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Hunting >> Hunting in Australia, NZ & the South Pacific
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rgp
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Reged: 17/06/04
Posts: 373
Loc: TX & VIC
How much hell to bring a rifle to hunt NT?
      #27356 - 06/03/05 08:30 PM

I'm an American, I've lived in VIC and hunted there on two small stations to help the owners eradicate pests...not sure if that was legal or not.

I want to go buffalo hunting in NT (saw a buff there once, it was standing in the middle of the Stuart Highway at night and it sure creeped me out to be armed with nothing more than a little japanese car that weighed less than the buffalo).

How hard is it to bring a rifle to Australia now? Also what calibres are suggested? When in NT I saw exactly two gun shops, one in Katherine and one in Alice Springs..and in Vic and NSW I saw a total of about 4 gun shops...is ammunition available anywhere else or would I have to bring my own?

Current calibres I am considering taking are a .375 H&H, .338 Win. Mag., and a 9.3x62 Mauser.

Richard.

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Marrakai
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Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 3692
Loc: Darwin, Top End of Australia
Re: How much hell to bring a rifle to hunt NT? [Re: rgp]
      #27370 - 07/03/05 12:22 AM

rgp:
The general gist is that if you are bringing in a rifle for a booked hunt with a guide, they make it as easy as possible for you. If you want to bring in a rifle to hunt privately, it is more difficult. I can get specific details for you if you are serious, but it is more to do with interpreting the regulations rather than simply reading the legislation.

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Marrakai
When the bull drops, the bullshit stops!
--------------------------------
www.marrakai-adventure.com.au

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NitroXAdministrator
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Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 40555
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: How much hell to bring a rifle to hunt NT? [Re: rgp]
      #27373 - 07/03/05 01:45 AM

You will need to get access to private land or Aboriginal land to hunt buffalo.

Marrakai can answer better but I didn't see much of that sort of ammo in the NT gunshops I visited. Big bore ammo including all the ones you list were non-existent. I wanted a box or two of extra .375 ammo and couldn't even find that. Remember while the NT is huge it only has a population of about a hundred thousand.



--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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Matt_Graham
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Reged: 26/02/04
Posts: 602
Loc: Australia
Re: How much hell to bring a rifle to hunt NT? [Re: NitroX]
      #27491 - 08/03/05 11:53 AM

Even with landowner permission it doesnt mean you will be granted a visitors permit. The Firearms Registry told me that they would generally only issue a permit if it was endorsed by an outfitter. 2 reasons - to stop every second landowner acting as an unlicenced outfitter (as they would) and 2. to try to stop too easy access to the permit - an open invitation to FIT hunters to tresspass.

With the outfitters endorsement it is a fairly simply procedure but you do have to get the details 100% correct or you can end up in strife. As some hunters found out last year and are still trying to get their guns off customs!

Once you get your permit - a photo identification it is very easy to get your firearms through Darwin airport and the licence allows you to buy ammunition over the counter but as Nitro pointed out thats not always easy.

Cheers
Matt

--------------------
www.huntaust.com.au

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rgp
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Reged: 17/06/04
Posts: 373
Loc: TX & VIC
Re: How much hell to bring a rifle to hunt NT? [Re: Marrakai]
      #27587 - 10/03/05 12:43 PM

Marrakai,

Yes, I am serious, although I don't know if I can do it until 2006.

I doubt I could hunt without an outfitter though, because all landowners I know are in VIC and SA.

Thank you,

Richard.

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rgp
.333 member


Reged: 17/06/04
Posts: 373
Loc: TX & VIC
Re: How much hell to bring a rifle to hunt NT? [Re: Matt_Graham]
      #27588 - 10/03/05 12:57 PM

Matt,

I'm thinking of doing it in 2006, and intend to use an outfitter.

Do the rifles have to go in through NT even if I have to go through customs in Melb?

Also I notice most outfitters seem to have aircraft and pilot provided, however do you object to clients who are professional pilots who provide their own aircraft and fly in themselves?

Richard.

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NitroXAdministrator
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Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 40555
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: How much hell to bring a rifle to hunt NT? [Re: Matt_Graham]
      #27604 - 10/03/05 11:32 PM

In reply to:

......... unlicenced outfitter ......



Is there such a thing as a "licenced outfitter?

Who does the licensing and what is the licence called?





--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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Matt_Graham
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Reged: 26/02/04
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Loc: Australia
Re: How much hell to bring a rifle to hunt NT? [Re: rgp]
      #27606 - 11/03/05 12:34 AM

Richard

When you have the NT Visitors Permit you 'should' be able to clear your rifle through any customs port in Australia. It is always a good idea, if you are not coming through Darwin, to call the local customs service and let them know what you are doing so they wont be surprised to see you. The outfitter usually does this for you anyway if they are that forward thinking.

Bear in mind though that the permit is only temporary (lasts for 2 months from memory) and if you let it expire or do something silly like not take your guns back home you might get into a bit of strife!

No I would never object to anyone flying themselves into a hunting area as long as it was OK with the property owner. I encourage it - its a good excuse for me to go for a fly and look at my buffalo from the air! In fact I have one client flying his own party into our buffalo camp this August, in a Baron 58.

I think there are only one or two outfitters that have their own aircraft and pilot that I know of. Most use charter companies to ferry their clients around, which has it's pro's and con's of course.

Nitro - by 'licenced outfitter' I mean the company must have a NT Corporate Firearms Licence for their clients to be issued with the Visitors Permit. The only criteria for this is to be a legitimate outfitter, actually operating in the NT and to have documented access to hunting grounds. There are some other conditions attached - like all employees under the company licence must have an extra licence that goes with a fairly rigorous safety test.

cheers for now
Matt Graham

--------------------
www.huntaust.com.au

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