Canadian Airgun Forum

Strange, going over the allowed energy I can understand but being so vastly under? As long as you followed the range safety protocol why would they care?

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I have some airguns.

Very sad that in a Province as large as Ontario unless you own a good chunk of land good luck finding a place to shoot Airgun’s……
About 40 yrs ago my sister use to own 100 acres of land and I could shoot as much as I wanted to….it’s been 40 yrs now that I’ve been hoping to find a place north of Toronto to shoot at some cans…..good luck to me, all I do on occasion go to my basement take the guns from the safe wipe them down and put them away…. What a waste.

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HW97
FX Impact

Yes indeed it's a head scratcher. Thank God the current range I'm affiliated with in Burlington allows the shooting of both air and powder. Moreover, the $300 annual, full membership fee is quite generous compared to the fee charged by other Ranges within the Province. On top of that, I get 24/7 access. I cannot find another Range in this Province that can compare in terms of pricing and accessibility.

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Megiddo65

Lucky I believe they don't take new members for long time as tired to apply 2years ago few times and always say no spot...

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A Bunch of
495fps Springers/CO2/PCP
PAL Rated plinkers and target rifles
Finally get my PAL after 1 year waiting

I would say patience over luck as I waited 2.25 years on the waiting list before getting the call. If I had to wait another year or so on top of that, I would have done so simply because I required a range to shoot my powderburners. Currently, membership applications have been closed. Looks like I'll be a permanent fixture there until another range close by with comparable rates and accessibility pops up. Highly doubt it.

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Megiddo65

We have a local Fish & Game Assoc where I live with a $295 annual fee (incl insurance). They have 10, 30, 50, 80, 100 and 200 yard ranges. Heated shelters are used for winter shooting at the 10, 50, and 100 yard ranges. They also have a small outdoor archery range. Keys to the main gate and the heated shelters come with memberships. There is no membership waiting list and no share fees. Airguns are allowed. Unfortunately the range is inside city limits with housing not far away. That means no tin cans or steel targets due to possible ricochets. AR500 gongs can be used but must be placed inside deep bunkers. Attached is a pic of the local Fish & Game.

I once spent a lot of time at the F&G but haven't been a member in over 20 years. They have an affiliated smallbore rifle club, smallbore and CF benchrest clubs, numerous pistol clubs, IPSC, youth 10m air rifle club, and biathlon but none of that interests me these days. Instead I prefer to drive out to the country (15-20 minutes) with some airguns and plink at cans, gongs, spinners, swingers, and paper targets on crown land.

Technically target shooting is allowed on crown land unless specifically prohibited by local bylaws. But Crown lands located at about 1 hour driving north of Lake Simcoe.

Sand or gravel pits? I have seen one bigger, 20 minutes from my house to East, I know it for years, looks abandoned, have not seen any vehicle around or entering.

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FX Impact MK2 PP - heavy modded
Edgun Leshiy2 - heavy modded
and a lot more scopes with great glass

Sand and gravel pits are all privately owned in Ontario. An old, unused pit may not see any traffic but it doesn't mean the landowner isn't keeping an eye on it.

behind the old robin hood- port colborne. when i was a goonie- this place used to be pretty much our back yard playground. it wen,t from just going out to enjoy it catchng snakes and frogs--shoot our pellet guns-- free camping--and as we got(ahem cough cough) older enough- to find someone old enough- to buy some booze for us-- our drinking spots. we had free reign. the last time i walked through it-- to me for the last 65 years this still remains almost exactly the same. except there is a paved trail along the edge now that goes to dain city. these pics were taken when i could still walk good. the pond is mud lake where we used to swim and even made a raft . i was thinking of going and do some plinking out there. but nowadays i,m not so sure. seems there are eyes every where. but it sure would be better than my little garage. double click for bigger pics.

Nice place but I think it is too close to residential and too risk to play there.

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A Bunch of
495fps Springers/CO2/PCP
PAL Rated plinkers and target rifles
Finally get my PAL after 1 year waiting

I know you are from Ontario but i wanted to add precisions about squirrel hunting in Canada..

Squirrel hunting is only legal in five provinces

- B.C.
- Manitoba
- Nova Scotia
- Ontario
- P.E.I.

And i believe that ALSO includes pest control (meaning without a license but for an acceptable reason). Ontario has a season for squirrel hunting, requiring a license, and pest control is allowed all year without a license.

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Springers, lead... and time!

What? Never heard of any restrictions on shooting squirrels in Saskatchewan. They are a pest so free to shoot whenever you want unless in a town/city that does not allow shooting of firearms or air rifles within town limits.
What we call gophers here in Saskatchewan are actually a ground squirrel and I know for certain they are free to shoot anytime but as far as I know in Saskatchewan and Alberta tree squirrels are fair game all year round.

Sent from my SM-A536W using Tapatalk

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Website: https://airgunarcheryfun.ca/

I get what you mean and understand how the whole things presents itself as a resident of SK.

Appart from the 5 provinces i listed in my previous post, every other province makes it illegal to "casually hunt squirrels". As mentionned, also, most of them have ways to dispose of squirrels in accordance with laws, that is, when they are acting/being/classified as pests in the present context.

Getting rid of pest might not seem very different from hunting but there is a huge difference. That's why i wrote "casually hunting" up above. When it comes down to your particular case, in 2010 the SK government has declared ONE TYPE of squirrel as pest, not all of them. And yes, as you said, the
Richardson's ground squirrel (Spermophilus richardsonii), often called a gopher, is what is allowed to be dispatched under the pest control/wildlife management.

here is a link to a CBC archive post from 2010
https://web.archive.org/web/20100327124 ... -pest.html

Gray, black and most other "tree squirrels" are still on the no go list tho. It could very well be one of thoses things that is not enforced at all where you are and that would explain how you see every single type of squirrel hunting as being legal.

In the end, pest control and hunting are 2 very different things when it comes to laws and wildlife management.

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Springers, lead... and time!

Ok thanks for the info. I was ignorant of the law, apparently because squirrels are pests on farms, especially with wood grain bins as they make a real mess, so I grew up knowing we were free to shoot them. I didn't realize they weren't fair game outside a farming area where they are causing trouble.
Good to know! Thanks

Sent from my SM-A536W using Tapatalk

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Website: https://airgunarcheryfun.ca/