Province is completely against handgun hunting.

[Scar270]

Ok, many of you know I've been fighting to get the "No hunting with Pistols and Revolvers" clause removed from the hunting regulations.

Well it turns out currently the actual wildlife statute says:

10 A restricted firearm or a prohibited firearm of a kind that is a handgun for whose possession the holding of a licence and a registration certificate is required by the Criminal Code (Canada), except where a person
(a) uses the handgun to kill an animal caught in a trap, or
(b) is in possession of that handgun only for a purpose incidental to that use or the reasonable expectation of that use.

So basically antique status handguns have been legal to hunt with, I really regret not being smart enough to have looked the actual statute up before. I took the regs at face value.

However I finally got the Provincial government to realize that they do have some jurisdiction, and it's not just federal law restricting us. So now instead of dropping that clause, it sounds like SRD is looking hard at making it a complete ban on hunting of big game with handguns.

If anyone on here actually would like to see us ever get to have handgun hunting in this province, right now would be a good time to start hitting up your MLA's about this. We are on our way into a provincial election, so they might even answer their phones right now.

Convince them that if they are reviewing the law it would be better to remove it then tighten it up.

Thanks.

Ya, I heard that scar...it's sad when F&W is looking for ways to take hunting opportunity away from us. I didn't have a clue about antique handguns until I talked with you last year...it was very enlightening. Too bad F&W wouldn't have someone explain the facts to them about antique handguns.

[Scar270]

Yeah Sheephunter, I just wish they would have looked at more details before jumping on this. I did get a chance to explain some on the phone today, but they have no idea what the capabilities of some antique handguns are, and that they can be very powerful and very humane.

They can't remove the law because it would take too much research, but they seem to be able to create one with no research. I pointed that out.

[Pudelpointer]

Who is bringing the law forward? The minister for SRD? Does it not have to go through the legislature? This should take a few months at least, should it not?

Or are they jamming into the regular 2 year regulations process?

As for their assertion that there is no support; what about the support of the AFGA??? We passed your resolution 2 years in a row - and this year WILL be 3.


Can you give us details on who to write to - which ministers?

[fish_e_o]

i would like a 22 pistol for chickens! that would be awesome!

[Pudelpointer]

Originally Posted by fish_e_o

i would like a 22 pistol for chickens! that would be awesome!

Then write a letter!

Originally Posted by Pudelpointer

Who is bringing the law forward? The minister for SRD? Does it not have to go through the legislature? This should take a few months at least, should it not?

Or are they jamming into the regular 2 year regulations process?

As for their assertion that there is no support; what about the support of the AFGA??? We passed your resolution 2 years in a row - and this year WILL be 3.


Can you give us details on who to write to - which ministers?

I'd say the miniter of SRD and cc Rob Corrigan. It sounds like it will come into effect for 2012. Funny how new laws take two years unless SRD wants it to happen faster

[Scar270]

Originally Posted by sheephunter

I'd say the miniter of SRD and cc Rob Corrigan. It sounds like it will come into effect for 2012. Funny how new laws take two years unless SRD wants it to happen faster

Good point sheephunter. Small regulation changes can take years to research and develop and get stakeholder input.

This law they only finally accepted as their jurisdiction within the last month, and they are going to push it through ASAP.

[Scar270]

It's coming from SRD, which I guess would make it from Minister Oberle.

My limited understanding is the current clause is in the Wildlife act, not regulations, so it would take the leg to pass this. However the Leg was passing laws in 2 weeks this fall, so it's not a long process if they don't want it to be.

I'd suggest writing to Danielle Smith, and talking to your local Wildrose candidate as well, since they could be in by the time this comes up, and either way, I think they would be receptive to handgun hunting if they felt it had lots of support.

Probably letters to Minister Oberle, Danielle Smith, your local MLA, and your local Wildrose candidate if they are not the above would be a good start.

Personally my feeling is there are a few SRD staff who don't like the idea of handgun hunting, are not worried about the actual details, and they have a current government, that based on the laws I've seen come out lately, will likely be very supportive of further restricting handgun usage. I say that based on the other nanny state type laws they have been passing, I hope I am wrong.

I also think I may have ****ed off the wrong people, I feel slightly like this is a law intended to make me shut up and go away. Note that I don't feel that all of SRD feels that way, or even the majority of their staff. I actually appreciate the dialogue I have with many SRD staff, and appreciate the work they do, even when we are in disagreement, however this particular one has the feeling of something personal in it for some reason. Maybe just because this issue is very close to my heart, but my gut tells me it's more then that.

With the crappy response I received on this resolution this year, I wrote a letter to the minister, and also Doug Butler, the AFGA hunting chair went to bat for me, and we forced them to deal with this issue, this is how they chose to deal with it.

[Pudelpointer]

Originally Posted by Scar270

I also think I may have ****ed off the wrong people, I feel slightly like this is a law intended to make me shut up and go away.

LOL. I can't imagine that is it.

Will take some time tonight to write some letters. FWIW this WILL BE an uphill battle. The ignorance level about handgun hunting is pervasive. Just the other night at a meeting, I overheard a club member (who is an active handgun shooter) flat out say that hunting with handguns should not be allowed - they are not accurate enough.

It was our Christmas meeting so I refrained from pointing out the ignorance of his opinion, but I will be discussing it with him soon.

Uphill or not, I think it is a battle worth fighting!

[Okotokian]

Originally Posted by Scar270

.

However I finally got the Provincial government to realize that they do have some jurisdiction, and it's not just federal law restricting us. So now instead of dropping that clause, it sounds like SRD is looking hard at making it a complete ban on hunting of big game with handguns.

Good job. So are you saying you made things worse?

[Scar270]

Thats exactly what I'm saying okotokian. On the other hand at least they finally accept it's their issue, so lobbying by the members here might actually do some good, they can't just brush it off as a federal issue.

Good to know I have enough influence to get a law made, too bad it was to stop me instead of allow me.

Interesting that in my discussion with a SRD guy I was told that my cause basically doesn't have enough people interested in it to get it through, so I pointed out that just myself managed to get a law created, so why couldn't I get one repealed. I think he saw my point.

So if anyone say's one person can't make a difference, they are wrong.

[Rocky7]

Originally Posted by Scar270

Interesting that in my discussion with a SRD guy I was told that my cause basically doesn't have enough people interested in it to get it through, so I pointed out that just myself managed to get a law created, so why couldn't I get one repealed. I think he saw my point.

So if anyone say's one person can't make a difference, they are wrong.

If you can do so, why not post contact particulars for this guy? I, for one, would call him. Maybe others would, too. Might not get the law changed, but at least he'd know there are "enough people interested" and that news might get farther up the food chain in Edmonton.

We are a motley crew of different ideas and willingness but with some common interests. I used to think it would naturally help to have one, giant gun organization. There's a logical argument for that. But I've changed my mind - I think this country has too much history of divide-and-conquer politics, too many regional differences to manage one, or even two, big organizations. The big ones are good but need help. Furthermore, when I look at the U.S., I see somewhere over 200 gun organizations. We all know about the big one, but there are plenty more. That's worth considering because they've been a lot more successful than we have. I've also looked at how our opponents have been successful. They hived off into several clone organizations and I think it gave the media and politicians the appearance of a groundswell. It never hurts to consider others' successes and how they did it. So, I'd like to see many gun advocacy organizations and I think they will need to be regional in order to find enough common ground and common politics to be effective. That would also give us many laboratories to try things and learn what works, what doesn't. It would give different homes for different folks. The big orgs don't need to be affected by that and in fact I think they would be helped.

Thanks for your efforts, Scar270.

You might see your effort as a failure, but I don't. It is never a failure when you stand up. That eventually makes for better gun laws and makes for a better society along the way. Truck on.

[Scar270]

I don't consider it a failure yet, just a set back. I think some people in SRD think I'll go away if they pass this law.

However now they just made me more determined, not only to get the handgun restriction removed, but to show off how terrible their decision making process was in this.

It's one thing to have to deal with existing laws that are silly, but when I see the sort of thought process that is going into the creation of a new law, I intend to point out the irrationality of it as often and as loudly as I can.

I think writing to the minister is probably the best way to get the point across. My contact in SRD wasn't the one that proposed it, was merely trying his best to explain it to me. I don't want to cause him a bunch of extra hassle himself, he was nice enough to contact me and have a chat about it. Anything that gets to the minister I'm fairly confident he will get to see as well.

If I find out who exactly came up with this ludicrous idea, that I will pass on. Right now I think their are a lot of SRD top staff need to hit the employment line if they really push this through. Not necessarily because they are passing a law I don't like, but because if this is the thought process they put into all the laws they put in place, they best be fired before they make any more decisions.

[Lonnie]

Originally Posted by Scar270

I don't consider it a failure yet, just a set back. I think some people in SRD think I'll go away if they pass this law.

However now they just made me more determined, not only to get the handgun restriction removed, but to show off how terrible their decision making process was in this.

It's one thing to have to deal with existing laws that are silly, but when I see the sort of thought process that is going into the creation of a new law, I intend to point out the irrationality of it as often and as loudly as I can.

I think writing to the minister is probably the best way to get the point across. My contact in SRD wasn't the one that proposed it, was merely trying his best to explain it to me. I don't want to cause him a bunch of extra hassle himself, he was nice enough to contact me and have a chat about it. Anything that gets to the minister I'm fairly confident he will get to see as well.

If I find out who exactly came up with this ludicrous idea, that I will pass on. Right now I think their are a lot of SRD top staff need to hit the employment line if they really push this through. Not necessarily because they are passing a law I don't like, but because if this is the thought process they put into all the laws they put in place, they best be fired before they make any more decisions.

keep at it and if you need help post that you do and if you get it to a point that you need a lot of signatures to make the politicians listen I would be more than happy to do that to.

[Rocks]

Originally Posted by Scar270

Ok, many of you know I've been fighting to get the "No hunting with Pistols and Revolvers" clause removed from the hunting regulations.

Well it turns out currently the actual wildlife statute says:

10 A restricted firearm or a prohibited firearm of a kind that is a handgun for whose possession the holding of a licence and a registration certificate is required by the Criminal Code (Canada), except where a person
(a) uses the handgun to kill an animal caught in a trap, or
(b) is in possession of that handgun only for a purpose incidental to that use or the reasonable expectation of that use.

So basically antique status handguns have been legal to hunt with, I really regret not being smart enough to have looked the actual statute up before. I took the regs at face value.

However I finally got the Provincial government to realize that they do have some jurisdiction, and it's not just federal law restricting us. So now instead of dropping that clause, it sounds like SRD is looking hard at making it a complete ban on hunting of big game with handguns.

If anyone on here actually would like to see us ever get to have handgun hunting in this province, right now would be a good time to start hitting up your MLA's about this. We are on our way into a provincial election, so they might even answer their phones right now.

Convince them that if they are reviewing the law it would be better to remove it then tighten it up.

Thanks.

Good thread scar. I'l definitely write some letters, I would support handgun hunting.

I also thought it was illegal to hunt with an antique status. Maybe time to go on a cat hunt?