Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada Compare life in the USA, vs, Canada?

Dual citizen here...last 12 years in BC where we retired after working for 6 years. I came to BC for a great job opportunity and haven't regretted leaving CO after 35 working years there. In the mining industry, I saw a lot more similarities than differences between CO and BC. I will say that it was easier to find well trained mechanics and electricians in BC than in CO. The labor laws are very similar. The BC Ministry of Mines was much better at working cooperatively with the mine operator than MSHA (Mine Safety and Health Administration) in the US, which was mostly an enforcement agency with an attitude. BC pays better, but depending on the exchange rate, it can be a wash. Cross border tax rates aren't all that much different, but a pain to do..requires a tax accountant in our experience.

Deer and elk hunting is a whole lot better in CO than BC with better game management etc. I'm not infatuated with the results of a 3 month rifle seasons for deer, nor with all the antler point restrictions on deer, elk and moose. BC wins out with 15 huntable big game species vs 10 in CO. There are a whole lot of black bears in BC. Lots of goats too, but I don't take advantage of that opportunity. Hunting Stone sheep every year in north was great...so was helping a buddy get his first ram. More sheep opportunity than CO for sure. Caribou and moose are fun too.

Miss the ability to carry a S&W 329 or 629 when bowhunting in grizzly county, but have gotten use to bear spray.

I know of numerous hunters who have no problem with carrying a handgun as a backup in grizzly country. One guy said he has never had a game warden ask if he had a pistol in the truck and he has never volunteered the information so it has worked out well for him! BC's wildlife management is pitiful. GD

When I compare rodeo people- we are the same.
Big city people are also the same.
When Canadian's travel, they are advised to wear a Canadian pin . We do get a little better treatment when we are identified as a Canadian .
Canada is a big place and I don't identify with much of it though.
Ranching, Rodeo folks etc - we are identical.

comerade;
Top of the morning to you my cyber friend, I trust that this second Sunday in April finds you and yours well.

We're sort of getting spring here, but it's been freezing at night enough to have me not hooking up the irrigation quite yet, but the Saskatoon trees and Arrowleaf Balsamroot are starting to bloom.

Hopefully I'll be forgiven for repeating this story again, but it was a time when I wasn't identified as Canadian and I thought it was rather humorous.

As a general rule we usually tented on our family vacations, but as we'd experienced the storms and wind that Cody, Wyoming can get sometimes, we stayed in a hotel that night which had both showers that we all enjoyed and a pool that the girls made use of in the morning. It was I'll note before forging onward a beautiful, sunny morning considering the wild thunder and rain storm the night before.

While I was standing at the poolside watching our girls, clad as usual in hat and boots, a chap approached me and asked me something or other regarding local sights to see.

When I replied that I wasn't a local and was a Canadian, he replied in a less than complimentary way, "Well you look like a local. Where are you from?"

I replied British Columbia and was about to add where in BC we came from when he cut me off, "You don't look like you're from BC. I've been to Vancouver, you don't look like anyone I saw there..."

Anyways, it turned out he was from a larger urban center on the eastern seaboard, exactly where I've misplaced in my memory banks this morning comerade, but since he'd visited Vancouver, he felt he understood what this rather large landmass and diverse group of inhabitants represented, or so I was given to understand by him put better perhaps.

We're certainly less rural and relaxed here in the Okanagan than when we moved here in '84, but even on a busy day Kelowna does not come close to Robson Street in my experience.

Our youngest daughter lives down there in the big smoke and she seems to like it, but it's a bit busy and congested for my personal comfort level.

All the best to you all.

Dwayne

Yes that is 100% correct. My dad immigrated to Canada because he was hired as cow boss for the Gang ranch in 68. We ended up owning a ranch in northern BC. All my US family on my dads side are cowboys and ranchers. Thats all they have ever done. Canadian and American ranchers are the same breed. If you rodeo much you have probably ran into my cousin, Terry Carlan. He's been judging rough stock events ever since he quit riding a decade or so ago.

80% of people in the western half of the country do NOT trust their Federal government

The Canadians I meet traveling seem to be more liberal about spending money that the US counterparts. Just a general observation and my opinion only!

Take care Dwayne...good story

we will always welcome you.

I just want to get BACK into Canada so we can get back onto Anticosti deer hunting. That trip is SUCH a morale builder for my wife. Anticosti is the ONLY reason she and I BOTH have our Covid shots. PLEASE open the border.