So, Qadgop, any luck persuading the father-in-law that this is a Bad Idea? or is a heavily armed RV heading north?
He’s called it off for the present. He’s also had a positive response to medication, and is feeling much happier than before.
Yes… bears are immune to the weak power of a handgun.
The only reason not to use a handgun is that I sure as hell wouldn’t want to get close enough to use it. That being said, if you are to far away to use a handgun, you sure as hell aren’t going to use a shotgun, either.
Back to the OP, It’s not worth it. I have never been given as much as a second glance coming back home across the line, but I have a friend who’s father (an American) was coming up to go to Alaska. He was NOT smuggling a thing, but they searched his RV completely. I understand it took a couple hours. Afterwards, they apologized for taking his time up and sent him on the way.
OT
I heard about this a couple years ago… During the summer a Family was either in Northern BC or the Yukon and one of the children was attacked by a bear. One of the other kids came screaming to the campground that little Johnny was getting eaten by a bear. An American tourist on the scene ran to his RV and got a rifle he didn’t declare. Shot and killed the bear.
Canadian officials did not prosecute.
There are people who have killed bears with handguns. Usually something like a .44 Magnum. What’s wrong with a shotgun? Loaded with slugs, it should bring down a bear.
As a Canadian, Johnny, I can tell you you’re right on. I know a professional geologist who was permitted to carry, and carried, a 44 magnum revolver while mapping rocks in grizzly bear country. The police were there to take possession of it when he got off the helicopter. That gun can split the engine block of a car. Also, I read about native women in the Peace River grizzly bear country carrying a short barreled shotgun loaded with slugs when walking in the bush.
If you couldn’t tell guys, I was being sarcastic.
As another civic-minded Canuck who lives altogether too close to B.C. to want to see yet another RV full of silly guns headed through my country, I present an alternative for Qadgop’s FIL:
He can park his RV on the ferry in Bellingham, WA and get off four days later in Juneau. Change ferries, and another two days gets him to Seward, which is connected by road to pretty much anywhere you can get from the Alaska Highway. The ferry may make a stop in Prince Rupert, B.C., but as long as the RV doesn’t debark (and as long as FIL doesn’t take any of his guns ashore while playing tourist), everyone’s happy I suspect.
Heck, it’s probably even cheaper than paying for two thousand miles of gas.
His medication is even cheaper! And he’s easier to live with, per my MIL. If he changes his mind and heads to Canada with weaponry, I’ll post again.
bernse quipped:
This reminded me of the old joke about the two geologists, one a veteran, the other a rookie, out in the Canadian wilderness. The rookie notices that the older fellow has a .22 pistol on his belt, and says “Hell, that’ll never stop a bear charging at us!”
The veteran replies, “Doesn’t have to: I just have to shoot you in the kneecap and keep on running.”
What was pop’s name and address again?
Oh CSIS, if you’re listening, please pass this on to the CCRA.
Qadgop, don’t know if this is still relevant, but I came across a Guide for Firearms Users Visiting Canada at the Canadian Firearms Centre website. (The CFC is the federal agency responsible for administering the firearms laws…)
slight hijack
To start, I have no intention of taking my weapons into Canada. I want to keep them. I am also not encouraging anyone else to attempt transporting weapons.
I’ve never crossed the U.S./Canadian border and this discussion has made me curious as to how thorough a search they would do on a typical person traveling through in an RV? I can imagine places in an RV where it would be difficult for the naked human eye to detect a small weapon (slit in the mattress, fake panel in a cabinet, etc).
I realize situations will vary and may be up to the border guards’ disgression. Do they have dogs trained for weapons sniffing or is it just a human officer doing a once-over or do they make a thorough, tear-the-vehicle-down type search?
They can and will do all of the above, they are more powerful than God!