Canada travel

[Sunset]

A friends son works for CBSA at the Douglas border crossing north of Bellingham, south of Vancouver.

Firearms are a major issue at this border. To the point where they are now charging people who make false declarations. And impounding vehicles.

This is one of the major reasons for spot vehicle and RV searches.

He claims that finding handguns in the side pocket of a car door, under the drivers seat, or illegal (in Canada) guns and ammunition in RV's headed to Alaska is no longer an unusual occurrence. So they are clamping down big time in order to get the message out.

If going to Alaska, a person can get a permit to bring a legal gun (certain types of rifle) through/to Canada, or if just going to Canada and want to shoot for one of the allowed reasons.
However, it's a big pain in the butt and not an easy process, plus it costs some money.
So not the type of thing I'll do as it's just not worth it to me.
It would be easier to fly to Alaska directly, and check baggage with some guns declared in the checked baggage, which is allowed.

Last time I read, bear spray is allowed, if truly is bear spray and not pepper spray and it's declared as bear spray.

 

[explanade]

Is it because they don't want Americans going up there and hunting game without a hunting license?

 

[Sunset]

Is it because they don't want Americans going up there and hunting game without a hunting license?

Not sure if you are joking

It's because folks in Canada don't have a Constitutional right to own a gun.
So the gun laws are much more restrictive than most (all) States in the USA.

 

[explanade]

Not sure if you are joking

It's because folks in Canada don't have a Constitutional right to own a gun.
So the gun laws are much more restrictive than most (all) States in the USA.

I heard they had a lot of guns though, maybe hunting rifles?

 

[Sunset]

I heard they had a lot of guns though, maybe hunting rifles?

More like some of them have gun(s), the primary purpose is hunting.

When I lived there decades ago, I had 2 rifles.

Basically, a person can get a rifle(s), as long as you get firearm license that has to be renewed every 5 years, cost is not trivial, and are over age 18.

To get a hunting license, you have to pass a hunting course at a cost again.

Handguns are very restricted, and pretty much forget about a carry license. They also have to be registered.
Right now I think they disallowed the sale of handguns totally.

When I was there, if I had a handgun, I could keep it in the house, and take it locked to the range, and then back home. Not allowed to just keep it in the car and go visit folks or drive around.

They ban the sale of military style guns, including the AR15.

Last Summer when I told some friends in Canada that I had a few guns, and would take some on vacation to FL, they were shocked and a bit upset at me. I hadn't realized how sensitive gun ownership was up there.

 

[Koolau]

More like some of them have gun(s), the primary purpose is hunting.

When I lived there decades ago, I had 2 rifles.

Basically, a person can get a rifle(s), as long as you get firearm license that has to be renewed every 5 years, cost is not trivial, and are over age 18.

To get a hunting license, you have to pass a hunting course at a cost again.

Handguns are very restricted, and pretty much forget about a carry license. They also have to be registered.
Right now I think they disallowed the sale of handguns totally.

When I was there, if I had a handgun, I could keep it in the house, and take it locked to the range, and then back home. Not allowed to just keep it in the car and go visit folks or drive around.

They ban the sale of military style guns, including the AR15.

Last Summer when I told some friends in Canada that I had a few guns, and would take some on vacation to FL, they were shocked and a bit upset at me. I hadn't realized how sensitive gun ownership was up there.

There was a woman at w*rk who mentioned that one of her co-w*rkers had a carry permit. She was shocked and went on and on about it. I didn't tell her that I too had one.

I suspect that could be why Canada was giving me such a once-over about fire arms upon entry. It wouldn't surprise me to find out that USA shares such info with Canada.

 

[brett]

Successive Canadian Governments have had a goal of reducing the number of handgun deaths from approx 2 per 100,000 population to closer to the UK or to the Australian number of approx 1 per 100,000.

No idea if this number is static, growing, or lessening.