What if You Were Warden?: Investigating Deer Hunters

[rick_iles]

If there is an open season for big game, you cannot carry slugs or buckshot if you do not have a licence and tag for that big game.
Pembroke CO's regularly bust guys for hunting bear without a license if they have slugs with them while bird hunting.

From the regs:
Firearms
If you are hunting small game in an area
where there is an open season for deer,
moose, elk, or black bear, you may not
possess or use a centre-fire rifle or shells
loaded with ball or with shot larger than
No. 2 shot (non-toxic equivalents include
steel shot larger than triple BBB, or bismuth
larger than double BB), unless you possess
a valid licence to hunt deer, moose, elk
or black bear as the case may be

You are correct. However, you can’t carry a shotgun loaded with both slug and birdshot, as in the video.
If you say you are deer hunting, your gun can’t be loaded with birdshot. If you say you are bird hunting, you can’t be loaded with slugs. The fact that there’s an open season and you have a big game licence, your gun is still loaded with birdshot which is illegal.
You can’t do both at the same time....
Sections 75 and 77 Ont. Reg. 665/98 refers...

[punkrockerpj]

You cannot hunt small game with anything larger than #2 shot during a big game hunt unless you also have a license to hunt big game at that time.

Where does it say in Ontario that you cannot use a slug for rabbit hunting?

anyone here ever shoot a rabbit with a slug?
the sick part of me is semi-curious of what would be left...

[werner.reiche]

You are correct. However, you can’t carry a shotgun loaded with both slug and birdshot, as in the video.
If you say you are deer hunting, your gun can’t be loaded with birdshot. If you say you are bird hunting, you can’t be loaded with slugs. The fact that there’s an open season and you have a big game licence, your gun is still loaded with birdshot which is illegal.
You can’t do both at the same time....

I think you can be hunting "both at the same time". As long as you have both licenses.
If you had a double gun and had a slug in one barrel and birdshot in the other - well then you're hunting birds with one barrel and slugs with the other.
I've been checked by CO's when I was carrying both shot and slugs - they are okay with it as long as you have both licences.

If you said you were specifically hunting deer, but had birdshot with you and a small game license - well that would be a bit strange.

The thing I find strange about this law and it's enforcement is that it's okay to carry slugs when no big game season is open - but as soon as one opens, then you can't.

[werner.reiche]

anyone here ever shoot a rabbit with a slug?
the sick part of me is semi-curious of what would be left...

I've shot both grouse and rabbits with CF rifle. Just shoot them in the head.

[werner.reiche]

You are correct. However, you can’t carry a shotgun loaded with both slug and birdshot, as in the video.
If you say you are deer hunting, your gun can’t be loaded with birdshot. If you say you are bird hunting, you can’t be loaded with slugs. The fact that there’s an open season and you have a big game licence, your gun is still loaded with birdshot which is illegal.
You can’t do both at the same time....
Sections 75 and 77 Ont. Reg. 665/98 refers...

Section 77 clause 2 explicitly says that you can do both at the same time.

Despite clause (1) (b), a holder of a small game licence, when in an area during an open season in the area for a species of big game, may possess and use,
(a) in the case of shot made of steel, shot that is not larger than triple BBB steel shot; or
(b) in the case of shot made of bismuth, shot that is not larger than double BB bismuth shot. O. Reg. 665/98, s. 77 (2).

[rick_iles]

I think you can be hunting "both at the same time". As long as you have both licenses.
If you had a double gun and had a slug in one barrel and birdshot in the other - well then you're hunting birds with one barrel and slugs with the other.
I've been checked by CO's when I was carrying both shot and slugs - they are okay with it as long as you have both licences.

If you said you were specifically hunting deer, but had birdshot with you and a small game license - well that would be a bit strange.

The thing I find strange about this law and it's enforcement is that it's okay to carry slugs when no big game season is open - but as soon as one opens, then you can't.

Yes, some sections say “use”, others say “possess”. Again, with all these laws, it boils down to who checks you and what his/her interpretation is....

[werner.reiche]

Yes, some sections say “use”, others say “possess”. Again, with all these laws, it boils down to who checks you and what his/her interpretation is....

Both the official regs and the summary state "use" in this case with regard to a holder of both big and small game licenses.

If you don't have the appropriate license, the word "posess" applies.

Not a lot open to interpretation. It's actually all pretty simple and straight-forward.

[rick_iles]

Section 77 clause 2 explicitly says that you can do both at the same time.

Despite clause (1) (b), a holder of a small game licence, when in an area during an open season in the area for a species of big game, may possess and use,
(a) in the case of shot made of steel, shot that is not larger than triple BBB steel shot; or
(b) in the case of shot made of bismuth, shot that is not larger than double BB bismuth shot. O. Reg. 665/98, s. 77 (2).

No, 77 outlines the size of shot #2, that is prohibited...the exception are noted in the clauses that mention bismuth and steel shot sizes.
Nothing in that section says you can load slugs and birdshot at the same time..

[fishermccann]

Does it say you can't? Or are you reading more into it than is there...in writing?

[werner.reiche]

No, 77 outlines the size of shot #2, that is prohibited...the exception are noted in the clauses that mention bismuth and steel shot sizes.
Nothing in that section says you can load slugs and birdshot at the same time..

Despite clause (1) (b), a holder of a small game licence, when in an area during an open season in the area for a species of big game, may possess and use,
(a) in the case of shot made of steel, shot that is not larger than triple BBB steel shot; or
(b) in the case of shot made of bismuth, shot that is not larger than double BB bismuth shot. O. Reg. 665/98, s. 77 (2).

Keep reading it until it makes sense.