CO vs. OPP

[Guest firebird]

What is the rule on having an unloaded gun (ammunition in the console) in your truck during hunting season (which you have a license/tag for), during the day? I am asking because i was driving to my partridge spot and had my .22 on the passenger seat and i got pulled over by the OPP and got a real hard time about the rifle being out in the open. Also what are the two opinions on having proof that the rifle is registered (which it is).

[Guest Patch]

Your firearm must be encased 1/2 hr after sunset to 1/2 before sunrise. If it is daytime and in a vehicle, it must be unloaded (your magazine may be loaded, but not in the firearm). If you are not with your vehicle and the firearm is inside it, it must be out of sight. In this instance it looks like you were following the rules. You don't mention where you were stopped, but I'd suggest not taking the firearm out of its case until you are in the area you want to hunt.

If asked, you must provide proof of ownership of your firearm which is the registration. It is an offence not to carry it and produce it when asked.

[Guest MNR]

Your firearm must always be unloaded (nothing in the pipe or magazine and the clip must not be attached) when in or on a vehicle (anything that is driven, propelled or drawn on land or ice by any kind of power, including muscular power, and includes the rolling stock of a railway). The firearm must be encased (closed-in on six sides) between ½ hour after sunset to ½ hour before sunrise.

What you didn’t mention, was where you were stopped by the OPP. If it was in the village of Kakabeka Falls or on the Trans-Canada Highway, then I can understand why the OPP officer may have asked some pointed questions about the firearm. While it may not be illegal to have it unloaded on the passenger seat of your vehicle, it is still advisable to leave your firearm in its case until you arrive at a place where you can legally discharge it. In this way, you will avoid putting yourself in a position where an officer may have doubts about your intentions.

On a related matter, you should be aware that in Northern Ontario, you can’t discharge a firearm, from, across, or down the travelled portion of a maintained roadway.

All firearms must be registered. If you are asked for proof of registration, you must provide it. If you cannot provide it, your firearm will be seized and you will be required to provide proof of registration before it is returned.