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| One of Us |
Hi All, Have read several post where they talked about cleaning their boots before coming through US customs on the way home. This is our first trip to South Africa. Is this a requirement coming home and what is the procedure? Do you need to clean them and seal them in something? I apologize if this has been covered before but I did not see it. Thanks in advance. | ||
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All I've been required to do is take my boots out of my luggage and let customs spray them down or dip the soles in a disinfectant. I've never done anything special other than nock any dirt or mud off them. "...Africa. I love it, and there is no reason for me to explore why. She affects some people that way, and those who feel as I do need no explanation." from The Last Safari | |||
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Customs will ask if you have been on any agricultural property, which includes the bush, and they will spray your footwear. The last time we went I took a one of those big black plastic trash bags and put my son's and my boots in it, then just pulled the bag out of my duffle and handed it to the agent--was a lot easier than fishing around for 3 or 4 pairs of boots. LTC, USA, RET Benefactor Life Member, NRA Member, SCI & DSC Proud son of Texas A&M, Class of 1969 "A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?" Robert Browning | |||
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Their primary concern is hoof and mouth disease coming back here. They will want to ask you where you have been, and then disinfect the soles. The night before leaving, I generally knock off any mud and rinse mine. Take a couple small trash bags to keep them in, and to drop the boots back into after they are sprayed or dunked. | |||
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nine trips to africa, and I have never been asked about my boots. | |||
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I wear my hunting boots on the plane. When back into the USA I have been asked to "step in the trough", which has some liquid in it. Then you step out and "stomp" them dry. DOUBLE RIFLE SHOOTERS SOCIETY | |||
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You don't have to clean them, just have them accesable for the officials to disinfect. The soles will be wet, so a plastic bag to repack them in comes in handy if your not wearing them. "There are worse memorials to a life well-lived than a pair of elephant tusks." Robert Ruark | |||
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Thanks everyone for your prompt and informative replies. You gave me the info I needed, and I have obviously asked the right people. Thanks Again, Jim | |||
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Hey, by the way...welcome to AR! As you see, there are a lot of very knowledgeable and experienced folks on here. Enjoy! | |||
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Ok, I would definately make sure that you're boots are clean, please read my story below. When I was going through security at LAX to board my flight to New York on December 26th 2009 (just after the day with the guy who had explosives strapped to his groin area that landed in Detroit), I took my boots off as per the security protocols, and placed them on the conveyor to go through their scanner. When my boots had passed through their scanner, and I went to collect them I was asked to accompany the TSA agents to a small holding area. I was told that they had found traces of either fertiliser or explosive residue. I had been on a mates farm about 1 month previous and had walked on some cow dung. Even though I had washed my boots, they were still able to pick up traces. After 10 minutes of questioning and a pat around the groin area and some pleasant conversation (once they discovered I was from New Zealand) they let me go on my way. I tell this story to most people I meet, just to warn them. I don't know what it is like now. She was only the Fish Mongers daughter. But she lay on the slab and said 'fillet' | |||
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i can't remember an instance where our boots weren't checked. didn't make any difference whether it was from africa, new zealand argentinna etc. If you were in an agricultural area they are going to want to spray your boots. i don't travel in boots so make sure i pack them on top of the luggage where they are easy to get to | |||
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I've never been asked when clearing US Customs. However, in Sydney, Australia they cleaned my boots cleaner than they were when were brand new and returned them to me in nice sealed plastic bags so they wouldn't get the rest of my clothes wet when re-packed. I had heard that Australia was super strict about it and had scrubbed them myself before I left, but apparently that still wasn't good enough. I also heard horror stories about Australian customs but we were treated very well and the whole boot cleaning routine was no problem at all. Hell, I asked the guy if he'd clean the shoes I was wearing, too (going against my usual rule of no humor anywhere in the airport). He demurred. | |||
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Your last night in camp just ask your house-man to clean your boots and/or give instructions to him on the first day that if you leave them outside your tent in the morning (while you wear your second pair of boots that day) that you'd like them clean when you return that evening. He will take care of you. This is a necessity when hunting the swamps or during the rainy - read muddy - season. You will, of course, take this into consideration at tipping time. BTW, don't leave your boots outside the tent at night as they may not be there in the morning; critters, don't you know? Then follow the suggestions given above for your return to CONUS. Mike ______________ DSC DRSS (again) SCI Life NRA Life Sables Life Mzuri IPHA "To be a Marine is enough." | |||
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Like Buffnut upon arrival in Australia our (my wife and I) boots were checked and deemed to be too dirty...sooo I spent about 1/2 hour in a kitchen/lab scrubbing my boots while the director of the lab scrubbed wy wifes boots..they don't want any invasive plants entering the country. The funniest thing though was when one of the security ladies ran breathlessly into the lab and said that a group of US Marines (they were on our flight) just arrived from 29 Palms CA. enroute to a training exercise in the Northern Territories and their clothes were full of sand (imagine that!), the director said that the clothes would have to be "sterilized" and when we left for our connecting flight the marines had clothes strung out for 10 yards on stainless steel tables trying to get all of the sand out of them... and there was plenty of sand on the tables. Karl Evans | |||
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A number of just basic chemicals can also set off the scanner so it could be anything. I had a mate who was surrounded (nicely) by Federal Police and customs when picking up his gear after getting off the plane coming back from a hunt in Northern Aust - all he had was skulls and horns that had been dipped in chemicals. The dogs obviously thought it was something. Best to clean boots before coming to Aust, I had a pair of shoes years ago fall apart after being sprayed by them because they were dirty. It was years ago but all the same, they do look closely at them. . . | |||
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I was only asked this question at JFK airport, but it is universal. I usually wear some Merrills or New Balance and leave them for one of the staff. The key is have them where you do not have to unpack a lot. I travel with duffels and pack the boots on top if returning with them. Jim | |||
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Eleven international trips, boots only sprayed the last two, including this morning. Will J. Parks, III | |||
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I'm surprised. Every time I've returned from Africa via Atlanta they spray and bag my boots. The last time was through Dullus and they could have cared less about my boots or gun for that matter. BTW, welcome back. "...Africa. I love it, and there is no reason for me to explore why. She affects some people that way, and those who feel as I do need no explanation." from The Last Safari | |||
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Maybe it's an Atlanta thing. I have no idea how many times I've cleared customs, but never through Atlanta and I've never, not once, been asked about my boots. I've cleared in Dulles every time I've come home from Africa, and in LA coming home from the east and Australia. Occasionally I clear in Chicago coming home from Canada, though these days I mostly clear in Canada (Vancouver and Montreal) before boarding my flight to Chicago. I've never come in through Atlanta, so maybe that's how I've avoided it. | |||
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In clearing customs in Atlanta upon return (through Frankfurt) from Windhoek, when the agents learned we were hunters they asked that we take our hunting boots from our baggage so that they could be sprayed. They only asked for one pair of boots from each of us, regardless of whether we had more. And they said nothing about the footwear we were wearing. It happened that I was wearing hiking-type shoes and had taken a four-mile walk through a game park in those shoes the very morning before we departed Windhoek that evening. Now, the "hunting boots" hardly touched the ground in Namibia, and when they did it was in the very dry and virtually sterile southern Namib desert. On the other hand, the hiking shoes had slogged through the heavily populated game park immediately before boarding the plane. Apparently, the instructions to the Customs agents is Hunters: Spray 1 Pair of Boots. Beyond that, they seem not to recognize any threat to health and safety. | |||
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Watch-out for the Beagle! Mike ______________ DSC DRSS (again) SCI Life NRA Life Sables Life Mzuri IPHA "To be a Marine is enough." | |||
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same here coming home through Atlanta 3 years ago. the scary part was i was wearing my Courtney elephant hide boots i had bought in Zim 8 years previously and they are IDENTICAL to a pair of Courtney's displayed in the USFWS display cases in the international terminal of confiscated animal skin products. i had seen them before while transitting Atlanta and every time i come home via ATL, i wonder if i will be arrested or made to keep going bare foot. the USDA agent just made me step in the pan, step out and admired the beautiful leather of my boots!!! next time you transit ATL, check out the USFWS display cases in the international departure area- some of the stuff there is really interesting. Vote Trump- Putin’s best friend… To quote a former AND CURRENT Trumpiteer - DUMP TRUMP | |||
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what house man? what second pair? i guess i am just not spending enough on my safaris- and a pair of old tennis shoes( for swamp hunting and left behind at the end of the hunt) and a good pair of hunting shoes(Courtney's) for the rest seem to work out OK. Vote Trump- Putin’s best friend… To quote a former AND CURRENT Trumpiteer - DUMP TRUMP | |||
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Fresno, CA? Well, I don't know (nor do I care) how much you spend on your safaris (elephant Courtneys???), but, yeah, I guess you would be used to tracking through the mud in old tennis shoes in Fresno.  Mike ______________ DSC DRSS (again) SCI Life NRA Life Sables Life Mzuri IPHA "To be a Marine is enough." | |||
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I just returned Sunday Windhoek/Frankfurt/Dallas...My best friends kid went with me and eyedoc. He bought one of those recreation spears with the animal hide tail on it. In baggage claim another one of my friends was flying on to Oregon and he had put it in his bow case because it was long and wouldn't fit in his... We walked out of customs with a spear hanging out and camo hats boots hunting shirt etc., and they just waved us on through. She asked me if those cases had guns in them and I said no that they were bows,, she asked me if they needed a permit and I said no and she waved us through... I felf very safe with our home security but very relieved they didn't make us treat our boots, etc... you can make more money, you can not make more time | |||
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