Shot only areas... bow or blackpowder?

[H Wally]

I'm asking this about an island hunt, but with the amount of traffic on the island forum I figured this would get a more concrete answer.

I'm looking at the special maps for Vancouver Island and see that some of the close up maps (IE: map A15) and it says that there's a shotgun only area that coincides with a special antlerless mule deer season.

Does the shot only season allow for use of bows, or really and truly only shot?

Also, would a smoothbore or rifled, flintlock or cap and ball musket fall under these regs? I've heard that they are treated more like bows than rifles under the regulations, but I've yet to see much mention of them at all in the BC regs.


I called my friends and none of them have a clue. Some people said that blackpowder season was just amalgamated with regular rifles... which is rather unfortunate. The Gov offices are closed today for rememberance day or I'd have called them.

EDIT - got partial answer - special blackpowder season was done away with 10 years ago partially due to the newer inline BP rifles (or so it is supposed). That would explain why it isn't really mentioned at all...

[Gateholio]

You can use a bow...Sure would be nice if we could also have "traditional black powder" include in those zones, too. It woudl just be a definition thing, I suspect.

[H Wally]

That would be a good idea - I wonder how one would go about talking them into that?

[trapmamma]

Let's just say, talk to your municipal hall. I received a special permit to hunt in an outlying area of Victoria(shall remain a mystery at this time...)after talking with my CO. He assured me that as long as federal and provincial laws were adhered to, than I could ask permission to hunt deer on private property for "crop protection." So I collaborated with the property owner, and in a formerly no hunting area, received a permit to hunt on 10 acres with a shotgun with buckshot or a bow(crossbow.) Now, as far as the law was concerned I may hunt there, I just needed permission from the district, which I got. The owner wants 1/2 of my catch, and since his crop is feeding the deer, who am I to argue? I shot one last week! So try, it never hurts to ask......And good luck!

[quadrakid]

no shooting blackpowder in those zones,stricly shotgun with shot or archery.

[Bow Walker]

Love those 'Zones'. They hold a lot of deer for us.

[6616]

That would be a good idea - I wonder how one would go about talking them into that?

Take it to your local club, get it passed and forwarded the the VI Regional Advisory committee.

[000buck]

the rules are no fire arms using a single projectile ie slugs from a shot gun black powder or other single projectile, Multi shot only 00 buck 000buck etc ...BOWS ?? Probably fine

[TimberPig]

Your bow will be fine. If you can hunt there with a shotgun, its not a no hunting area. Bows are legal in no shooting areas where guns are not allowed at all.

[H Wally]

Just a side note - another forum came to the idea that if 8 balls could be safely fitted into a bp rifle it would constitute a shotgun under regulations for "shot". I'm still feeling my way through the regs, but makes sense to me, and would allow me to use my BP cap and ball...

[boxhitch]

The test would be when you are checked in the field. Prove that you are only using shot, and should be good to go.