Wash Your Boots!

[ActionBob]

@ActionBob, sorry to upset you. However, wild hog are causing severe damage to my property. They leave holes, where I or the cattle can step into and become injured. They dig up planted fields. They eat quail eggs. They also are known to dine on fawns, along with the coyotes. And that just on my ranch property. They have moved into my neighborhood, where they are damaging flower beds, lawns, etc. unfortunately I live inside a city limits where hunting is prohibited.

Sorry you cannot shoot them but that is a very selfish and short sighted attitude.

 

[Philip Glass]

That really pisses me off. Anything that kills wild hogs will kill domestic hogs as well. Hog farmers struggle daily to prevent disease and have gone so far as to hot wash trucks to the point they have problems melting the plastic off.

Not to mention that these things often go across species and effect cattle and certainly might effect deer/elk/moose, etc. as well.

You are toying with my living and that of my partners and employees, not to mention many vendors, service people, crop farmers, truck drivers, accountants, etc. So I take this very personally.

On top of that such attitudes put the entire countries food supply at risk.

@Ryan Thank you for posting this. Way to many employees and bureaucrats at the borders (airports) do not take this anywhere near serious enough. And way to many hunters as well. It is criminal to not fill in the form correctly just get through quicker. And it is criminally negligent of Customs officials to not take this more seriously. I have had to make a scene a few times to get my boots cleaned and to point out people trying to slip through.

2 sides to everything but this was lighthearted I believe. I now have Anthrax on one ranch due to feral hogs so a big problem. A problem that needs a solution.
Philip

 

[Terry Blauwkamp]

Strange that Atlanta is concerned about the boots, but I've never had Dulles care.

 

[thi9elsp]

Be aware if you travel to New Zealand they will inspect your hunting boots regardless of where you are coming from. Even though Ann wasn't hunting they inspected hers too. It was minimal effort for us to make sure we had cleaned our boots back home and before we left New Zealand. Same on our way to Zimbabwe and Mozambique and back.

 

[jeff]

Strange that Atlanta is concerned about the boots, but I've never had Dulles care.

I agree, Dulles, Houston, and Seattle have never looked at my boots or arrows but Atlanta does. More governmental disorganization, the right hand doesn't know what the left does!

 

[Bos Javanicus]

Be aware if you travel to New Zealand they will inspect your hunting boots regardless of where you are coming from. Even though Ann wasn't hunting they inspected hers too. It was minimal effort for us to make sure we had cleaned our boots back home and before we left New Zealand. Same on our way to Zimbabwe and Mozambique and back.

Yes, they will check your boots going into NZ because of the environmental disaster of 'Green Slime' or 'Snot' which was brought into the Southern Island by an unsuspecting international fresh water fisherman. It is a horrible slimy weed which mostly sticks to rocks, branches etc in the streams and has destroyed a large portion of the pristine streams in the South Island.

Don't complain about getting your boots cleaned guys, it doesn't hurt and only takes a few minutes of your time. The people who live in the country will appreciate your concern.

 

[Ryan]

New Zealand may be fanatical about it partly due to the green slime you mention. But from looking through the USDA Animal Products Manual (it's all online) they are also fanatical because they have no livestock diseases and I'm guessing want to keep it that way. It helps that they are an island.

Anyway, as the title implies and experience has shown don't think CBP will wash them every time so wash your boots before you leave anywhere you are hunting. Better to leave the dirt there. An ounce of prevention...

 

[ActionBob]

New Zealand may be fanatical about it partly due to the green slime you mention. But from looking through the USDA Animal Products Manual (it's all online) they are also fanatical because they have no livestock diseases and I'm guessing want to keep it that way. It helps that they are an island.

Anyway, as the title implies and experience has shown don't think CBP will wash them every time so wash your boots before you leave anywhere you are hunting. Better to leave the dirt there. An ounce of prevention...

In Africa there is always someone in camp doing laundry and he or she will happily clean your boots to a pristine level Of course please tip them well.

 

[BigSteve57]

Strange that Atlanta is concerned about the boots, but I've never had Dulles care.

They checked & sprayed our boots at Dulles when returning. Perhaps it was because we checked certain boxes on our entry forms. We sprayed everything with Permethrin when we packed up in the US and when we packed up in Africa.

 

[Dennis L]

I've hunted Africa 3 times, twice flying through Dulles and once through Atlanta.

On the two times through Dulles, neither boots nor firearms and 4457s were inspected by CBP upon my return. I simply went through Customs, picked up my baggage, and firearms, and went home (I lived in the area at the time).

My last trip (2018) was through Atlanta. Upon returning, CBP had our gun cases moved to a separate location and you stood in line awaiting inspection. While in line I overheard other hunters talking about washing their boots. I had no idea of what they were talking about. My Kenetrek Safari boots are about the most comfortable boots that I own and I wear them almost 100% of the time while on hunting trip and I was wearing them then.

When it was my turn to meet with CBP, my firearms and 4457s were inspected but there weren't any questions about boots or washing them. Since I had no idea of what the other hunters were talking about, I simply went on my merry way and went home.

 

[jpr9954]

I know this is an old thread but I do have a question about the CBP Form 6059B. Question 11(d) asks if you "have been on a farm/ranch/pasture". If you have been hunting in South Africa, what is the proper answer? Yes or no?

Question 12 asks if you have been in close proximity with livestock such as touching or handling. Do wild animals such as plains game count?

I understand about cleaning your boots and clothing before and after your trip. I just don't want to run afoul of the USDA and CBP.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Not just animal diseases. Always sickened me to walk into a remote Alaskan campsite and see invasive pineapple weed and thistles growing. Either tracked in by dirty boots or dumped out of dirty camp tents. I always make sure my vehicle is clean traveling cross country to go deer/bird hunting every fall. Montana has some nasty invasive weed seeds that can be picked up in offroad mud.

 

[Tanks]

I know this is an old thread but I do have a question about the CBP Form 6059B. Question 11(d) asks if you "have been on a farm/ranch/pasture". If you have been hunting in South Africa, what is the proper answer? Yes or no?
...

Last several international trips had no forms to fill, even electronically. Just hand over the passport, get photo taken and leave.

 

[Doubleplay]

I agree, Dulles, Houston, and Seattle have never looked at my boots or arrows but Atlanta does. More governmental disorganization, the right hand doesn't know what the left does!

Because probably they don't know you're coming from Africa.
Atlanta has direct flights from Africa, rest is all connections trough somewhere else.
For all practical purposes you could be hunting in UK or wherever the connection is.
It's a cliche here blame our government for everything.
No government in the World is perfect and can't be.
At least they are trying to do something.

 

[Hunt anything]

Not just animal diseases. Always sickened me to walk into a remote Alaskan campsite and see invasive pineapple weed and thistles growing. Either tracked in by dirty boots or dumped out of dirty camp tents. I always make sure my vehicle is clean traveling cross country to go deer/bird hunting every fall. Montana has some nasty invasive weed seeds that can be picked up in offroad mud.

It’s a daily battle with invasive weeds, Cogan grass, kudzu and popcorn trees ( Japanese tallo) once you get it it’s hell to get rid of. Also lost most of a yearling calf herd to black leg one year and don’t want to go through that again.

 

[Hunter4752001]

In respect of feral hogs, there's a newly developed product in Australia that seems to be very effective and doesn't leave poisonous residues in the soil or carcasses. The product is called Hoggone and is based on sodium nitrate (food safe for humans, lethal for pigs). Don't know if its available in the US yet, but over here its showing a lot of promise.

This humane breakthrough in feral pig control targets pigs' weakest part: their stomachs

A newly released poison bait is being hailed as a major breakthrough in feral pig control.

www.abc.net.au