Firearms Safety Tips For New Hunters

Here are 10 firearms safety tips for new hunters in BC, getting ready for their first season. Keep this handy and verify anything MU-specific in the current regs before you go.

1) Start with the right training.
Complete the CORE (Conservation & Outdoor Recreation Education) program, which covers safe handling, ethics, species ID and BC-specific laws. The BC Wildlife Federation offers an approved online course with an in-person exam to finish certification.

 

2) Know the law – and your map square.
Download and study the 2024–2026 Hunting & Trapping Regulations Synopsis. It’s the authoritative summary of seasons, methods of harvest, no-shooting areas, motor-vehicle closures and corrections. Carry the PDF or load the regional PDFs to your phone/GPS so you can confirm boundaries in the field.

 

3) Treat every firearm as loaded – until you prove it safe.
Keep the muzzle in a safe direction, finger off the trigger until ready to shoot and positively ID your target and what’s beyond. Federal regulations also restrict loading/handling to places where discharge is lawful – another reason to verify location before chambering a round.

 

4) Transport and store correctly – especially around vehicles.
For non-restricted firearms, federal rules require they be unloaded during transport; when you leave a firearm unattended, secure it (e.g., lock, locked container, out of sight). Overnight storage in a vehicle is not permitted; bring firearms into your accommodation, unloaded and secured.

 

5) Never shoot from a vehicle or across a highway.
BC’s Wildlife Act makes it an offence to discharge a firearm from a motor vehicle or on/across the travelled portion of a prescribed highway. Park, unload and step well away before you load, and ensure you’re within an area open to hunting/shooting.

 

6) Respect no-shooting zones and park rules.
Some corridors – especially in the Fraser Valley – have enhanced “no shooting” buffers near select roads; licensed hunting rules may differ from recreational target shooting, so check the regional PDFs. In provincial parks, firearms are only allowed when you are properly licensed and in an open hunting season for that park; discharging is prohibited within 400 metres of any park road or highway.

 

7) Get landowner permission – preferably in writing.
Many productive areas are private or have mixed tenures. Written permission is required where applicable and is always the professional approach. Some exemptions for Schedule C species still require landowner permission if on private land.

 

8) Plan your hunt with safety in mind.
Mark waypoints for safe shooting lanes and backstops, note trails/roads and identify “no-go” zones for your party. Use regional management unit maps and respect motor-vehicle closures designed to reduce wildlife disturbance.

 

9) Be bear smart and people aware.
Carry and know how to use bear spray; make your presence known when moving through dense cover; keep meat clean and hung away from camp; and give other backcountry users lots of space. The province’s outdoor safety pages are a good refresher.

 

10) When in doubt – call.
If you witness unsafe or unlawful activity (poaching, unsafe discharge, pollution), report it to the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) line at 1-877-952-7277 (or #7277 on TELUS). You can also report online.

 

Before you go: confirm your licence(s), tags and FWID; verify local/fire bans and access; and re-read your region’s pages in the synopsis. Safe, ethical hunting protects our opportunities – and each other.

 

Key sources

• BC Hunting & Trapping Regulations Synopsis (2024–2026); Hunting in BC
• RCMP: storing, transporting and handling firearms.
• BC Wildlife Federation CORE hunter education.
• BC Parks fishing & hunting guide (park-specific rules).
• Wildlife Act (use of conveyance; shooting across highways).