Gentlemen/Ladies, I need a little help here. A good friend of mine left Dallas, TX en route to SA to hunt with Mabulo Pro Safaris (small cats, rhino dart, croc, etc.). His route took him from Dallas to Toronto to London to Johannesbrg.

He was checked all through to destination, but for some reason (we think it was a last minute flight change that required a terminal change), he was forced to clear Canadian customs in Toronto. He had no Canadian paperwork - enter quagmire here.

No one at the airport could tell him what forms he needed but he was able to somehow negotiate with the Canadian officials (customs and whatever the equivelant of TSA is) and board a flight which was the not the original as he had by now missed his London flight and his Johannesburg connection. BTW - he had first class seats and now is in coach......

Now here comes the problem. He has to come home some time. I have called the Chief Firearms officer in Ontario who could not tell me what forms to use to get my friend through Canada on his return. He nervously "suggested" a temporary license.

I called the FAITC Export and Import Controls office who "suggested" either an export permit of an international import certification. As I kept asking questions for which the agent could not answer, I was told to send her an email and she would "see what she could do".

Does anyone have experience getting through Canada and if so, how do you do it?

When I hunted in Canada I was required to complete a form 909 Non Resident Firearm Declaration which was good to both enter and leave the country,. I did have to pay a fee associated with this but it was not much - $30 maybe.

You can find a copy at RCMP Form 909

However, if the rifle is checked as through baggage he may only need to pick it up and clear US Customs since it never leaves the secure area and enters Canada. The RCMP is responsible for the form 909 and may be able to answer the question in more detail.

Why in the world would anyone fly that route???

What Dave said, plus one!

Please convey our condolences to your friend. Probably not a good time to buy a lottery ticket either.

Rich

quote:

His route took him from Dallas to Toronto to London to Johannesbrg.

I am at a loss for words.

Whatever his reasons, this is worthy of note for those who may be inexperienced in international travel with firearms. NEVER, regardless the circumstances, add an additional country in your routing, as each country has their own customs rules and regulations regarding import AND export of firearms and it is almost universally accepted that they will cause you problems, headaches and nightmares as well as costing you money and delaying your hunt.

quote:

He has to come home some time.

If it were me, I would consider my return ticket a loss, chalk it up to experience, and look to get a direct flight on SAA from Joburg to Atlanta or other US destination, then home to Dallas. Heck, might as well add a few days more of hunting too.

Bad call on your buddies part deciding to take that route.

He might want to do as Bill suggested and break out some plastic and take the logical way home JNB to ATL to DFW on either Delta or SAA.

What Dave said +4.

I agree on finding a direct route home to the U.S. Why tempt fate even more? I hunted with a Canadian in Sonora, Mexico last January for mule deer,and the horror stories that he told me about his experience coming from Canada into the U.S. and then on to Mexico were enough to make sure that I never fly through another foreign country that is not needed. I agree with Dave Fulson and everyone else on this one. Chalk it up to experience and fly directly to the U.S. That would be the very best advice that anyone could give him.

Caretaker - as an option to my previous post, send a pm to jdollar, I just read his hunt report and in Sept he flew "LA to Toronto to London to Joburg to Harare" and apparantly made it there and back.

I assume your buddy was using FF miles too...

All things considered, the simplest answer is usually the best. Were I he, I would bite the bullet and go Delta from JNB to ATL.

I would agree with the posts suggesting purchasing a separate return flight

Legitimate law abiding people getting screwed and screwed again just

trying to get from one place to another to engage in a lawful recreational

activity. The day is going to come when such people will take over by

any means necessary or they will throw in the towel and give up all the

freedom they once had to pursue happiness.

I think the Chinese fire drill started with the guy buying the ticket, when he went to the airport and bought that routeing! What a dumb routeing with firearms!

........................

Well guys, not sure how he got the routing, but it may have to do with him using FF miles......I'm a kind of mind with the rest of you - 2 stops max. But alas - the deal has been done. My hope is that he will clear US customs in Toronto.

I came home from a week of hunting in Canada yesterday. Temporary gun import was not a big deal. 25 bucks Canadian and a small amount of paperwork.

http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-...mulaire/pdfs/909.pdf

As a practical matter, I do not think he will have to clear the rifles in Canada on his return trip if they are checked all the way to TX. Further, the paperwork he did on the outbound leg should be good when he returns as the temporary firearms license is good for 60 days.

The routing may be weird, but still shouldn't have been a problem. Was he flying with Air Canada? They seem to go out of their way to make problems with firearms.

Dean