Traffic stop

[u/shaunderford]

Hello just wondering if I’m legally transporting a firearm (non restricted) and I am pulled over by a police officer am i under obligation to inform the officer i have a firearm in the vehicle?

[u/Geralt-of-Rivai]

Nope. And I wouldn't recommend it, you're just opening yourself up to more trouble, a cop that could be set out to nail you with something and cause you grief. Now if they ask if you have any weapons, firearms in the vehicle don't lie. You can say I have a valid PAL and I have my non restricted firearms in my vehicle. Do not offer to show them or let them see them. If they want to you can say they can follow you to a gun store/range where it's safe to open them up but never volunteer to handle firearms at the roadside. If they want you to step out and do a search of your vehicle themselves they need to have just cause, they don't have an automatic right to search your vehicle just because you are a PAL owner during a routine traffic stop. Keep it out of plain view and keep your right to remain silent

[u/cartman101 → u/Geralt-of-Rivai]

Funnily enough, you don't even need to keep your unrestricteds out of plain sight. You could have your 12 gauge on your dash, and it should be ok

But here's a pro tip my firearm instructor gave us. In rural Alberta, the cop is probably fully aware of firearms rights, laws, and the culture. He might just ask to see your PAL and compliment your gun.

In Downtown Ottawa however...you might way more hastle, just cuz it's unusual.

[u/grathontolarsdatarod → u/cartman101]

I was out in crown land and there was a single conservation officer doing a check point, pretty far into the only road in. Seemed like he was doing a check for firearms. Cause that was basically his first question of consequence.

He got us out of the vehicle to have a look (we didn't refuse) and he went through about half a dozen firearms each that we had brought to play with. He asked about and searched for restricted and then we talked about the firearms we had and we'd be going and if we were staying the night. Crown shooting was basically our only menu item for the day.

I was aspiring for my first hunt at the time and he had experience so I actually had a lot of questions for him, we were probably stopped for about half an hour before we kept on.

We even commented on him being alone. He said that they have good radios and most people are just like us.

Another year, me and the same guy met at a coffee shop to transfer firearms we were lending each other. And that should have been CLEAR for anyone watching unless you'd ever even seen a gear bag or know a manufacturer. There was a gaggle of RCMP just the row of car over having a confab and watched us do everything. We just waved, my buddy stayed with the cars and I went to get coffees. Stayed for a little visit like we had planned. Not a pip for them. They cleared out before our visit was over.

Also got pulled over, alone, moving stuff from a storage unit near a protest. Fine. He asked my questions about my exhaust. When then wanted in the cargo area. I paused and smiled. I told him I was moving things from my storage unit but told him "sure". There were two pieces of brass about deck and he asked about them. I saw them and told that I probably missed them from being out of crownland. I pointed out that one of the pieces of brass was for a wildcat round that you actually can't buy in Canada and put that one in my pocket. He took my information and I was on my way.

Those are all my experiences. There is a lot of potential for things to go weird if the cop is weird, and highly dependent on where you are and what's going on.

The last one was kind of annoying. But i figured that since there was a huge protest nearby, they gonna do what they are out there for.

[u/ThrowRA_That_Owl_25 → u/grathontolarsdatarod]

You let that CO violate your rights 🙄 because you didnt mind. FFS.

[u/grathontolarsdatarod → u/ThrowRA_That_Owl_25]

The check point was a bit odd to me. My guess is that they were looking for a specific type of people and probably based off a complaint. I drove a real bush pig at the time for that kind of stuff.

There was a rash of poaching happening at that time, and also the area had been recently "discovered" by covid apartment dwellers.

COs are odd to me, but I know their powers of seizure are not to be triffled with.

But I get what you mean.

[u/Additional_Fold_1350 → u/grathontolarsdatarod]

CO's arent all that bad, though alot of them I run into are young bucks fresh out of training.

Ive educated a few of them on transport through the years. Had one guy even ask to shoot my crossbow when he seen a crossbow target out with me during hunting season one time. He had never shot a crossbow so we pulled up to a cutline down the road, set the target 20 yards down and shot for 20mins. Then he asked if I actually had a hunting license and checked it LOL. CO's most of the time are just people, lots of them are hunters and gun guys too.

I have no problem chatting guns and bows with them during hunting season, or even trading flies come fishing season. I tie my own so usually give out quite a few during the season, much more than what I lose. Ive only ever had CO's check my lisence fishing if they can see me from the road though, and my preference is high mountain streams and issolated no name creeks in the Alberta foothills. It's rare to see anyone let alone CO's which is why I like it. Id rather drive 3hrs to get to my spots, shooting/hunting/fishing than go run into people during the day. Which is sort of why my 17yearold and I are going to start sheep hunting next year.