First time to Africa in November. We are flying into NJ then have to take a shuttle to JFK in NY City. Any issues transporting two rifles in a locked case? Any permits required.

Then we are flying into RSA and catching a flight to MAUN Botswana. What is required in these countries?

Thanks in advance guys.

I'd be equally concerned about the permits in Jersey.

I've had no problems in NY with long rifles in a locked case but next time travel via Atlanta. Once, upon arriving back in NY, the airlines would not release my rifle case until I showed them my license to possess a firearm in my home state. They could not understand in Alaska nothing is required. A bit of time and it was all sorted out.
Enjoy the heat of Africa's November!
Cal

I'd recommend you use a good travel agent that is used to booking traveling hunters. Kathi Klimes, who posts here, would be one. I've used Gracy Travel and Steve Turner with Travel with Guns. They know the requirements and will make sure you have what you need.

You definitely need permits for Botswana. Your outfitter or PH can help with that

You will also need permits in Johannesburg if you collect your rifles and don't check them straight through to Maun.

But even if you try to check them straight through, you may have problems. When I left Maun and tried to check rifles to Atlanta, the folks at air Botswana told me their label thing was broken and they could only send it to Johannesburg.

So I had to collect them in Johannesburg, run to the saps office for a permit just to carry it across the terminal to check it on my delta flight home.

Get permits for everything and still be ready for something to happen with extra copies of everything.

Knowing what I do about gun laws in NJ, if there is any way to change your flight and skip NJ I would do so ASAP! 2nd choice is to talk to one of the gun knowledgeable travel agents around here. I grew up in NJ and left a long time ago and have some knowledge of this. Good luck.

It is a lot easier to rent/borrow guns. I have done this on my last 3 trips. No problems at all.

I live in New York State, and fly in and out of Newark with firearms with no problems; it's a lot easier there than in LaGuardia, just because the facility is newer. Never had any problems with TSA or Port Authority. (Just flew to/from JFK for a Namibia plains game hunt, and had no problems at all there, either.)

My friend's girlfriend is a very good, very dedicated skeet shot, who regularly flies out of state to compete in various events. She makes a point of driving from Connecticut to Newark, believing that Newark is less of a hassle with respect to firearms than any other facility in the area. She's been doing that for many years.

I say the above assuming that you're dealing with rifles; handguns are a completely different story, and would almost certainly get you into some fairly unpleasant situations.

As an aside, and with reference to lavaca's earlier post, I booked all travel through Steve at Travels with Guns. First-class treatment and abundant hand-holding all the way. Couldn't have asked for better.