US Travel Bans/Restrictions South Africa

[Ryan]

@Corey0372

I'm kind of giggling at this as an Alaskan who gets to inform out of state friends every year that their dream hunt up here will cost them more in in-state chartered transportation than flying all the way to South Africa on commercial airlines.

You'd be on to something if you and the rest of the passengers don't mind paying as much for airfare as the rest of the trip. But most don't. Also, have you flown that many hours on a C-130? It's not fun.

I'll just assume you're being facetious.

 

[Corey0372]

@Corey0372

I'm kind of giggling at this as an Alaskan who gets to inform out of state friends every year that their dream hunt up here will cost them more in in-state chartered transportation than flying all the way to South Africa on commercial airlines.

You'd be on to something if you and the rest of the passengers don't mind paying as much for airfare as the rest of the trip. But most don't. Also, have you flown that many hours on a C-130? It's not fun.

I'll just assume you're being facetious.

I've spent MANY hours in C-130s, if you have a solid crew they let you spread your sleeping mats on the floor and you can sleep comfortably!! And if you have ISU containers in the back you can use your hammock. Plus.. it could be bring your own booze!!

Seriously though....if you could get like 50-75 guys together I think you could make it happen! I'd be interested to see the price breakdown if you left from somewhere on the East Coast, loaded everyone up, and just went to Joberg with everyone's kit loaded onto the same pallet in the back.

 

[Corey0372]

Don't mean to derail the thread btw guys, I'll shut up about C-130s loaded to the hilt with drunk hunters!!

 

[Hogpatrol]

@Corey0372

I'm kind of giggling at this as an Alaskan who gets to inform out of state friends every year that their dream hunt up here will cost them more in in-state chartered transportation than flying all the way to South Africa on commercial airlines.

You'd be on to something if you and the rest of the passengers don't mind paying as much for airfare as the rest of the trip. But most don't. Also, have you flown that many hours on a C-130? It's not fun.

I'll just assume you're being facetious.

Insurance, recurrent training, annual inspections, fuel, ramp fees, hangar rent, oil changes, tires, broken parts, chart/ GPS subscription, pilot cost, etc., ad nauseum. Yeah, it's cheaper to take a bus than it is a cab.

 

[Ryan]

Insurance, recurrent training, annual inspections, fuel, ramp fees, hangar rent, oil changes, tires, broken parts, chart/ GPS subscription, pilot cost, etc., ad nauseum. Yeah, it's cheaper to take a bus than it is a cab.

And even if the cost worked out, getting enough people to agree on the same arrival and departure dates would be amazing.

 

[Chukar]

@Corey0372

I'm kind of giggling at this as an Alaskan who gets to inform out of state friends every year that their dream hunt up here will cost them more in in-state chartered transportation than flying all the way to South Africa on commercial airlines.

You'd be on to something if you and the rest of the passengers don't mind paying as much for airfare as the rest of the trip. But most don't. Also, have you flown that many hours on a C-130? It's not fun.

I'll just assume you're being facetious.

Ahh, the ASSumptions.

Typed a lot on this and ended up with a big'ole white-knighting post.

Gloggel MOS O372. And If I ASSume Corey0372 is forthright in his presentation I would ASSume he has probably flown in a C-130 once or twice.

Personally, if it were able to do it, I would board a C-130 with a bunch of you folks to hunt in Africa. You folks give me a bunch of joy and hope!

 

[Hogpatrol]

@Ryan, up your way forgot about the heaters.

 

[Ryan]

Useful info I didn't see on previous posts.

When I flew to RSA a month ago I was informed I needed to fill out a Covid survey for RSA when I got to my first desk agent. This was news to me.

So here's the site, to help anyone preparing keep track of what RSA wants.

Novel COVID-19 Screening and Surveillance

sa-covid-19-travel.info

I ended up filling it out twice for South Africa, once online and once in paper before getting off at Joburg. They only wanted the paper one in the airport. Then I got to fill it out again in paper when I left, two weeks ago.

 

[mdwest]

Booked flights for mid July on Qatar today.. DFW to Doha to Joberg...

I remain hopeful that flights wont get cancelled and that politicians on both sides of the pond dont like the idiots we all know they are and ruin another season..

 

[sestoppelman]

Travel During COVID-19 | CDC

All of this 12 pages I just read thru made me realize one thing for sure and for certain. Glad I didnt plan a trip for this year. I had one last year and had to cancel it, '21 didnt look like it was going to be much better.
I hope all of you planning to go are able to without too much misery.

 

[Trogon]

I'm using the salmon spawning approach, I'll keep swimming upstream until I can't go any further.
On the third go-around to get to South Africa this year for my first visit.
Hope springs eternal.

 

[WAB]

I'm using the salmon spawning approach, I'll keep swimming upstream until I can't go any further.
On the third go-around to get to South Africa this year for my first visit.
Hope springs eternal.

Hmmm, you realize that when you get to that point you then have sex and die right?

 

[flatwater bill]

Happens a lot in Africa....FWB

 

[Trogon]

Lol. I'll switch to sturgeon then. I think you get the thought.
It's ridiculous. I worked at a plant last week that asked if we worked out of state, Kentucky was not on the list to prevent working in Ohio so we could do our project. Go one state west-Indiana- many fewer people are wearing masks. I'm fed up with all of this.

 

[sestoppelman]

Reminds me of that old joke about the clerk in the courthouse telling a guy how tough it is to get into see someone. She says "today is not your day, and tomorrow's not looking too good either".

 

[sierraone]

Booked flights for mid July on Qatar today.. DFW to Doha to Joberg...

I remain hopeful that flights wont get cancelled and that politicians on both sides of the pond dont like the idiots we all know they are and ruin another season..

Dave, how many days did you spend hunting (all locations) in 2020?

 

[mdwest]

Dave, how many days did you spend hunting (all locations) in 2020?

Not as much as I would have liked.. but quite a bit honestly under the circumstances..

Got in a 4 day hog hunt (annual event).. a 4 day deer hunt (group hunt).. another half dozen or so one day hunts on the weekends.. spent a week in Alaska chasing deer and ducks.. and we did a couple of duck hunts in early 2020 before COVID was a thing.. So I think about 25 actual days in the woods hunting..

and then we probably spent another 30-40 days fishing (tried to make up for lack of hunting opportunities by getting out on the water..).. we hit the coast twice for a weekend on chartered boats, and fished the piers in galveston on 4 different occasions.. made 2 trips to the little red in AR to fish for trout.. spent a weekend over at Possum Kingdom.. and spent a week in colorado fishing for trout.. and then fished the ponds and lakes in and around the DFW area at least 8-10 weekends...

Factor in the additional 10-12 days we spent on the deer lease and in colorado just scouting for sign, shed hunting, etc.. and it was a pretty "outdoors" year for us.. maybe 80 total days in the woods or on the water.. (most of that over weekends, 3 day holiday weekends, etc)..

We've actually kept very busy over the last 12-14 months.. when everything started getting locked down.. we just used that as an excuse to get out of the city and into the outdoors a whole lot more..

We're going to try to keep the same pace in 2021... Im very hopeful about Africa this year and will spend 9 days on the ground there.. We're planning on a week in Alaska again.. we're going to try to work it out so we hit one of the later salmon runs that coincide with caribou season and spend a few day going after fish and a few days going after fur... I've got the 4 day hog hunt that we do every year coming up in just a couple of weeks... am heading to AR this weekend for snow goose.. and Im sure I'll chase deer several times once season opens in both TX and possibly TN in 2021..

 

[Hunter4752001]

"charter a C-130 or some other large aircraft and just drop everyone off".

"Stand up" "Hook Up" "Stand in the Door" "Go"

 

[sierraone]

Not as much as I would have liked.. but quite a bit honestly under the circumstances..

Got in a 4 day hog hunt (annual event).. a 4 day deer hunt (group hunt).. another half dozen or so one day hunts on the weekends.. spent a week in Alaska chasing deer and ducks.. and we did a couple of duck hunts in early 2020 before COVID was a thing.. So I think about 25 actual days in the woods hunting..

and then we probably spent another 30-40 days fishing (tried to make up for lack of hunting opportunities by getting out on the water..).. we hit the coast twice for a weekend on chartered boats, and fished the piers in galveston on 4 different occasions.. made 2 trips to the little red in AR to fish for trout.. spent a weekend over at Possum Kingdom.. and spent a week in colorado fishing for trout.. and then fished the ponds and lakes in and around the DFW area at least 8-10 weekends...

Factor in the additional 10-12 days we spent on the deer lease and in colorado just scouting for sign, shed hunting, etc.. and it was a pretty "outdoors" year for us.. maybe 80 total days in the woods or on the water.. (most of that over weekends, 3 day holiday weekends, etc)..

We've actually kept very busy over the last 12-14 months.. when everything started getting locked down.. we just used that as an excuse to get out of the city and into the outdoors a whole lot more..

We're going to try to keep the same pace in 2021... Im very hopeful about Africa this year and will spend 9 days on the ground there.. We're planning on a week in Alaska again.. we're going to try to work it out so we hit one of the later salmon runs that coincide with caribou season and spend a few day going after fish and a few days going after fur... I've got the 4 day hog hunt that we do every year coming up in just a couple of weeks... am heading to AR this weekend for snow goose.. and Im sure I'll chase deer several times once season opens in both TX and possibly TN in 2021..

I knew it was a lot but didn't expect it to be 80 days! I hope you and the many other AH members trying to go to Africa in 2021 make it. As you know my Limpopo hunt was cancelled by Delta back in August. I'm not going to try again for Africa until next hear. Fortunately our hunting lease is only 40-45 minutes from central Arkansas and fishing is a lot closer. At least one grand child goes with me and my son every time we go to the field for any reason. Our closest salt water is 10 hours though, where I use to live in Florida. Hopefully things will get better for all of us soon.

 

[Buffalo1]

I acquired my tickets to RSA on Tuesday for hunt late Sept/early Oct. I will be required to present clean test U.S. results (taken within 3 days of arrival) when I land in Joburg.

On departure, I will be required to take another test (taken within 3 days of departure) back to the U.S. I will be hunting in Limpopo Province. I will be doing my Covid testing in Thabazimbi. Test cost $100 USD.

I had my first Covid vaccine this week and scheduled for my last Covid vaccine the first week in March. I was provided with a CDC card showing proof of vaccination and dates. I plan to carry this card with me -much like the "Yellow Card" that shows proof of vaccination for yellow fever which is required upon arrival in some countries (not RSA).