As I write these lines I'm finishing a lengthy sojourn in Africa--three countries in just shy of two months--thence to Spain for a short hunt, and finally home. This was a much more complex trip than most, something I don't especially recommend. Let's not even count the air travel segments. How about four separate gun permits? Fortunately, only Tanzania required a visa in advance, but since both Tanzania and Mozambique were on the itinerary, there were medical issues to deal with.
This means that a fair amount of red tape was successfully cut. I did some of the cutting, Donna did some of it for me, and some of it we left to professionals with the proper edged weapons. International travel is complex. Hunting travel is especially complex because hunters travel singly or in very small groups (there is both safety and efficiency in numbers, and we have neither); and we usually travel with firearms, which dramatically complicates things.
On the other hand, there are no insurmountable problems, and although the red tape can be onerous, there's nothing to be afraid of. I'm going to try to break it down into bite-size categories, but there are three universal rules that, if followed, will avoid most pitfalls:
Rule One: Leave nothing to the last minute! Three months out, there are no problems. One month out, most problems can be solved. Closer than that, and you're asking for trouble.
Rule Two: If you aren't sure, ask. Come to think of it, ask anyway ... and make sure the person you're asking not only knows the correct answer, but has a vested interest in giving it to you.
Rule Three: If you need help, get it ... and go back to Rule One: Don't wait until it's too late!
Travel
Maybe I'm just getting old and tired, but air travel isn't as much fun as it used to be. We all know that security is much more onerous since 9/11. That's perfectly OK with me, but getting through security is a lot more time-consuming than it used to be. For international flights from the USA or Europe, arriving at the airport any closer than three hours before your flight is pushing your luck. In more remote parts of the world, four hours ahead is often the rule of thumb, especially if you're traveling with firearms.
Another problem I wrestle with constantly is there just aren't as many flights as there used to be. It's no longer just a matter of booking early to get the best rates ... often it's a matter of booking early to get the dates you need. Just how early depends on where you're going and when you want to travel, as peak season varies widely from one part of the globe to another. My "three-month rule" (Rule One, above) generally applies--but for holiday travel, peak seasons, and most definitely if you want to use frequent flier miles for international travel, six months ahead may not be soon enough!
How you book your travel is at least as important as when you book it. Thanks to great internet engines like Kayak, Orbitz, and so forth, you can book your own travel to anywhere in the world, and you can often save quite a bit of money by doing it yourself. This may be OK if you really know what you're doing, but for hunting travel, this could be "penny wise and pound foolish." Travel with firearms is increasingly complex. Also, and this is important, a travel professional worth his or her salt will provide you with a 24-hour "hotline" number in case changes need to be made. This may not be bad; maybe you finish your hunt early, and the sensible thing is to conserve the time and come home. Or maybe there's a problem, and you need help.
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With double-digit time zone differences and limited communications, this is when a good agent suddenly becomes extremely important ... and the difference in ticket cost becomes insignificant. It hasn't happened often, but when I've needed help I've needed it badly. In 2005, daughter Brittany and I got caught in Zimbabwe during a South African Airways strike. Travel agent Stacey Gibson was on the phone day and night, and after just a couple of days' delay she got us home via Swissair--business class, thank you very much.
The itinerary I'm on right now was booked through Gracy Travel, one of the better known specialists in hunting travel. Yep, I had to make some changes and, yep, they were right there for me. Just remember, if you do it yourself, then it is up to you to fix it if there are any problems. Two things to keep in mind: First, many great travel agents don't know squat about travel with firearms, so don't be afraid to prime the pump with questions. Second, tight connections are the kiss of death. Domestic connections less than an hour are asking for trouble; an hour and a half minimum is much safer. With international connections, do not accept a booking with less than two hours between connections.
Other important travel issues are passports and visas. These are also areas where professional travel agents can help ... or you can do it yourself. Either way, my Rule One applies in spades. Make sure your passport is current and you have plenty of blank pages. Some countries require a minimum of as many as six blank pages in order to issue a visa. Obtaining, renewing, or refreshing a passport is an extra step in international travel that takes time. You can do it yourself at the post office or by printing forms from the internet and mailing them in, or, for fees, visa services and some travel agents will help you. Either way, you can't leave this to the last minute.
The rules regarding visas vary widely. Many countries will simply stamp your passport on entry; others require complex visa applications that have to go to their nearest consulate. And of course, this may depend on the passport you are carrying. When you plan a hunt, a standard question should be whether an advance visa is required, and if so, how to most easily obtain it. For U.S. passport holders, advance visa applications are uncommon in Europe, South America, and the South Pacific; almost universal in Asia; and spotty in Africa. The most complex visa application I know of is Tanzania's, but common African destinations like South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe require no advance paperwork at all.
Just make sure you find out what is required and take care of it well ahead of time. Or pay through the nose for expediting fees! This is another area that you can take care of yourself, or you can use professional visa services. With visas, I strongly recommend the latter course. Two services that I have used recently are G3 Visas and Passports (www.g3visas.com) and CIBT (www.cibt.com). Both provided great service.
Gun Stuff
Travel with firearms is red tape. It's unavoidable, and it must be dealt with. The red tape starts with U.S. Customs Form 4457, a simple little form that can be used to annotate any and all high-value items taken abroad. Note that I did not use "record" or "register." We do not (yet) have firearms registration in the United States. Any U.S. Customs office will write a Form 4457 for cameras, jewelry, firearms, whatever. It takes about two minutes, they do not keep a copy, and the form is good for as long as you own the item. There are two things that are important about this form. First, for a U.S. citizen Form 4457 serves in lieu of a gun permit pretty much anywhere in the world. Second, it is increasingly difficult to get your firearms back into the USA without this little form.
Depending on where yon live, obtaining it may or may not be simple. The nearest Customs office is a solid three hours from where I live, and since I write about guns I often have firearms that I need to "register." It's one of the biggest hassles I deal with. Deal with it! Before my current trip, I drove to the San Jose airport on pretty much the last possible day. I made it a solid thirty minutes before the office closed, the nice young Customs agent took care of me, and I headed back to the parking lot, loaded the gun case, and got in the car. Then something made me pull out my passport case and take a second look at that Form 4457. The nice young Customs agent had forgotten to stamp it--rendering it completely useless as an international document. I ran back to the office and got it stamped just two minutes before the office closed. So let's add Rule Four: Always check all paperwork!
These days there are three "gun permit" issues, or sets of red tape. First is the U.S. Customs form. In no particular order, the next two are airline/country clearances, and actual foreign temporary gun permits. The former is relatively new, but is definitely a coming thing. This is another argument for using a travel professional who has experience with hunting travel: Travel with guns isn't getting easier, and missing a step is a real problem.
Across the board, today it's wise to advise your airline in advance if you're traveling with firearms. Generally there is no issue, provided basic rules are followed: Locked, hard-sided gun case; no more than two firearms per passenger/per gun case; and firearms declared. Ammunition is a moveable feast, with the rules changing frequently and seemingly whimsically. These days, Spain requires ammunition to be packed (and checked) separately in a locked case. Since I didn't know this, I had to buy a metal ammo case in order to get out of Spain! They did me a favor; today I put my ammo in that box, with an unlocked lock, and I put it in my duffel bag. I'm ready for almost any new rules.
From North America, Amsterdam is a major hub for Europe, Asia, and Africa. For just a few years now the Netherlands police require advance permission to transit with firearms. The application is done by fax, preferably no less than a month ahead, and the system works with amazing efficiency. Note: This is not a step you want to overlook! The system works so well that I still consider Amsterdam "gun friendly," as is Frankfurt. These are your best options in Europe. Dubai is another good option. The airport there is fantastic, a great gateway to Asia with growing options to Africa. As with the Netherlands, the authorities in Dubai require advance notice of travel with firearms, but their system also works, and I'm sure this is the coming thing.
Actual "country" gun permits run the gamut. Something is almost always required, but it can range from very simple to extremely draconian. Under many circumstances your outfitter will handle it for you; all you have to do is provide make, model, caliber, serial number, and quantity of ammo at some specified cut-off date before the hunt (see Rule One). Once this is done, don't change your mind! This is the way it works in Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, some European countries, and in much of Asia.
Then there are countries that allow you to obtain a temporary gun permit on arrival. In Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe are the simplest of all--free permits that take just minutes to obtain. South Africa follows with a very complex form but with recently streamlined procedures (and a free temporary license). New Zealand is another breeze, with the forms filled out in the police kiosk after you get your bags--but you'll need some Kiwi currency for the modest fee. Argentina, too, is very easy. Actually, for them it's just a business: $50 per firearm, and they host 20,000 foreign sportsmen per year. Do the math! Come to think of it, that's the deal in Canada as well.
The most difficult situations are those that require formal gun permits in advance. Of the temporary gun permits that are possible to obtain, Cameroon is the worst I know of, not only complicated and time-consuming, but also extremely expensive--the gun permit costs more than the hunting license! Mexico falls into this category as well, with a temporary gun permit costing more than most hunting licenses. Obtaining a Spanish gun permits is also quite involved. The permit ("consular letter") is issued by the nearest Spanish consulate to the applicant, and is the only application I have ever dealt with that requires, line by line, a valid hunting license to be translated into another language (Spanish). Although complex, their system actually works pretty well, as well it should: Spain has one of the largest outfitting industries in the world.
The point, however, isn't whether a permit is easy to obtain or really difficult. The point is that the rules are the rules, and if you want to hunt in any given place, you have to follow their rules. Often the hardest part is learning the rules, so when you're planning a hunt, one of the first questions you should ask is how to get there. The second question is whether you can bring your own firearms. Sometimes you just can't! There is great hunting in the U.K., for example, and temporary firearms permits are possible ... but borrowing (or renting) a firearm is probably the simplest solution. This is not a wonderful option for a "gun guy" like me, but I have done it here and there just to make travel simpler. If you consider this option, make sure a truly suitable firearm will be available.
Health and Safety
A lot of people I talk to are deathly afraid of overseas travel, especially to "tropical" destinations like Africa. In collective years on safari, I have never missed a single hunting day to illness. Sure, there are tropical illnesses. There are also precautions and preventatives. I've been pretty lucky. I'm also not foolish, I take malaria prophylaxis when indicated--I'm on Mefloquine right now. Being horribly afraid of needles, I don't go overboard on "recommended" inoculations, but I pay close attention to required shots, and my yellow international "shot card" stays with my passport.
In addition to those basics, I carry a small first-aid kit with antiseptics and analgesics. Good antibiotic ointment is an essential, and in warmer weather I've found good old Gold Bond powder a godsend against prickly heat. Obviously it would be politically incorrect for me to recommend self-medication, but under your doctor's orders, anti-diarrhea medication and perhaps a general antibiotic will cover the most likely problem areas. That's Africa.
Elsewhere the rules don't change, except that you might substitute altitude sickness for some of the more loathsome tropical ailments. I got serious altitude sickness once, and I never want it again! My doctor doesn't see me very often, thank God, but he sees me before every mountain hunt so I can get a prescription for Diamox, a common medicine for reducing fluid buildup, and for me a miracle drug for high altitude.
Another genuine miracle these days is the wonderful sunblock we have. Fair-skinned as I am, I got burned so badly as a kid that wearing sunblock today is probably like closing the barn door after the horses are gone--but whether it's Equatorial heat or the clear skies at high altitude, sunburn can ruin a hunt. Today I use 100+ SPF from Neutrogena, wonderful stuff! Under the heading of preventive medicine, it's also worth noting that you can't catch an insect-borne disease if the insects don't bite you. So use a good insect repellent. Sawyer's is one of the best I've used and, amazingly, even seems to turn tsetse flies.
The other thing you should do is play the "what if" game. I really don't worry too much about getting hammered by a buffalo. That stuff happens and cannot be discounted, but the greatest risks in international hunting are much more mundane: Spraining an ankle on a mountain, having a horse fall on you, or, perhaps most dangerous of all, a vehicle accident on a Third World road. Stuff happens. Rarely, but it happens. If you get dead, you are somebody else's problem. If you get hurt, you want to get to the best care available, and you want to get home. (Not necessarily in that order, depending on the circumstances.)
Medical evacuation is shockingly expensive, so it's a good, idea to carry a plan or membership that will cover such an eventuality. I make no secret of my involvement with MedjetAssist. I was a fully paid member for years before I agreed to appear in their ads, and I remain a member. I've watched them orchestrate evacuations from some really weird places, and I trust them. There are other competent services, but I've made my choice. You should make yours, but do not leave this one to fate!
Suppose you do have a problem. How are you going to tell someone? I carry an Iridium satellite phone, and it works very well all over the world. There are other, newer systems that might be more compact, and there are also effective satellite internet connections. I also put an "international chip" in my cell phone, and that works pretty well when I'm in town. The satellite phone works everywhere, and here's a surprise: Today, satellite phone minutes are cheaper than international cell phone minutes. Most outfitters have some form of emergency communication, but it's a good idea to take your own. Whether you should own a unit or rent it depends on how much you travel. Explorer Satellite (www.explorersatellite.com) is hunter-friendly and can set up the right system for you.
One step I do not personally take is to take out trip insurance. But you need to evaluate this for yourself. Trip insurance is costly; the most recent quote I checked (for my age group) was about 7 percent of the trip cost. Depending on your age, health, and variables such as the projected stability of where you are going, trip insurance might be a sound option. Any good travel agent can provide information, and of course you can also get specific insurance on firearms, optics, and other valuable equipment to be carried abroad.
No, I don't do that very often, either. Truth is, during what has been a very active, and very long, career of international hunting, I've had very few problems--and exactly zero problems that I consider "serious" (this definition clearly varies!). I try to plan well, and I try to plan well ahead, and, perhaps most importantly of all, I try very hard to deal with good people. But perhaps I've just been lucky!
STORY AND PHOTOS BY CRAIG BODDINGTON
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