General Hunting Travel Info
Preparing for a safari is almost as much fun as the trip itself.
by Diana Rupp
The anticipation has been building for months, and at last the day is almost here. I’m getting ready to leave for a safari in Namibia, via a flight to Washington, DC, where I’ll connect with South African Airways to Johannesburg, and then on to Windhoek. My duffel is stuffed with safari clothes and soft-soled leather boots and lots of additional stuff I probably won’t really need; my rifle is sighted in and ready to be locked in its case; three boxes of ammo are locked in a hard-sided pistol case inside the duffel; and my carry-on contains my passport and a sheaf of other paperwork as well as cameras, reading material, and a variety of sleep aids for that 16-hour ordeal in coach.
They're big planes, but they seem awfully tiny when you've been wedged in a coach seat for hours and hours.
READ MOREA New Wrinkle for Hunters Transiting the Netherlands with Hunting Gear.
As if flying with hunting gear weren't difficult enough already, Sports Afield has learned of a new wrinkle that affects hunters flying through Amsterdam, a common transit airport for hunters flying to Africa. The Hunting Report recently reported that police at Schiphol Airport are actively searching bow cases for broadheads and threatening hunters with fines and jail time if they find them.
Three bowhunters reportedly had their broadheads confiscated this season. The police told them that all arrowheads are illegal to possess in the Netherlands, as are folding knives. These hunters did not attempt to bring their hunting gear into the country-only transit the Netherlands on the way to Africa-and they had declared their bows and arrows at check-in with Delta and KLM, but were not told it was a problem.
READ MOREWhat you should know about bringing your trophies home after an international hunt.
By Michael D. Faw
If you hunt outside of the USA, you know that bringing back any trophy, including hides, horns, antlers, and other animal parts, means completing many forms and following numerous regulations. A good example is the five-page Federal Fish and Wildlife Permit Application Form for the import of sport-hunted bontebok (misspelled as "bonebok" on the USFWS form) trophies from South Africa. You must also pay a $100 fee and disclose whether you have, or have ever had, any other Federal Fish and Wildlife Permits.
It's the fine details that snag many hunters. For example, before hunting bontebok, you must: confirm that the ranch where hunt is registered with South Africa's bontebok management program; obtain a letter from the landowner granting permission to cull a male bontebok on the property; understand the permit is for personal use; and be aware of other CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) regulations.
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A successful hunt begins well before you take that first step out of a vehicle, lodge, tent, or your back door. It pays to plan ahead, and this goes double when you are heading out of the country.
Keith Atcheson with a Botswana elephant.
“Staying well organized and knowing what to expect requires guidance by an experienced booking agent or professional hunter,” says Keith Atcheson, who is a representative with booking agency Jack Atcheson & Sons, based in Butte, Montana. Your PH or outfitter will provide you with the basics, but when it comes to making sure you have remembered everything and know what to expect, Atcheson says, “A good agent here in the States is usually more practical and effective."
READ MOREAn overview of the TSA rules for flying with your hunting firearms, ammunition, and other hunting equipment
By Ron Spomer
They took my Swiss Army knife. They took my mini screwdriver repair kit. They even took my tweezers once. But they haven’t taken my guns yet, and if I pay attention and follow the rules, they hopefully never will.
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