I'm scheduled for a 1st week in October hunt in Manitoba. 2 questions:
1. Do I need a letter from the outfitter regarding the hunt and my bringing in of a rifle?
2. Are there any forms I need to fill out prior to crossing the border?

Thanks in advance.

OSU Sig;
Good afternoon, I hope this Thursday has been behaving for you and all in your world are well.

If you've not wandered through it, although it's not all totally current and updated, the stickied thread here on "Planning a Hunt in Canada" might have some of the answers for you.

It might not hurt to have some sort of letter or correspondence from your outfitter, but I don't believe I've heard any other travelling hunters mention it.

There is paperwork required for coming into Canada and going back stateside which was talked about in the thread, that I'm fairly certain.

Hope that's useful and good luck on the hunt.

Dwayne

Have you posed these questions to your outfitter.

1. No. Americans bring sporting firearms into Canada all the time. No letter from the Outfitter is needed. You should, however, carry copies of all correspondence or contracts. This is more to deal with any potential misunderstandings about what was promised.

2. Besides your passport, you will need the Canadian firearms import form. The is available online from Canadian Customs. Fill it out but do not sign it. Make an extra copy and take it along. There will be a small fee at the border to import up to three sporting firearms. As you likely already know, No handguns are allowed and folks with criminal records, including DUI, may be refused entry.

3. Shoot a big one.

Thank you all for the helpful information.

Hi OSU_Sig, just curious, which area are you hunting?

Best of luck in your hunt!

This nails it.

Good luck to ya!

Heres’s an article that should help. Firearms are a federal area. WMR is correct. I thought this might help.

https://northernontario.travel/hunt...-legally-bring-your-hunting-rifle-canada

Make copies of all inportment papers.

Northeastern Manitoba at Amphibian Lake Lodge. I'm sorry to say that is all the information I've been given and I got that from their website.

Before entering Canada, stop at US Customs and declare your equipment, there is a form for this. So when coming back, you have proof you brought it in and no taxes are due. I go up to NW Sascatchewan moose hunting and do this everytime. And as mentioned, there are Canadian forms needed to bring an acceptable firearm into their country. I've even been questioned about ammo, we enter by Minot (Antler), don't know if that's standard or just specific to that border services agency or that particular agent. Enjoy and best of luck to you!

Thanks Dean. That's information I didn't have.

Thanks for responding OSU_Sig, I lived in Manitoba for 12 years, and I did most of my moose hunting in the North Western part of the province.

I have heard that they have significantly restricted Moose hunting in many parts of the Province, due to a serious Tick problem and Over Harvesting by the Native population.

In any case, wishing you a successful hunting trip and hope you slam a Booner, looking forward to seeing the pictures of the beast you slay

Ammunition may be imported duty free up to 250 rounds per person, unless the total has changed recently. Big game hunters rarely have an issue with this, but waterfowlers sometimes bring more. Sometimes customs asks about this and sometimes not. The duty, if any, is small and it sure beats trying to find your favorite loads up there.

I’ve often read about declaring your expensive gear at US Customs before you leave, but I’ve never done this and it’s never been an issue on dozens of trips. I’d be curious to hear if others have had issues with this. Once we were stopped by a Fed while leaving and his question, with a bit of an attitude, was: “What do you have with you?” I looked at my truck; full to the gills with gear and dogs. Then at my trailer, with ATV, layout blinds and at least 4,682 decoys, and just said: “You must be joking”. I told him I had my duck hunting stuff. He took that answer and sent us on. If I’d tried to itemize it for him, we’d still be there! 😳

WMR, no equipment, or quantaties, like that. What I declare are rifles and scopes not of US origin. At most 4 to 6 items. I do it to be proactive so I don't have to be reactive.

WMR;
Good morning to you sir, I trust wherever this last Saturday of the month finds you that it finds you well.

Thanks for the chuckle this morning, I appreciate both the mental image of your waterfowl gear stuffed rigs as well as the fact you're coming up to remove some of the waterfowl which can often be a problem.

Going back decades now, my brother who owns the Saskatchewan farm where I grew up - much expanded now for sure - told of how happy he was when some US waterfowl hunters stopped him one fall day to ask about hunting opportunities.

He'd been combatting Snow Geese already that year, I'll add they were a fairly new problem then, just starting to show up in the mid '80's after we'd left the farm.

They had travel trailers, dogs, decoys and more as you've mentioned.

He not only gave them permission to hunt but offered them one of the farm yards he owned to set up as a base camp.

When they returned the next year he let them stay in the farm house which was still in okay shape at that time.

Anyways sir, thanks for the memories your post brought to me on this sunny midsummer day. Much appreciated for a whole bunch of reasons.

All the best.

Dwayne

YEs you need forms.

In the U.S.go to the nearest U.S. Customs and Border Protection office and have “CPB form 4452 (rev5/22) CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION FOR PERSONAL EFFECTS TAKEN ABROAD.”

FILL OUT THE FIRST THREE SECTIONS DATE AND SIGN. CBP OFFICIAL WILL CHECK THE SERIAL NUMBER OF THE OF GUNS, SIGN,STAMP AND DATE.

For the Canadian form NUMBER 5589 GOOGLE non resident firearms declaration or just go to the Canadian government website. You will find it. Complete it.

Gun storage WHEN TRANSPORTING OVER THE BORDER.

Utilize a locked gun case, REMOVE THE BOLT FROM THE GUN BEFORE YOU STORE IT.. WHY? CANADIAN CUSTOMS OFFICER TOLD ME THEY FIND LOADED GUNS ALL THE TIME. DUMBASS AMERICANS I’M SORRY TO SAY.

THESE GUYS AND GALS APPRECIATE IT AS SOON AS THEY OPEN YOUR CASE. MAKES YOUR LIFE EASY. THEY GET IT,. DONE IT 3 TIMES.