and not ready for immediate use"

[Ourea]

Common sense statement -

There are thousands of waterfowl hunters out there that shoot from a boat by their decoys.
Many get there under power.

[Arctic Lake]

Ron I think the recent Provincial law concerning shooting from a boat was geared towards gang violence and gang crime and was not geared to hunting . I think ?
Arctic Lake
Graham,

I recommend you contact the CO service if you don't want opinions. If you send them an email, you will get a response from either a CO or a policy analyst. I'd take and retain copies of the repsonses and take it as gospel. You can also google the wildlife act and get more definitions, article #'s to reference. Responses like mine are my personal interpretation of the regulations as I read them ( my opinion ). Take it for what it is.

I can't see anywhere in the regs where it says you can't hunt from a boat. It does however say you can't hunt from a powered boat.

Power Boat - means a boat, canoe or yacht powered by electric, gasoline, oil, steam or other mechanical means, but does not include a boat powered manually nor a boat with an outboard motor provided the motor is tilted or otherwise disengaged so as not to be ready for immediate use.

(So a rowboat, aluminium, canoe, kayak, drift boat, raft basically any boat without an engine gas electric or other is not a power boat. Nor is any boat with an outboard if it meets the definition above.)

It's Unlawful to:

20. To shoot wildlife from a motor vehicle or a boat propelled by a motor ( key word here is being propelled, and see definition of a power boat. This is the answer to your first question)

21. To hunt migratory birds from a powerboat, unless the boat is beached, resting at a launch or or fastened within or tied immediately along side a fixed hunting blind.

There was however a new BC firearms legislation tabled earlier this year that contradicts the wildlife act. But I will continue to follow the regulations as written in the wildlife act as they haven't been amended or changed.

[Pioneerman]

I was told many decades ago by a co that you can hunt from a boat as long as the motor was not in working position, so I was told to tilt it up , so not operable under power, and if seen through Binos which you can tell by looking no chances of being under power

[Ron.C]

Ron I think the recent Provincial law concerning shooting from a boat was geared towards gang violence and gang crime and was not geared to hunting . I think ?
Arctic Lake

Agree 100% but when this was discussed it doesn't clearly say that. The fact that the wildlife act hasn't been amended is all the justification I need.

At least the BC govt has found an effective way to deal with all those drive by canoe shootings.:wink:

[RJHunter]

25. To discharge, carry or have in possessiona firearm containing live ammunition inits breech or in its magazine attached tothe firearm, in or on a railway car, motorvehicle, sleigh, aircraft, bicycle or other conveyance.

I was thinking "or other conveyance" covered basically any mode of transportation.