Curious question.

[B22004x]

Is it legal to hunt rabbits with an air rifle on private property?

I own a Daisy 1100 rifle, and a bb pistol (dont care for firearms). But my uncle owns a shipyard, and there are a quadzillion rabbits (along with other rodents) running all over the bloody place.

I'm thinkin about rabbit stew....

[overthetop]

I think if they are not open or being hunted as a pest or vermin you can't eat them.

[B22004x]

I think if they are not open or being hunted as a pest or vermin you can't eat them.


I dont think I'm gonna do anything about them... I was out working today, and one of the little fella was hoppin around me, so I crouched down, and stuck my hand out, making that sound when trying to call a cat... And the little bugger came up and sniffed my hand a couple of times...

Damnit I hate it when they get cute...

The bushy & non-bushy tailed rats are fair game, but the rabbits are just too cute....

[overthetop]

the rabbits are just too cute....

:laugh wuss.......J/K

[B22004x]

:laugh wuss.......J/K

Yeah well, what can I say. The little guy approached me... and I kindda got soft...

[mtnman]

You have a private message.

[smac]

air rifles are legal for small game. no pistals in BC.

you need a licence for rabbit, and they have seasons.

where is the shipyard? you pretty much can't shoot anywhere in the lower mainland. (including air guns, which are considered firearms in BC). even though everyone does.


edited. you might not need a licence on your property for rabit if doing it for property protection. but then no eating (who would ever want to eat an animal living in the city anyways!! god knows what they were eating.)

[Lone Ranger]

Hmmm so I guess shooting pillows in my room with my pellet gun's illegal then.....

[Waggie]

the fine line drawn to decide if it is a firearm has to do with the speed at which the projectile travels. it is measured in fps (feet per second) I dont remember what the particular speed is but I think it is around 300fps.

*although... they may have changed this since I took my firearms course.

[B22004x]

air rifles are legal for small game. no pistals in BC.

you need a licence for rabbit, and they have seasons.

where is the shipyard? you pretty much can't shoot anywhere in the lower mainland. (including air guns, which are considered firearms in BC). even though everyone does.


edited. you might not need a licence on your property for rabit if doing it for property protection. but then no eating (who would ever want to eat an animal living in the city anyways!! god knows what they were eating.)

After spending a great deal of time at the shipyard, I have come to see that the "quadzillion" rabbits I was informed about are in reality about 10 or 12, and I think they might have been or still are someones pets, because they're all pretty tame. They dont run terrified when someone approaches. and a few of them have come up and taken food from my hands.

I saw first hand the non bushy tailed rats today. holy cr@p they're HUGE. One was sitting behind one of the buildings @ riverside looking at me, at first I thought it was a cat, then I realized it was a rat.

[brian468]

only 300 fps waggie? damn my newest compound bow is now a firearm :D

[overthetop]

I thought it was higher than that.

[Moose good]

And here I always thought a firearm used expanding gasses to propel the projectile and that's why air rifles are and crossbows aren't...

[B22004x]

the fine line drawn to decide if it is a firearm has to do with the speed at which the projectile travels. it is measured in fps (feet per second) I dont remember what the particular speed is but I think it is around 300fps.

*although... they may have changed this since I took my firearms course.

It has, the maximum is 500 or 600 fps before your pellet gun has to be registered, but you dont need a license until it exceeds 1500 fps. Winchester makes a pellet rifle which is 2100 fps.

[mtnman]

Air rifles, BB guns, etc are classed as firearms in BC.

Anything that fires from an explosion, compressed air or a spring.

[overthetop]

did you just make that up? from http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wild/resident/resident_firearm_regs.htm


As of January 1, 2001, the Wildlife Act will now accept a FAC, Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) or Possession-Only Licence (POL) for the purposes of carrying a gun in the bush. If you borrow a firearm you need a valid FAC or the new federal firearm licence (PAL, or POL) unless you are being supervised by someone who is legally allowed to have that firearm.

Also.

As a resident of the province, you need a Firearms Acquisition Certificate (FAC) or the new federal firearms licence (PAL or POL) in order to legally possess firearms in BC.

You don't need a liscence or to be supervised with a pellet gun.

[smac]

federal law = who can buy / own guns.

pellet guns over 500FPS = firearm. need PAL to buy / use. have to register.
pellet guns under 500FPS = not firearm. anyone can buy / use (maybe 18 age limit?)

BC law / city by laws = where you can use them.
all BB and pellet guns = firearms. which means you can't shoot them anywhere a real gun can not be used.

BC law says no hunting with handguns. since pellet / bb = firearm. this means no hunting with pistal pellet / bb guns. unlike most provinces which allow it.

[mtnman]

Read it yourself.

Definitions:

Page 3, third item in the right hand column, under the picture of the elk.


http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wild/documents/h&t_synopsis_part_1.pdf

[B22004x]

Read it yourself.

Definitions:

Page 3, third item in the right hand column, under the picture of the elk.


http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wild/documents/h&t_synopsis_part_1.pdf


Loaded Firearm - means any firearm
containing live ammunition in either the
breech or the magazine. A clip containing
live ammunition, when attached to the
firearm, is considered as the magazine.
Muzzle loaders - see page 17

Pellet/BB guns DO NOT contain LIVE AMMO. So how can they be considered a FIREARM. from my perspective, they cannot as it is impossible for them to contain LIVE Ammunition.

[mtnman]

I'm not arguing, but I still maintain that on page 3 of the regs synopsis it states that the definition of a firearm includes pellet guns and BB guns.

[lars]

Pellet/BB guns DO NOT contain LIVE AMMO. So how can they be considered a FIREARM. from my perspective, they cannot as it is impossible for them to contain LIVE Ammunition.
Ammunition for a muzzle loader is a lead ball which, obviously, isn't "live," and yet it is clearly a firearm.

I forget which regs stated it, but air guns are considered firearms if they pass a minimum projectile velocity (around 800 fps, I think).

...lars

[overthetop]

We are all wrong. Read the part he told you to read under the elk. The only definition that matters here is the one the CO goes by. This is not subjective people. Read it and admit you were wrong. :sorrysign: As for the pellet gun not containing live ammo, by that definition if there is gas or a compressed spring in the gun, live!

[Coalsmoke]

An airgun I picked up a few months back was over 500fps and thus needed proof of PAL but for some reason I can't remember if its registered. :rolleyes: If it is, it was done electronically at the store and I have yet to recieve a mailed out copy compliments of our gov't.

[skeletalmachine]

According to an avid air rifle collector I know, pellet guns are considered firearms federally if the muzzle velocity excedes 500 fps. You will then need a PAL to purchase or own such a gun. It will also need to be registered. This is why you find so many air rifles rated at 495 fps so that they can be sold easier in Canada (mine is rated at 495 fps but the same model in the US is rated at 500 fps).

This law is somewhat silly since muzzle velocity doesn't directly measure the power of a weapon. A .177 cal air rifle firing at 500 fps is a lot less dangerous than a .50 cal firing at the same velocity. Also, muzzle velocity can vary depending on the mass of the pellet used. There are light weight plastic pellets available that can make almost any air rifle excede 500 fps. Muzzle eneregy would be a far more rational rating system.

[overthetop]

The muzzle velocity may matter when it comes to registering it or not but read the regs...they are all firearms.

[Lone Ranger]

Now, back to the rabbits... I'd still shoot (or trap) and eat them :redneck