Alberta welcomes boar hunters

I may be mistaken, but I believe you can use a pistol on private property in Alberta. If this is so (check first) it could be done if you had permission from the land owner to hunt the boars on his land. Most ranchers and farmers would be happy to have the boars removed from their property, since the lil' buggers wreak havoc on crops, animal feed, soil, etc. The land owners who are affected are pretty pissed of right now with these escaped pigs, so it probably wouldn't take much convincing to be able to hunt on private turf. I am not much of a rifle hunter myself, but I was an avid archer in the past. I think bow hunting would be a fun way to take out these pigs; arrows will often pin up a muscle making it difficult for the boar to charge. If you are quiet too, chances are the pig won't even know where the hell the arrow came from either. A spear? yikes, too risky for these old bones, heheh.
 
You may be right. I was thinking of it from the perspective of an
American wanting to import a handgun for hunting (which is the wrong context for this discussion).

One CA rancher who lets some friends and me hunt on his property has experienced hogs killing newborn calves. He hates the pigs so bad that he won't eat the meat. He says that in his mind, it would be like eating rat. 'Course he's a beef rancher and that may color his outlook!

DancesWithKnives
 
Heheh, if he ever won a trip to Bangkok he'd realize that eating rats there is about as common as us dining at KFC. ;) Probably tastes better too, and half the grease!

I enjoy eating shark, and the strange part is that this is due chiefly to the fact that I was a scared Canadian surfer in Oceanside CA during the 60's, so you do the math. On a similar page, you'd think a rancher who has been plagued by boars would revel in the opportunity to make one of the pests a dinner item. Ah well, to each his own, heh.
 
There are no provisions for using any restricted weapons for any hunting anywhere in canada AFAIK. You might get away with it on private land, BUT BUT BUT as far as I know, Restricted arms are only LEGAL to use on a registered shooting range, with all of the required paperwork. Also never assume that you will be welcomed with open arms. Every farmer I know has horror stories of idiots with guns on their land, and most are leery of having just anyone show up, especially if its "to shoot stuff" You will have a much better chance by being respectful, letting them know what you want to do, telling them your disposal plan, and giving them time to think and let you know when is a good time for them. Deer and coyotes do more damage to crops and livestock than the pigs do, but there have been enough asses, that finding hunting land is getting mighty hard.
 
Hmm, I really cannot speak certainly about the handgun laws in Alberta. I know it is likely easier to get a federal grant to start a grow-op with subsidized dealer fleets than it is to get a FAC in Canada, so it wouldn't surprise me to learn that it is simply a "no pistol" law right across the spectrum in Alberta. The wild piggies are in the top 5 official pest list for Alberta, however, and honestly I feel the only way a rancher would oppose your bagging the lil' buggers is because he wants the bounty cash for himself. Oil is $36 a barrel now (was $140 in July) so this has a lot of Albertans reaching for the piggy bank (OK, pun intended). Wow, a stupid pig is worth more than a barrel of crude... who the hell would have thought this possible last summer when basking in the sun, sipping a cold one in the yard, eyeing the grounded classic muscle car in the driveway.
 
Firearm Law in Canada almost all comes from Bill c-68, its progeny and a few small legacy bills. Provinces decide what exact laws are for hunting, but they have to fall under C-68. I just don't want people to go out with the attitude that they will be universally loved, because they may not be.
 
Of course, there is ample crown land in the affected areas too, and the boars will wander aimlessly into these regions as well. Personally, these are the areas I would prefer anyhow, since you wouldn't anger a land owner if you were to make a fire and camp out for a few nights. I spoke with a few fellows who allow hunting on their properties, but have strict rules against open fires, and understandably so.. especially when some yahoos toss broken bottles, jagged cans and garbage into the fire leaving a hell of a mess behind. I'd like to think most hunters are respectful, but it takes that select handful of idiots to ruin it for everyone, much like the litterbugs we read about every year who wreak havoc on the offroad areas on the May long weekend. My son goes biking in those places and he says it is just horrific what kind of mess some people make out in the bush, either with massive trucks making ruts or just plain littering. I agree with you, one should certainly explain their intensions to a land owner before hunting hogs on his property. He would certainly need to be assured that you are not just a rowdy group of beer swillers looking for a free place to camp and make a mess.
 
Boar feral hogs over about 100lbs are usually strong flavored,sows are on the other hand usually sweet regardless of weight.
In Texas they sometimes trap the hogs and cut the boars and turn them loose and in a while their meat is sweet.
Here in West Virgina apparently feral hogs are almost nonexistent for some reason.
 
Although a moderate size sow will generally be the better freezer stuffer, I've had quite a few boar that tasted just fine (usually around 120-200 lbs). I was really worried about the 275-300 pounder but we got him cleaned and cooled quickly and he ate great. Nonetheless, if you target sows you'll typically have better meat and reduce the population more quickly.

DancesWithKnives
 
Unless things have changed since August 2002 it is illegal to hunt with a handgun in Alberta. :grumpy:

Right now its awful cold up there though.
 
Pigs can go feral in 2 or 3 generations. Even domesticated pigs are dangerous, and kill farmers every year. They are incredibly destructive, and should absolutely be eradicated. They've caused unbelievable damage in the SE portion of the US. They aren't indigenous, and need to be removed from the gene pool.

This is one animal I have absolutely no problems with killing - just for killing (humanely of course), even if the meat isn't harvested.
 
Does anyone know whether OC bear spray is an effective backup for hog archers who can't carry a handgun for backup? Just curious.

DancesWithKnives
 
WA Martin said:
Right now its awful cold up there though.
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Boy you got that right, it's a damn deep freeze up here these days. Over the last 12 days or so, around Calgary has seen days with a HIGH of -27, and overnight lows of -35. Add a windchill on that and some days were feeling like -40. The forecast for the next little while doesn't promise any relief either, with more snow and bone chilling temperatures on the way. Definitely not an ideal time to head off into the bush, heh, not to mention driving on the horrible roads which are effectively nothing more than skating rinks with traffic lights. I've used the cold times as an excuse to sit inside by the fireplace and get reaquainted with my bottle of rum. ;)
 
No handgun hunting anywhere in Canada. Pistols and revolvers can only be discharged at approved ranges.
 
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