COVID-19 "Free To Fly" procedures and tests for Americans

[rookhawk]

Thank you for all the good info. These details are why my wife and I delayed our 2021 safari until 2022. I hope it will be easier to travel by then.

Not to sound cynical, but after 8 years of going on safaris and heading on another one this week, there is no problem today that won't be miniscule as to compared with what you'll experience tomorrow.

Africa and safari hunting has NEVER got better, only worse. So deferring for better times is foolhardy.

20 years ago, zero farm murders in South Africa. You could own land if you were white in Zimbabwe.
Today - All land seized in Zim, murder on the rise in RSA.

5 years ago you could hunt any legal animal and export it to the USA.
Today - No lion imports are happening, nor elephant, and leopard is highly questionable. If Trump loses, this will be forever banned rather than a 4 year and running temporary ban.

2 years ago you could receive ivory in the USA and cross state lines iwth it.
Today - Possession is illegal in many states. Transfer, sale, or gift across state lines is banned frequently.

New permits required: 4457, SAPS, Gun licenses. Ammo licenses.

Today: Most carriers prohibit firearms. Getting guns to Africa now is often a private charter air route or a single commercial carrier.

5 years ago - Bring money and pay.
Today: Wire transfers and evidence the hard currency is coming in full, up front, from a US bank.

3 years ago - Several hunts were possible in the Zambezi valley.
Last year: Zero. All bought up by anti-hunting photo tourism firms.

10 years ago - Abundant wild areas with well managed wildlife and limited poaching.
Today - Several storied safari areas devoid of wildlife and poached out by local bush meat traders and Chinese backed ivory/rhino poaching syndicates.



You can put off any hunt but I assure you, there is no absurdly difficult process that exists this week that isn't 5x more cumbersome next year. They will end hunting by bureaucracy since they cannot do so by outright ban.

I cannot fathom the idea of giving deposits for a hunt 12 or 24 months out rather than booking in the now and hunting quickly. I have no confidence the PH, operator, bank, airline, concession, species, or nation will exist in 12 months. Americans are long term planners, Africa is a present-tense continent.

 

[Shakka]

Not to sound cynical, but after 8 years of going on safaris and heading on another one this week, there is no problem today that won't be miniscule as to compared with what you'll experience tomorrow.

Africa and safari hunting has NEVER got better, only worse. So deferring for better times is foolhardy.

20 years ago, zero farm murders in South Africa. You could own land if you were white in Zimbabwe.
Today - All land seized in Zim, murder on the rise in RSA.

5 years ago you could hunt any legal animal and export it to the USA.
Today - No lion imports are happening, nor elephant, and leopard is highly questionable. If Trump loses, this will be forever banned rather than a 4 year and running temporary ban.

2 years ago you could receive ivory in the USA and cross state lines iwth it.
Today - Possession is illegal in many states. Transfer, sale, or gift across state lines is banned frequently.

New permits required: 4457, SAPS, Gun licenses. Ammo licenses.

Today: Most carriers prohibit firearms. Getting guns to Africa now is often a private charter air route or a single commercial carrier.

5 years ago - Bring money and pay.
Today: Wire transfers and evidence the hard currency is coming in full, up front, from a US bank.

3 years ago - Several hunts were possible in the Zambezi valley.
Last year: Zero. All bought up by anti-hunting photo tourism firms.

10 years ago - Abundant wild areas with well managed wildlife and limited poaching.
Today - Several storied safari areas devoid of wildlife and poached out by local bush meat traders and Chinese backed ivory/rhino poaching syndicates.



You can put off any hunt but I assure you, there is no absurdly difficult process that exists this week that isn't 5x more cumbersome next year. They will end hunting by bureaucracy since they cannot do so by outright ban.

I cannot fathom the idea of giving deposits for a hunt 12 or 24 months out rather than booking in the now and hunting quickly. I have no confidence the PH, operator, bank, airline, concession, species, or nation will exist in 12 months. Americans are long term planners, Africa is a present-tense continent.

Hell yes my friend!!! I feel the exact same way

Nothing in life is certain anyone and the world has been turned upside down

I’m doing all the hunting I can right now as if I’m a dying man

Nobody knows what the future is going to bring

 

[Hogpatrol]

Risk is always mitigated with money.

The more money you throw at a problem, the less risk you must accept. The less money (or time, because time=money) you provide, the greater the risk.

This truth is no more certain than in the area of safari hunting. We buy down our risk by hiring travel agents, paying for gun permit advisors, hiring meet and greets, buying travel insurance, extraction insurance, etc. Covid rapid testing is just another example of a way to pay for less risk.

Yeah, I agree you can buy off all the risk you think you need but regardless of the money you spend to mitigate the risk, in today's environment, you'll still need a modicum of luck to make it all happen. Think about all those that have taken the wrong flight.

 

[Nyati]

Not to sound cynical, but after 8 years of going on safaris and heading on another one this week, there is no problem today that won't be miniscule as to compared with what you'll experience tomorrow.

Africa and safari hunting has NEVER got better, only worse. So deferring for better times is foolhardy.

20 years ago, zero farm murders in South Africa. You could own land if you were white in Zimbabwe.
Today - All land seized in Zim, murder on the rise in RSA.

5 years ago you could hunt any legal animal and export it to the USA.
Today - No lion imports are happening, nor elephant, and leopard is highly questionable. If Trump loses, this will be forever banned rather than a 4 year and running temporary ban.

2 years ago you could receive ivory in the USA and cross state lines iwth it.
Today - Possession is illegal in many states. Transfer, sale, or gift across state lines is banned frequently.

New permits required: 4457, SAPS, Gun licenses. Ammo licenses.

Today: Most carriers prohibit firearms. Getting guns to Africa now is often a private charter air route or a single commercial carrier.

5 years ago - Bring money and pay.
Today: Wire transfers and evidence the hard currency is coming in full, up front, from a US bank.

3 years ago - Several hunts were possible in the Zambezi valley.
Last year: Zero. All bought up by anti-hunting photo tourism firms.

10 years ago - Abundant wild areas with well managed wildlife and limited poaching.
Today - Several storied safari areas devoid of wildlife and poached out by local bush meat traders and Chinese backed ivory/rhino poaching syndicates.



You can put off any hunt but I assure you, there is no absurdly difficult process that exists this week that isn't 5x more cumbersome next year. They will end hunting by bureaucracy since they cannot do so by outright ban.

I cannot fathom the idea of giving deposits for a hunt 12 or 24 months out rather than booking in the now and hunting quickly. I have no confidence the PH, operator, bank, airline, concession, species, or nation will exist in 12 months. Americans are long term planners, Africa is a present-tense continent.

So True, things for us hunters are getting worse all the time.

 

[Hammergun]

Well everyone's situation is different and I have to plan well in advance to be away. I also am not willing to wire the considerable amount of money required for a two week safari if I don't have a very good chance of being able to travel. I also need to know that I can return on time. Even returning home may be delayed or even impossible.

I'll delay a year and see if the requirements and procedures are worked out. My outfitter has put me on the books for the same time the following year and I have full confidence that they will make it happen. They also operate in multiple countries so if I have to change the safari location for easier travel it could be done.

To those of you who can travel at a moments notice, my hat's off to you. Enjoy.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Thanks so much for taking the IMMENSE amount of your time for researching this and sharing it with us! While reading this, I couldn't help but think what would happen if one of the passenger(s) on your flight displays virus symptoms upon arrival in Africa. I know you explained ONLY that passenger is tested and possibly quarantined, but I'm concerned that rule might change without notice and the entire flight could be quarantined, especially with the 20-30 percent false tests floating around? Just playing the devil's advocate looking at the possibility (probably a remote one) of being quarantined in a "state mandated facility" for two weeks? If you brought rifles, what happens to them during quarantine and how would you fly back to your home country since your original ticket was a round trip one and now you missed your flight going home cause you were in quarantine!

 

[rookhawk]

Thanks so much for taking the IMMENSE amount of your time for researching this and sharing it with us! While reading this, I couldn't help but think what would happen if one of the passenger(s) on your flight displays virus symptoms upon arrival in Africa. I know you explained ONLY that passenger is tested and possibly quarantined, but I'm concerned that rule might change without notice and the entire flight could be quarantined, especially with the 20-30 percent false tests floating around? Just playing the devil's advocate looking at the possibility (probably a remote one) of being quarantined in a "state mandated facility" for two weeks? If you brought rifles, what happens to them during quarantine and how would you fly back to your home country since your original ticket was a round trip one and now you missed your flight going home cause you were in quarantine!

I think those scenarios regarding lock downs is when you’d get the US embassy involved.

Regarding the rifles, always have them well insured. When you want them retrieved or recovered desperately, the bribes demanded by the government and airlines can be extraordinary in Africa. When you are full insured and you have a “don’t care, take it up with the insurance company” attitude they seem quite desperate to return them to you, outraged that you don’t want to exert much effort to recover them!

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

I think those scenarios regarding lock downs is when you’d get the US embassy involved.

Regarding the rifles, always have them well insured. When you want them retrieved or recovered desperately, the bribes demanded by the government and airlines can be extraordinary in Africa. When you are full insured and you have a “don’t care, take it up with the insurance company” attitude they seem quite desperate to return them to you, outraged that you don’t want to exert much effort to recover them!

I am pretty sure if you work through one of the local rifle services, it would take care of the rifle situation or any possible problem arising such as mentioned above.

 

[Hogpatrol]

I think those scenarios regarding lock downs is when you’d get the US embassy involved.

Good luck with that. They'll tell you "You knew the risks, you're on your own". BTDT
Better to have Global Rescue or Ripcord.

 

[rookhawk]

I am pretty sure if you work through one of the local rifle services, it would take care of the rifle situation or any possible problem arising such as mentioned above.

nope. The rifle services have their place, but they are not always sufficient.

lost my rifles on my first safari. No help.

 

[rookhawk]

Good luck with that. They'll tell you "You knew the risks, you're on your own". BTDT
Better to have Global Rescue or Ripcord.

Big fan of these services. Highly recommended.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

nope. The rifle services have their place, but they are not always sufficient.

lost my rifles on my first safari. No help.

Did the rifle service lose your rifle or the airline? What I mean is that a local service would have the possibility of storing your rifle, while you were in quarantine. That would be one less thing to worry about.

 

[rookhawk]

Did the rifle service lose your rifle or the airline? What I mean is that a local service would have the possibility of storing your rifle, while you were in quarantine. That would be one less thing to worry about.

@KMG Hunting Safaris we'd need to split hairs and get very precise on this topic so I don't slander an industry.

If you're in RSA and something horrible happens, do I think Henry at Riflepermits.com could make a plan with you, haggle with SAPS, and store your rifles at the police station or a vault at Afton House? Absolutely.

If we're talking about booking with a gun oriented travel agent that offers a bag recovery service (blue label bags) and you're somewhere else in route or in another African country, your travel agent and that bag recovery service is worthless. In my case, the airlines swore to me up and down my rifles were on the plane from Jo'Burg but indeed they were not, they were seized at SAPS rather than checked-through. My travel agent (one of the 2-3 expert firms touted on here) assured me that by using his service they would check through, hence why I should pay $1000 more for my tickets rather than do it on my own because only he could put it all on one ticket.

At any rate, they arrived 2-3 days late on a prepaid hunt with a prepaid quota. When they arrived, the airport wouldn't release them to my agent, only to me. (but I was 300 miles away at camp without guns). It required serious influencing Africa style to get my firearms back.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

@KMG Hunting Safaris we'd need to split hairs and get very precise on this topic so I don't slander an industry.

If you're in RSA and something horrible happens, do I think Henry at Riflepermits.com could make a plan with you, haggle with SAPS, and store your rifles at the police station or a vault at Afton House? Absolutely.

If we're talking about booking with a gun oriented travel agent that offers a bag recovery service (blue label bags) and you're somewhere else in route or in another African country, your travel agent and that bag recovery service is worthless. In my case, the airlines swore to me up and down my rifles were on the plane from Jo'Burg but indeed they were not, they were seized at SAPS rather than checked-through. My travel agent (one of the 2-3 expert firms touted on here) assured me that by using his service they would check through, hence why I should pay $1000 more for my tickets rather than do it on my own because only he could put it all on one ticket.

At any rate, they arrived 2-3 days late on a prepaid hunt with a prepaid quota. When they arrived, the airport wouldn't release them to my agent, only to me. (but I was 300 miles away at camp without guns). It required serious influencing Africa style to get my firearms back.

Sorry to hear of the trouble you had. I understand your concerns.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Good luck with that. They'll tell you "You knew the risks, you're on your own". BTDT
Better to have Global Rescue or Ripcord.

I wouldn’t think Global Rescue would even be able to “extricate “ somebody from a State Quarantine facility? Maybe one could escape and then be rescued? This might be more of an adventure than the safari! I’m in!

 

[CoElkHunter]

Not to sound cynical, but after 8 years of going on safaris and heading on another one this week, there is no problem today that won't be miniscule as to compared with what you'll experience tomorrow.

Africa and safari hunting has NEVER got better, only worse. So deferring for better times is foolhardy.

20 years ago, zero farm murders in South Africa. You could own land if you were white in Zimbabwe.
Today - All land seized in Zim, murder on the rise in RSA.

5 years ago you could hunt any legal animal and export it to the USA.
Today - No lion imports are happening, nor elephant, and leopard is highly questionable. If Trump loses, this will be forever banned rather than a 4 year and running temporary ban.

2 years ago you could receive ivory in the USA and cross state lines iwth it.
Today - Possession is illegal in many states. Transfer, sale, or gift across state lines is banned frequently.

New permits required: 4457, SAPS, Gun licenses. Ammo licenses.

Today: Most carriers prohibit firearms. Getting guns to Africa now is often a private charter air route or a single commercial carrier.

5 years ago - Bring money and pay.
Today: Wire transfers and evidence the hard currency is coming in full, up front, from a US bank.

3 years ago - Several hunts were possible in the Zambezi valley.
Last year: Zero. All bought up by anti-hunting photo tourism firms.

10 years ago - Abundant wild areas with well managed wildlife and limited poaching.
Today - Several storied safari areas devoid of wildlife and poached out by local bush meat traders and Chinese backed ivory/rhino poaching syndicates.



You can put off any hunt but I assure you, there is no absurdly difficult process that exists this week that isn't 5x more cumbersome next year. They will end hunting by bureaucracy since they cannot do so by outright ban.

I cannot fathom the idea of giving deposits for a hunt 12 or 24 months out rather than booking in the now and hunting quickly. I have no confidence the PH, operator, bank, airline, concession, species, or nation will exist in 12 months. Americans are long term planners, Africa is a present-tense continent.

I really don’t mind booking a hunt and flying NOW by the “seat of my pants”, so to speak. It’s the the possibility of a 30 percent false positive test upon arrival in SA and ending up in a “facility“ with no beer or t.v. and eating ramen or sardine burritos for 14 days. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve done that with my father in law elk hunting when he forgot the real food, but I didn’t have to travel ten thousand miles and I didn’t pay for it! AND, I still have my rifle! Of course I’m being facetious here, but every time I open one of these recent “traveling to Africa “ threads here, the potential for a lot of problems because of changing rules and regulations seems daunting? I’m sure in actuality it isn’t that dire, but how does one who hasn’t been fortunate enough to have been on an African Safari really know?

 

[Hogpatrol]

@CoElkHunter , An African safari isn't that difficult IF you can go with the flow and realize the time tested reality of "This is Africa". If one is a control freak or thinks that once they step on a plane headed for Africa, it'll be the same travel experience one has in the U.S., they're in for a rude awakening.
Like I once told a fellow hunter when we started having issues in Joburg, "This isn't Kansas Toto".

 

[Philip Glass]

In another real-world anecdote, a friend of the family went to get drive-through tested in Miami, Florida two weeks ago. She checked in and then waited hours, and hours, and hours. Ultimately, she left the test site without having provided a specimen. Just walked off unserved.

5 days later she received a note stating "your test results came back positive for COVID-19".

I’ve heard the same story first hand or second hand MANY times.
What is not discussed much here is the false positive rate for these tests. The PCR test does not test for a virus it looks for dna of COVID-19. My doc says it has a 50% false positive/false negative result. Hopefully they get a better test or drop this requirement all together next year.
I guess the point is to have good travel insurance. My group is using Ripcord comprehensive insurance next year for our EC Safari.
Philip

 

[rookhawk]

Just an update on thecovidconsultants.com COVID19 Rapid PCR test services.

Sent the Fedex overnight box to their lab with my specimen. Delivered by 9:30AM the next day. Lab conducted the test at 2:34pm that day. Results received via email at 9:46pm that same day.

So by the math:

Timer starts when they record the date the test was conducted, in this case 10/8. The time of the test is recorded as 2:34pm on 10/8. That means this test is valid (if your country of destination requires a test less than 48 hours from departure) until 10/10 at 2:33pm.

In my case, it appears to work out and I'll be hopping onto a plane in about 6 hours.

This was the only testing system that I could find that could get me onto a plane with a degree of certainty as they have a testing commitment for the same-day as the specimen arrives. Further, they don't record the time you donated the sample nor do they record the time the specimen was in the mail. Thus, the official evidence says you were tested the minute the lab runs the test and that's when your 48-hour or 72-hour timer starts running for you to rush onto a plane.

 

[Hogpatrol]

@rookhawk, Safe travels and good luck to you sir. Looking forward to the hunt report.