Here are some quick take-aways from the trip to Zim and RSA, just completed:

1. Firearms permits in RSA...if you intend to hunt at all in RSA, make sure you get a TEMPORARY IMPORT PERMIT not an IN TRANSIT PERMIT...some of our group got the wrong kind despite specifying the right kind in the application (which was handled by Afton) and we had to get them reissued on the ground when we came back through Beit Bridge for the RSA portion of our hunt.

2. There was nobody who knew their ass from their elbow at Beit Bridge so we had to follow the SAP guy to the Firearms office in Musina to get our permits reissued. Wasted the morning.

3. Pilferage is rife at JNB and TSA locks don't stop them...I had a videocamera removed from my bag and the TSA lock was still locked when I received the bag, a day late, in Vic Falls. Any heavy bag, particularly the small black ones with wheels, will be gone through. Get trip insurance people, and make sure you read the fine print (you have to report the loss to the police or the policy won't pay).

4. Security staff at JNB upon arrival are openly asking for tips when you sign the logbook upon arrival. Same upon departure when you fill in the logbook. The only good thing is you now carry your own rifle to the security office on departure so the friendly bag carrier is no longer there to ask for a tip. I saw several hunters handing over cash to the security staff and this now creates a situation where if you don't tip, you will be viewed as a bad guy. We have created this problem, I am afraid to say.

6. To expedite your firearms permit (assuming you haven't got one in advance), you should take photocopies of your support docs (ticket, invite letter, passport, 4457 etc) and if your passport no. hasn't changed, they can look up your details on the system and issue your permit very quickly. I would go this route instead of doing it in advance given the problems with the wrong kind of permit being issued.

6. There is no longer a two-tier exchange rate in Zim. But the local currency is losing value so fast that you don't dare carry any. Went from 15 billion to 45 billion to the USD in 10 days while we were there.

7. Zim was quiet (at least Vic Falls, road to Bulawayo, hunting, and then to Beit Bridge) with hardly any roadblocks, post elections. Just don't take photos of road blocks or any official buildings. Fuel not a problem to get but still private sources only, best I could tell.

8. Customs checked my 4457s coming back through Dulles, as well as those of all other hunters on my flight, against the actual firearms. This is a first for me. However, they didn't bat an eyelid when I declared some taxidermy items from 2 years ago that I brought with me as checked and hand baggage..didn't even check the paperwork and no interaction with dept of agric at all.

9. Hunting was excellent ... both for PG in Zim (we hunted the Drummond Ranch - Bubiana - in Zim) as well as birds near Pietersburg/Polokwane in RSA.

10. Afton is doing barbecues in the garden instead of taking hunters to local restaurants. Louis is very poorly.

11. The flights on SAA are still pretty full and the seats on the Airbus are as cramped as ever.

12. While there have been some cancellations this season in Zim, hunting is still going strong. The PH we work with (Ben Kotze) has had his best season ever, in terms of utilization as well as success.

That pretty much covers it.

Thanks for the up-date.

I think many of us look forward to returning to Zim, but are waiting to see how it shakes out with Uncle Bob.

TJB

Good feedback Russ. Doesn't sound a whole lot different than when I was there last year.
Thanks,
Scott Hayman