Canada

Brother-in-law asked me to go black bear hunting in Canada.

Unfortunately, my bubble was burst when I found out non-resident hunters can?t bring a handgun into the country.

Has Canada always been this way? Now I don?t even want to go.

I understand your pain.. We should not have stopped in 1812... I know Doug Wesson hunted with his then new 357 there so the restriction had to have happened sometime after that. I believe sometime back in the `80`s SCI brought a Canadian minister down here for a handgun hunt to show him it was the real deal and he had a great time but still would not OK handgun hunting there...

It was-NOT always so... there was a time things were no different here than where you guys are. Governments through the 50's onward to today have whittled away at handgun use and left us with the limits we're stuck with today. As it sits, guides & outfitters, trappers, and remotely situated individuals in various sectors can be approved for carry as wildlife defence (& as a trapper for dispatch as well) but that's about where it ends. Hunting itself with pistols of any kind is roadblocked.

There has been and still is somewhat of a push to have things re-written, but current government is hardcore opposite ends of the spectrum so it's an uphill battle on icy slopes with greasy treads.. if you get the drift

The support is here for it from shooters, outdoorsmen and backcountry users of many sorts, and it's gone as far as a vote provincially on more than one occasion at least in certain provinces, but we have yet to see any traction to legislative change. For the time being, no go though. But there may be a glimmer of hope on some fronts in the coming years... rumour has it Alberta is about the nearest to another preliminary vote on "wording" changes pertaining to handgun use, but where that goes and how the feds handle it afterwards depending on its outcome still remains to be seen.

Only time will tell if headway can be made. But here's hoping! Politics plain & simple is what's standing in the way.

BACK IN THE 1990's, AS PART OF A SCI HANDGUN HUNTERS CHAPTER EFFORT TO MOPEN UP CANADA TO HANDGUN HUNTING, I WROTE A LOT OF LETTERS TO A LOT OF CANADIAN OFFICIALS, WASTED POSTAGE, TOO BAD.

SEveral years ago when HHI was still alive there was a story in it about one of our members hunting with his Canadian guide's handgun for bear. You ought to check that out. I'll bet it's still OK since you're not bringing the gun in country. Check on the ammo import,too.

I don't recall the article Doc's talking about, unless it's a situation I referred to in one of my articles in The Sixgunner:
My friend Bill Shehane of Charlotte N.C. was headed to Canada for a Grizzly hunt with his SBH in the late 1970's. Naturally, he was stopped at the border, and his handgun was refused admission. I couldn't believe that Bill didn't know better; but he didn't.
Bill and I were both IHMSA shooters, and in a panic, he called Elgin Gates for advice on Canadian IHMSA shooters from whom he might borrow a handgun once he was in the country.To shorten the story, he ended up with a Ruger .357 Magnum Blackhawk, shooting a 160 Speer in front of 16 gr. 296.
Later, at about 300 yards, he and the guide spotted a grizzly and began a stalk. Unbeknownst to Bill, as they moved, the bear also moved. Suddenly the bear stood up, 10 yards in front of them. Pucker. Bill shot him 3 times in the neck and chest.
A photo of Bill and his bear is on page 316 of of the book Shooting Steel.
Still today, taking handguns in to Canada for hunting is a non-starter, and I believe it will remain so.