When Will We Be Hunting Abroad

[Tazz]

I have to say that my trophies have taken from as little as 6 months up to a year, but the quality of them has been excellent. Although SAA are ok now, the biggest issue was that they have dumped their own internal services. This means changing operator's at either Capetown or Jo'Burg. This limits the carriers of firearms and the airports you can get to. Collecting and rebooking in firearms adds more time and fees as well. If you can, go vi Capetown rather than Joburg though. Much better set up there.

I have been through Johannesburg 5 times with firearms when hunting in SA, if you do all the paperwork in advance and have colour printed copies of all the additional paperwork they require, FAC ticket, passport, letter of invitation, flight details I found it relatively straight forward. The main entry desk where you are reunited with your firearms no angling for cash on the last 3 trips however if you are doing an internal flight the guys in the station desk a couple of floors up always “ask” for some reward. Great thing with hunting in Namibia is you do still go through Johannesburg but your rifle is checked straight through so you never see it till you get to Windhoek where there is a very simple firearms procedure

 

[Lochens]

Yes, I go there quite often, but it's still a bit of a chew at Jo'Burg having to go between the firearms collection desk, then the Police desk, then upstairs to check them back in for the next flight.. At Capetown the Firearms desk is next to the baggage carousel. Pick them up and out to the next flight. Firearms check in there is next to the check in desks, and nobody angling for a dash me.

 

[Lochens]

A disappointment was that Firearms carriage on SAA used to be free. They started charging in 2019 though, and of course your ammunition and Firearms must be in separate cases for SA.

 

[Tazz]

The bit I don’t get with Johannesburg OT airport is that if you are landing in Johannesburg from abroad with your rifle but booked on to a connecting flight to another airport in SA why do they do two process 1 Book the rifle out from the flight you just landed on and after a mountain of paperwork give it and the ammo back to you, part 2 you then go two floors up and book the rifle and the ammo back on to your internal connecting flight, why??? Then when you get to your internal destination in my last case Port Elizabeth you go through a similar dance where they book rifle and ammo back out to you. Other than job creation and the chance for some financial “greasing “ along the way I don’t understand the set up. However if I were “ Freed” to go hunting to SA tomorrow I would happily go through the 3 act play with a smile on my face

 

[Stalker62]

The bit I don’t get with Johannesburg OT airport...

I find the whole Jo'burgh thing so unpleasant that given the option, I would plan my trip to avoid that airport or if needed that country altogether.

 

[zambezi]

Johannesburg - perhaps my least favourite place in the world.

I second that.

KLM, Lufthansa and Ethiopian airlines are all good viable options for flying

A recent Zoom session with some southern hemisphere chums revealed that Ethiopian also fly internationally to Vic Falls. That would bypass Harare. So perhaps a Sengwa/Chizarira area hunting trip possible?

Anyone know good Zim safari operators? Any experiences with firearm carriage to Zim?

 

[Lochens]

It's because the smaller airports on your second leg, like PE, don't have any customs, so you have to book your rifles in at the arrival airport which does.

 

[bowji john]

So yeah, save a few quid and all the associated hassle -take a good camera for the "Trophies", stick to a MacDonald's at the airport and as much in-flight booze as you can throw down your neck, to numb the memories of another horrendous trip through Jo'burgh.

The African bush is the most profoundly moving place on earth

It will ''infect'' you in a way that can never be cured

The only trophy that really matters is that which comes 'home' with you in your head

I say 'home' because the bush becomes your new home - the West becomes merely a rental

 

[CarlW]

Any experiences with firearm carriage to Zim?

For many years, there has been an EU arms embargo against Zim, Vince, which also used to affect the UK. Whether those sanctions carried over into UK law post-Brexit, I don't know.

 

[Tazz]

It's because the smaller airports on your second leg, like PE, don't have any customs, so you have to book your rifles in at the arrival airport which does.

PE has a proper Border Force office that go through all your paperwork, they check what the Johannesburg guys do but it would take the same time for them to do your arrival firearms paperwork. You could do all the usual customs stuff in Johannesburg as a traveler and they could route your firearms through to PE or any other SA airport and do all the Firearms stuff once at final handover not 3 times, job creation and graft no other reason. It’s one of the positives I get from hunting in Namibia travel through Johannesburg airport but all your bags and firearms routed straight through you don’t pick them up till you are in Windhoek and simple process there with no “greasing” at all in and out in 10 minutes

 

[Lochens]

But this is South Efrica man.

 

[Tazz]

But this is South Efrica man.

Exactly my point

 

[tusker]

when you do get abroad to hunt, has anyone transported the meat back? Curious on the process for that although don't think ill get the chance to do that anytime in the not to distant future, thinking if I do manage to get out on moose or caribou at some point id like to bring that back with me!

last 2 trips to Namibia we brought back Oryx, Springbok and kudu all vac packed and frozen wrapped in newspaper in our suitcases most of it was still frozen when we got home. Never challenged and no problems . If we had been stopped and asked we would just have said yes we have got meat at which point it would be confiscated and would have been told not to do it again.
Tusker

 

[bfltd0]

last 2 trips to Namibia we brought back Oryx, Springbok and kudu all vac packed and frozen

Essentially a much higher class of bushmeat. Unfortunately, tasty but still illegal.

 

[tusker]

Essentially a much higher class of bushmeat. Unfortunately, tasty but still illegal.

Also brought back Moose from Estonia ,never a problem. my mates from Finland took back from UK a whole Muntjac each Frozen in their suit cases they had them full mounted when they got back.
Tusker

 

[Pine Marten]

Also brought back Moose from Estonia ,never a problem. my mates from Finland took back from UK a whole Muntjac each Frozen in their suit cases they had them full mounted when they got back.
Tusker

Back when we were in the EU, that was all fine. Not so much now I think you'll find.

 

[bfltd0]

Back when we were in the EU, that was all fine. Not so much now I think you'll find.

Oh yes, those were the days......................

Now where is that Brexit thread?

 

[Tazz]

Oh yes, those were the days......................

Now where is that Brexit thread?

Was there a Brexit thread? I must have missed it, I'm sure it would have been well balanced and non emotional

 

[Tazz]

As I look at the second wave devastation caused by CV19 in the developing world and little vaccine impact my hope of getting out to Namibia/SA in the Autumn of this year is fast ebbing away. Plans are now spring of 2022 at best. Equally given how many other European countries are getting in to more lockdowns hunting in Europe is also not looking likely. I know it’s only “hunting” in the grand scheme of things but to those of us who are involved in it it’s important to us and to the places where we spend that money, those guys have had a torrid time with plenty of overheads and no clients. I hope my prediction is wrong

 

[Heym SR20]

I am not sure we will ever get back to pre-Covid cheap air travel. Many aircraft have been laid up and cost of getting airworthy will probably be prohibitive. As recently as the 1990’s cost of flying to and from Africa was eye watering for most. In the future I think long distance travel will be beyond the pop down Namibia for a weeks hunting at less of a cost than Scotland type option.

If you go it will only be worth going for a good long time, during which you might do a bit of hunting.

As for quarantine, vaccinations etc, we are well used to Yellow Fever and mandatory Vaccines in many parts of the World. Covid won’t be any different.

And it may be the return of the ocean liners. Jump aboard, quarantine in your cabin for few days, until you pass negative tests and then enjoy pleasures of long distance sea journeys. Arrive at your destination quarantined.