Any Regulations for with Traveling with Bow

bashaw

bashaw

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I'm headed to Namibia to hunt with Kowa's Safari's. I'm a Rifle hunter mostly and will rent a Rifle from Kowas, after I found out how much Condor Air fee is. Part of my hunt is a Cull hunt so I'm thinking about taking my Bow for some practice on the cull animals. My Bow fits n standard size case so it's not oversized and I don't see anything that says I need to declare my Bow and arrows. Sounds easy to me, BUT! let me know what the traveling Bowhunter has experienced flying.
 
If you go through Amsterdam they do not allow broadheads.
 
7 years ago went on our 1st safari to Kowas. Went thru Frankfurt. No one looked in my bow case coming or going. Anytime anyone asked I just said it’s a bow and they said ok. Rules may have changed now.
 
Enjoy your bow hunt. Your intended route should be fine.
 
I flew thru Frankfurt in 2014, no issues. Last year Dulles to Ethiopia to Windhoek, no issues. My bow was taken to security in Windhoek as they thought it was a gun, but a quick check and they gave to me with no issues.
 
I flew through Frankfurt last year with Condor to South Africa, 2016 and 2013 to Namibia with a bow on other airlines, never an issue.
As mentioned above Amsterdam doesn't do broadheads and isn't gentle about it. Otherwise you should be fine.
 
We left our cases unlocked when we checked into the airport, since they look like gun cases. We showed the gate agent they were bow cases then locked them up with TSA locks, and zip tied the remaining hasps.
In RSA coming home we didn't show them they were bows, just declared them as such. Locked them and checked them. They did have duck tape and "BOW & ARROWS" written on it on the back of the case. I believe that was applied in Jo'Berg at the airport.
We did put clothing in our bow cases returning home as well.
 
KLM website states no sharp archery gear in carry on bag, must be in check bags?

Prohibited items
Firearms
In your hand baggage, you may not bring any guns, firearms or other devices that are capable (or appear to be capable) of being used to cause serious injury by discharging a projectile. This includes, but is not limited to:
  • Firearms of all types, such as pistols, revolvers, rifles, and shotguns
  • Toy guns, replicas, and imitation firearms that can be mistaken for real weapons
  • Firearm components (except telescopic viewing equipment and viewfinders)
  • Air pistols, air rifles, pellet guns, and BB guns (ball bearing guns)
  • Signal flare pistols and starting pistols
  • Bows, cross bows and arrows
  • Harpoon guns and spear guns
  • Slingshots and catapults
You may bring firearms and ammunition for shooting and hunting purposes as check-in baggage, but only if you have all the required permits and licenses, under certain strict conditions, and after reserving for transportation.
 
Yep, put them in a checked bag. I'd be shocked if you got through TSA security with them anyway.
Dee S said:
KLM website states no sharp archery gear in carry on bag, must be in check bags?

Prohibited items
Firearms
In your hand baggage, you may not bring any guns, firearms or other devices that are capable (or appear to be capable) of being used to cause serious injury by discharging a projectile. This includes, but is not limited to:
  • Firearms of all types, such as pistols, revolvers, rifles, and shotguns
  • Toy guns, replicas, and imitation firearms that can be mistaken for real weapons
  • Firearm components (except telescopic viewing equipment and viewfinders)
  • Air pistols, air rifles, pellet guns, and BB guns (ball bearing guns)
  • Signal flare pistols and starting pistols
  • Bows, cross bows and arrows
  • Harpoon guns and spear guns
  • Slingshots and catapults
You may bring firearms and ammunition for shooting and hunting purposes as check-in baggage, but only if you have all the required permits and licenses, under certain strict conditions, and after reserving for transportation.
Click to expand...
 
I have to laugh, I'm sorry. It's so easy to misinterpret written words and even my spoken words, with my redneck accent, get mixed up as well. :)

I would never carry, nor am I suggesting to carry, broadheads in your carry on bags. I just keep reading different versions of the 'law' in Amsterdam, specifically and only related to the airport. To be clear, all of my archery equipment, all of it, go inside my checked bags.

But there seems to be differing opinions on Amsterdam. And when I mention that I'm inquiring about archery equipment in checked bags, someone still tells me "for firearms I need permits, etc."

I was merely trying to determine, from reading the past posts, if a person has archery equipment in their checked luggage, lands at the airport in Amsterdam, their luggage never leaves the care and custody of the airlines, in this case KLM, said person stays inside airport, never goes past customs/TSA/security/etc., never leaves the airport, has a four hour layover, boards the plane, never seeing the checked luggage. Is that permitted and legal? According to KLM, it is permitted, at least according to their website.

As one can come to learn by reading the fore mentioned posts, there are plenty of varying 'opinions' if you will. I was just trying to clarify based on what KLM states to see if someone has had first hand experience with this issue.

With a bow/arrow equipment, NO FIREARMS/AMMUNITION.

After all that I've read, and after tonight, I'd like to just avoid the layover in Amsterdam if at all possible, just in case.
 
Fair enough. Unfortunately the Dutch haven't been very reasonable in the past. So, maybe they won't check your bags and all is good and maybe they slap your hand, confiscate them and move on, or maybe they make your life very unpleasant. I suppose it depends on if you are an optimist, pessimist or realist. If you're heading through Amsterdam I suggest using a broadhead your outfitter can get locally and have them do so and just have field points in the case. If you feel like testing the waters include some in your baggage and let us all know how that worked out.
 
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