2025 SCI Convention Archives -

SCI Convention – “Travel with Firearms”

One of the perennial seminars offered at the Safari Club International Convention is on how to travel safely and legally with firearms. As with past years, this seminar was offered as a panel discussion.

The panelists were:

Bob Keagy – SCI Travel with Firearms Subcommittee Chair
Barbara Crown – SCI Hunter Information Service Liaison
Craig Boddington – author and well-known hunter
Jacky Keith – Esplanade Travel
Anne Gaines-Burrill – Hunter’s Support and Travel

L-R Gaines-Burrill, Keith, Boddington, Crown, Keagy

Bob Keagy acted as the moderator for the seminar. He noted in his opening comments that his first guided hunt was in 1962 out of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He went on to say that hunters who travel with firearms will have to deal with numerous types of bureaucracies both at home and abroad. Keagy’s general advice was to do one’s homework, use the expertise of your guide or outfitter, and to use SCI travel database for country and airline regulations.

Next up was Craig Boddington who brought over 40 years of experience to the table and who has hunted in over 50 countries. His first admonition was to ask your outfitter whether you could bring your own firearms. The follow-up question to your outfitter was whether they had firearms available for you to use.

Craig then went on to add a number of points:

You need to understand the laws in the country to which you are traveling
The easiest countries to hunt with your own firearm are South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe
Your up-to-date CBP Form 4457 is your proof that you own the firearm, optics, and accessories
Include your firearm and optic on the Form 4457. It serves to show the rest of the world you have a “permit” from the USA
Have a secure case that is in good shape. Every lockhole must have a lock.
Know the TSA and airline rules so you can talk the agents through the rules. Have a copy of them with you.
Within the US, your limit on ammunition is 11 lbs or 5 kg.
Some airlines allow you to put ammo in the gun case while some do not. Craig puts his ammo box in his duffle.
In the European Union, you will be charged a handling fee for your firearms for each airport
Always keep your ammo in original factory boxes with the caliber matching that of the box. This is true even if handloads.
If traveling to a country where you haven’t been before, he suggest using a travel agent
Avoid short connections. Allow four hours minimum in between connections
Turkey doesn’t allow you to use the outfitter or PH’s firearm
If you are taking a suppressor, not only put it on the CBP Form 4457 but take a copy of your tax stamp
Traveling through multiple countries on your trip can be problematic.
Finally, your ammo box doesn’t have to be complicated. He uses the plastic ammo cans that can be found at Cabelas, BassPro, and even Harbor Freight.

Following Craig was Barbara Crown of SCI’s Hunter Information Services. She said that as a member of SCI you have access to an entire range of information on airline regulations on travel with firearms. Checking it myself just now I see that it goes from Greece’s Aegean Airlines to Canada’s WestJet.

Barbara went on to emphasize that permits and forms are for a specific firearm. For example, if the permit says it is for a Browning .30-06, you can’t substitute your Remington 700 in .30-06. With regard to the Form 4457, she said only to use the one without an expiration date on it. If you are hunting in Mexico, know that they track your optics as closely as your firearms. With regard to Canada, be aware of their banned list.

Jacky Keith of Esplanade Travel has been working as a travel agent for over 50 years. She strongly suggested using a qualified travel agent. She noted that many can be called or emailed anytime especially if you run into difficulties. She urged that hunters use travel agents that are specialists in working with hunters that travel with firearms. Finally, she suggested travel insurance so that your hunt is insured.

The final speaker was Anne Gaines-Burrill of South Africa. Her company provides meet and greet services. She made the following points regarding South Africa:

Firearms permits should be pre-issued. It is required in every city except Johannesburg
You should have a separate CBP Form 4457 for your suppressor
South Africa wants your Form 4457 issued in the year of the hunt. You may have a perfectly valid one from last year but the South African police are sticky about it.
No one under the age of 21 can bring in a firearm unless exceptions are made
Have a separate policy insuring your firearm.
Medical evacuation insurance is an essential – use Ripcord or Global Rescue

In the Q&A that followed, a representative from Silencer Central had some advice if you are traveling with a suppressor. You should know that eight states ban them including Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and California which have major airline hubs. If transiting through those states and you are delayed, do not take possession of the suppressor from the airlines. Let it remain “in transit”. He also said you should have a copy of your tax stamp as well as your trust document if the suppressor is on a trust. When filling out your CBP Form 4457, you should put the suppressor in your name and not that of the trust.

I am not a world-class hunter who has traveled to many countries on hundreds of hunts. However, I did hunt twice in South Africa last year. On one trip I took my own firearms and on the other I used the camp rifle. In the end, I think the cost worked out about the same. I had to rent the camp gun which was the equivalent or a bit more than the cost of SAPS permits and using RiflePermits.com. The other issue for any hunter is the fit of the firearm and the eye relief of the scope. The camp rifle and scope were not perfect but they worked. On that trip I was traveling standby so taking my own firearm could have turned out to be a nightmare. The bottom line is that both methods work. You just need to figure out what works best for you and use the advice of the experts above.

SCI Convention – “Know Before You Go”

One of the beauties of the Safari Club International Convention is that there are a number of free seminars that cover everything from how to deal with firearms issues when traveling to an update on firearms laws impacting hunters and gun owners.

Michael Coppersmith of Coppersmith Global Logistics and HuntingTrophy.com is an experienced international hunter and a customs broker. His hunting division specializes in helping hunters bring their trophies back from faraway places ranging from Africa to Asia to New Zealand and every place in between. At the SCI Convention, he gave a seminar entitled, “Know Before You Go”, which contained a number of invaluable tips based upon his and others experiences.

Before you go:

Obtain confirmation that your PH (Professional Hunter) is authorized to hunt on the land
Ask for Letter of Permission
Does he or she have professional association membership
Check the regulations for firearms in that country
Check ammunition limitations
Check with the airlines on their firearm and ammo policies
If you are transiting countries on the way to your final destination, check their policies. This is especially true for Europe.
AES (Automated Export System) filings for firearms may be required
CBP Form 4457 – sign in front of the Customs & Border Protection officer and always keep the originals
For South Africa, SAPS 520 is required. A company like RiflePermits.com can assist with this
Your ammunition must match the caliber of the firearms

Coppersmith said it was wise to create a Firearms Packet. In that packet you should place a copy of your passport, the flight itinerary, copies of your Form 4457, and your Invitation to Hunt which our outfitter will provided. I might suggest making multiple copies of this packet and keeping one in your luggage and one in your gun case.

Other suggestions include to use non-TSA locks on gun cases, to advise your credit card companies that you are going abroad, and to always use your full legal name on all documents. With regard to taxidermy, it pays to obtain “hunt tags” in advance (Coppersmith provides them to their customers) and place them on the skull, cape, and horns. This assures that it is your animal returned to you. Coppersmith also suggested using odd colored (neon, red, yellow, etc.) zip ties to affix the hunt tags. You can find the zip ties on Amazon. (#commission earned)

When your completed taxidermy or “dip and pack” animals arrive in the US at a port of entry, you could clear them yourself. That said, using a broker is usually worth the expense. If there are errors in your paperwork, the customs broker has more leeway to correct errors.

Coppersmith had some tips to follow while you are overseas and on your hunt:

Determine what kind of mount you want at the beginning. It will determine how the animal is skinned
Determine who will do your taxidermy (if any). Will it be done in the US or overseas?
Taxidermy tends to be cheaper overseas but you pay higher freight costs
Obtain a copy of the Hunt Register
Each individual need his or her own hunt register
Everyone should have their own documentation. Do NOT combine with others.
Don’t ship curios, etc., in with your trophies. Put those in your suitcase.

CITES animals will require more paperwork. The animals in question are going to be country specific. You will need an export permit from the country of origin. If it is a highly endangered animal, expect lots of paperwork. In the US, the Endangered Species Act trumps CITES. Animals listed under the ESA-Threatened are possible to be imported. However, you will need assistance with the paperwork from an organization like Conservation Force. ESA-Endangered animals are impossible to import. I asked about cheetahs as a Namibian outfitter had them on his trophy list given they were common in his area. The answer was absolutely no.

When you return home to the US there are a list of things you need to do:

Advise your customs broker if using one
Give the broker a US Customs Power of Attorney
CBP Form 5106 – Importer Identity Form
All documents must have your SSN and Passport ID
Determine whether to have trophies shipped by air or by ocean freight. Air is more expensive but is preferred for the most part.
Ask for a quote on both methods of shipping
Always request copies of documentation prior to export for review by yourself and your broker

Coppersmith then went over the clearance process. All shipments can be inspected by all agencies involved. Moreover, it it is a CITES animal, it is required. The order of inspection starts with the US Department of Agriculture and the CBP-Agriculture inspectors. It then goes to US Fish and Wildlife and finally to US Customs & Border Protection for approval.

Finally, he went over the costs involved. You have the cost of your travel, the cost of the hunt, and permits and fees. Next would be the foreign taxidermy or, if being mounted in the US, dip and pack. The latter is where they kill any insects on the trophy and then package it for shipment. Once it is ready to ship, you have the cost of shipping, documentation, any export fees, and crating. Once the trophies arrive in the US, you have your customs brokerage costs, warehouse fees, US Customs fees, USFWS inspection fees, final shipping, and, if being mounted in the US, taxidermy costs. From an earlier seminar a couple of years ago, I can realize why many just commemorate their hunt with photos and video.

All in all, it was a very informative hour of our time. If you get the chance to go to the next SCI Convention, I would urge you to take advantage of this seminar which I believe is offered annually.