The dumb things I have done

Eric Anderson

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I stumbled into Africa Hunting. I manage the family farm in southern North Carolina. We have an old tenant house that we rent out, one renter was a former Rhodesian who’s family had to flee. Simon was in the US on a student Visa getting his masters. We became good friends. He ended up marrying a wonderful South African lady and had 4 kids here. After 10 years, they moved back to RSA. He is an avid fisherman, but knew I loved to hunt. I rubbed off on him enough that eventually I had him shotgunning whitetails off his back porch in his underwear.
So before he leaves he invites me to visit and to come hunting. He knows an old farmer who was as anti-social as they come but liked him because he had done some work for him before.
A year goes by, and I get my shit together, or so I thought. Turns old the old farmer had passed away just a few months before my trip. No problem, have fun, will travel, I have my 4457, I have a thousand dollars in my pocket. In the US there is always some public land to hunt even if you really have to work it hard.

The fun begins at JNB. Here is my form 4457, start to fill out the RSA paperwork, what is a letter of invitation? Oops... only time I had ever traveled international with a weapon was an M-16A2... I did not know about these things.
Simon and I drive to his house in Pottchefstroom. Then Simon starts working the phones. It is August, seems every PH is booked and in the field. Finally get ahold of a part time PH who has some free time. I meet him, he gives me a letter of invitation. I was just glad to get my rifle out of jail. I wasn’t expecting to be able to hunt. Mr. Mueller says he can help me out, give him a day.
Calls back the next day, how does a blue wildebeest, a blesbock, and an impala sound? Sounds great! It has to be in two days time and we only have one day.
On such a short notice, it is a rather small high fence operation. Whatever, I am just glad happy my rifle and I are not in jail and I am impressed Mr. Mueller can pull this together so fast. Had a great time. Hunting out of the bed of a truck with my good friend and another who had stopped by to visit who had a break from his school in Italy. Mike has MS and is wheelchair bound. Brilliant thought and an amazing wit that really comes out when he stops with the truly awful puns.

We spend the day driving around in the back of a Bucky looking for animals to shoot. I know that offends a lot of the purest here, but it tickled this redneck Marine pink. Had a great time with two good friends and made a new one.

Spent two way to short weeks visiting Simon and Nell and their adorable kids. Get dropped off at the airport. Penny pinching me had bought a Hotwire ticket with a different return route. Flying through Dubai on Emirate Airlines. Big problem checking my rifle. I do not have an importation permit for a two hour layover. Not a changing airline thing, just you need a $200 permit which takes two weeks to get so the police will walk my rifle two gates over.
Now I am stuck, 4 hours to takeoff. I do not have the cash to buy a last minute international plane ticket to fly back through Germany. I can’t check my rifle. I have learned some of RSA’s firearms laws and realize I can’t call Simon to come back and hold my rifle for me at his house. This goes through my head as the Emirates Airlines employee finishes telling me the procedure for flying through Dubai with a firearm. He asked me about rebooking and starting the process for a permit, but I cut him off and tell him that I am going to surrender my rifle to the SAPS police to cut up.

I walk into the SAPS office at JNB and tell them I wish to surrender my rifle and why. They remember the dumb redneck from two weeks ago. The Sgt there ask me if I am going to come back withen a year. I tell her yes wondering why that is relevant. She tells me she is going to keep my rifle in the safe until I come back next year. Wow.

Uneventful flight home.


Lessons learned:
First and foremost, God takes care of fools and drunks. I know the fool part applies, and I guess the drunk part still applies from my misadventures with Uncles Sams Misguided Children.
Second, do not fly through Dubai, ever. Fly through a first world country like Germany.


I went back the next year for a real hunt with Michael Mueller, still a high fence, but very challenging terrain in driving rain. Haven’t run up and down mountains like that with a rifle with a long time. Brought back some fond, and not so fond memories. Got a zebra I was after along with another blesbock to fill up Simon and Nell’s freezer who now had 5 kids.

I had mentioned to Mr. Mueller that I had a dream to hunt Cape Buffalo one day, but right now US cattle prices are in the pits and don’t look to be recovering for a while. He made me an offer I could not refuse about November. I worked my ass off trying to raise just enough cash, and I am heading back to RSA in June to hunt Cape.

Life is good, if only June would hurry up!
 
Last edited:
You’re going to have a great story to tell at deer camp!
 
Was the two hundred some kind of penalty or expedited fee? And, Dubai is a very first world city. I wish you well on your return trip.
 
Was the two hundred some kind of penalty or expedited fee? And, Dubai is a very first world city. I wish you well on your return trip.
The way it was explained to me, it was a $200 fee for the permit. As for Dubai being a first world city, if you have to have the police escort your firearms from one plane to another because they might “get lost”.....
 
.......... As for Dubai being a first world city, if you have to have the police escort your firearms from one plane to another because they might “get lost”.....

A creative attempt at a solution on their part from my angle.
Beats being thrown in jail for entering a foreign country with illegal firearms.

Another lesson?: International travel with firearms requires research and preparation.

Glad you enjoyed your hunting time with your friends. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
 
Thanks for sharing the story!
 
A creative attempt at a solution on their part from my angle.
Beats being thrown in jail for entering a foreign country with illegal firearms.

Another lesson?: International travel with firearms requires research and preparation.

Glad you enjoyed your hunting time with your friends. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
I am not sure I am tracking. As I remember, that was not the creative solution. That was the procedure for every firearm legally transiting the airport. Every hunter carrying their own weapon in luggage had to get a permit that cost $200 usd, wait 2 weeks for the foremothers, and the police, not baggage handlers transported the firearms from one plane to another.
 
I think their is a special God in Valhalla - probably working on a probationary basis - whose only job is to try and take care of American's traveling abroad (How did Samuel Clemens put it? - "Innocents Abroad"). He clearly drinks too much, isn't paying real close attention, and has a unique sense of humor. His supervisor is probably Loki. But he seems to usually catch the china just before it hits the floor.

To me, Dubai makes New York look like a Third World city.
 
I am not sure I am tracking. As I remember, that was not the creative solution. That was the procedure for every firearm legally transiting the airport. Every hunter carrying their own weapon in luggage had to get a permit that cost $200 usd, wait 2 weeks for the foremothers, and the police, not baggage handlers transported the firearms from one plane to another.
It is a total cost issue. I flew Emirates to Johannesburg in October. I did indeed purchase the travel permit. I also had business class tickets for less than a thousand more than steerage on Delta. Business on Delta was nearly 3K more than Emirates - the $200 seemed a pretty reasonable investment. Moreover, I frankly found it comforting to have a guy in a uniform walk my rifle to my next flight rather than some hourly wage baggage handler toss it on a cart. That is pretty close to a service.

Volunteering to store your rifle for a year sounds pretty darn creative to me.
 
I am not sure I am tracking. As I remember, that was not the creative solution. That was the procedure for every firearm legally transiting the airport. Every hunter carrying their own weapon in luggage had to get a permit that cost $200 usd, wait 2 weeks for the foremothers, and the police, not baggage handlers transported the firearms from one plane to another.

I read your post and it appeared they were going to allow you to board the plane and have an escort upon arrival.

Heathrow in London now has a specific licensed company processing firearms. No more baggage handlers. Security is the issue. Some countries take it seriously.
Come to Canada and you can carry your own firearm still. :)
 
Never paid that much myself. The airlines do like their fees though.
 
Great seat of the pants trip and story.(y) Sounds like a cost effective hunt.
 
Great story, thanks for sharing !
 
I’m beginning to think it’s easier to hire a rifle from your outfitter. I would hate to not use my rifle though, I’m use to it.
 
Great story but man, talk about winging it! :whistle: You got first prize in that department :LOL: I'm glad it all worked out. Post some pics of that buff.(y)
 
Just returned from RSA and used the Safari operators Sauer 90 in 30-06 for plains game. 7 shots for 7 animals, it was a real tack driver. Used my PH's CZ550 in 458 Lott for a Blue Wildebeest also a tack driver, only one shot required as well. As much as I would have liked my own rifle, it was a lot less worries and headaches as I also did a side trip to Vic Falls Zim, and had long layovers in Frankfurt Germany.
 
I wonder what type of paperwork it takes to show up in Joberg and claim a rifle that has been sitting there for a year.
 
I think their is a special God in Valhalla - probably working on a probationary basis - whose only job is to try and take care of American's traveling abroad (How did Samuel Clemens put it? - "Innocents Abroad"). He clearly drinks too much, isn't paying real close attention, and has a unique sense of humor. His supervisor is probably Loki. But he seems to usually catch the china just before it hits the floor.

To me, Dubai makes New York look like a Third World city.

New York city is a third world city. Over 50% of the population are 1st gen immigrants.
 
I’m beginning to think it’s easier to hire a rifle from your outfitter. I would hate to not use my rifle though, I’m use to it.
The process is pretty painless if you a) have a black pen. B) book a hunt BEFORE you arrive in South Africa.
 

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