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Should I Take My Firearm?

WTA Team

| August 22, 2017

WTA Team
August 22, 2017

As an international traveling sportsman, one of the questions we are most frequently asked is about taking my own firearm or renting. This is a personal question, and the correct answer depends upon the hunter(s) themselves. Before advising my client the best route to take, I start with my standard list of questions and recommendations for the individual. Below is a simple guideline that has proven very successful in making the right call. This is a personal decision, so you need to be 100% honest with yourself when answering.

Which profile fits you best?

Hunter A: You’ve taken your firearm apart, glass-bedded your own stock and did your own trigger job. You hand-load custom rounds with fire-formed brass specific for your custom firearm? If so- take yours, it’s part of the experience

Hunter B: You are the type of hunter that says give me any firearm, I know how to shoot all firearms not just one. Then rent, make travel a bit easier

Understand the laws of the country your traveling to. Some countries like Spain require the same process to take your own or rent.

Ammo;

If you rent: Don’t take ammo for the outfitter. Ammo is a regulated item in ALL countries and on ALL airlines, and requires the same documentation to meet the various countries import/export laws as taking a firearm.

If you take your own: Know that should your ammo not make the trip, common calibers are easier to source replacement ammo then odd calibers.

Test fire your rental rifle till you are comfortable when you reach your destination; ammo is an inexpensive part compared to your total adventure.

Reasonable expectations:There are very few Left-Handed rental firearms, and it is a highly unlikely option with outfitters.

Rented firearms are not collector heirloom pieces that live in a firearm safe. They are workhorses with a few well deserved battle scars. You may be able to ask the outfitter in advance what caliber, models and optics are available to help you make your decision.

If you are used to a piece of equipment such as a Bi-Pod, still take it and temporally put it on your rented firearm.

Practice, practice, practice from hunting positions. Standing, sitting, prone. Get off the shooting bench.

Are you planning to tour pre- or post hunt? What steps are required to store or take your firearm with you in the countries you are touring? It may not be possible to take your firearm. Australia for example you need a different firearm license for every province you are visiting.

Because of the basic nature of some hunts, it best to take your own firearm that you know extremely well. This is especially true on mountain hunts where long range shooting is the norm like Marco Polo sheep hunts.

As always, we recommend you visit with your professional WTA hunting consultant and your outfitter about making the decision on whether to take your own firearms on a trip.

Good luck on your international adventures.

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Preference Point Deadline: October 31, 2025

The deadline to purchase Wyoming preference points is October 31. If WTA is already managing your TAGS applications, you’re all set. If not, don’t miss the chance to secure points this year. It’s the perfect time to talk with a TAGS consultant to start a new portfolio or grow your existing one.

Wyoming’s system is unique. Unlike other states, you don’t automatically receive a preference point if you’re unsuccessful in the draw. Instead, you must log in after July 1 and purchase your points separately. Building points is critical if you want a shot at drawing a Wyoming tag. Over-the-counter opportunities are a thing of the past. Today, only 25% of non-resident tags are issued randomly. The other 75% go to applicants with the highest point totals.

If you want to hunt big game in Wyoming, building preference points isn’t optional…it’s essential.

Watch Wyoming Video

While preference points are an investment in the future, don’t let that keep you from starting now. While Wyoming has units that require 18+ points, there are also good opportunities to hunt sooner. There are elk, deer, and antelope hunts that can be drawn with 0–3 points. Think about it this way—the more points you have, the more options you have.

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If you’re serious about trophy-class western hunting, Arizona should be a top priority. With coveted Desert and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep tags, the chance to draw world-class mule deer permits, and outstanding opportunities for Coues deer, the Grand Canyon State offers some of the most exceptional big game hunting in North America. However, drawing a tag is no easy feat—Arizona’s structured, bonus point-based draw system is designed to reward persistence.

That’s where WTA TAGS comes in.

We do more than help you apply—we help you draw. And once you do, we ensure you make the most of it by connecting you with the state’s top professional outfitters, giving you the best possible shot at success.

Deadline to Apply: June 3 for Deer and Sheep. Draw Post Date: Late July for Deer and…

Frozen Arrow: A South Dakota Bison Hunt

Bison are the West’s enduring icon, roaming the plains by the millions before nearly vanishing, only to return through ranch conservation efforts. Today, 90% of them live on ranches, where hunters help fund and manage herds. I’d seen bison in parks, but bowhunting one was the dream. South Dakota’s open country felt right, so I called Worldwide Trophy Adventures, and they set me up with a top-notch outfitter.

The hunt required unique gear. South Dakota’s winter can be brutal. We expected windchills to drop into the -30° F range during our trip, cold enough to frostbite fingers in minutes. I packed heavy wool layers, insulated boots, and fingerless gloves under mittens, knowing I’d need to pull them off to shoot my bow. WTA handled all the logistics. All I had to do was get there.

I drove from Michigan, loaded with empty coolers for meat and space for the hide and skull. The outfitter’s setup was a cluster of small houses around a central lodge, clean and warm with cozy beds. We ate home-cooked dishes in the lodge, hearty meals that fueled our long, frigid days. My guide, Shannon, was excellent. He loves his job and hunts hard, even during nasty weather.

We planned the hunt over beers in the lodge that first night. Bison are solitary, not in herds this time of year, making them tough to find. We’d glass from high points, then stalk on foot. Although the terrain seems flat, it’s full of dips and ridges that bison use to get out of the wind.

Day one, we glassed from a hill, scanning miles of icy grass. Nothing. After a few hours, we got intel on a bull near a watering tank an hour away. We drove out and huddled in a low, swampy area to make a plan. Just as Shannon said, “Bison can appear out of nowhere,” one crested the ridge behind us. We ducked into the reeds, barely hidden. He closed to 45 yards, his long horns gleaming in the blowing grass, but the strong wind made a bow shot a low-percentage opportunity. We chose to let the bull walk, opting to wait for better conditions and a more ethical shot.

We spotted him a mile out with three cows. Shannon set up a brand-new, custom screenprinted bison decoy along a tree line. We hid in a blowdown, hoping to draw him close enough for a shot. The bull came right to the decoy but stayed 60 yards out. Again, it was too windy to shoot. He moved off fast, trailing the cows. We attempted other stalks, but the cows’ sharp eyes kept us pinned out of range. Beat, we headed back to the lodge for a hot meal and playoff football, planning to pick them up in the morning.

Day two was -30° F with wind chill, but the wind had laid down substantially and calmer air meant I could reach further with my bow. We picked up the bull and his cows early. One cow locked onto us, staring for minutes, forcing a slow crawl through a frozen marsh. We closed the distance, but they fed away and out of the area. I couldn’t believe how slow they looked yet how fast they moved through the landscape.

We picked them up again, grazing in a huge open area with a single tree line cutting through it. Using the trees as cover, we crept up, tree by tree, to avoid the watchful eyes of those wary cows. When we snuck within range, I slipped off my mittens, the cold burning my fingers, and nocked an arrow. The first shot hit the bull’s heart. His massive body barely flinched. A second arrow struck true, moving him left and behind a cow. He was mortally wounded, but I wanted to end things quickly. I nocked another arrow and sent it through his lungs. He dropped in 30 seconds after my last shot. My nerves were shot, my whiskers frozen, my fingers numb, but I had dropped a great bull bison with my bow.

The dead bull was beautiful. His horns, wide and tall like goalposts and worn smooth, were unique, Shannon said. His thick coat puffed dust when I slapped it, his blood frozen on the icy ground. Bison are an American icon and taking this one with a bow was amazing.

I took my bull to a nearby butcher, and within 24 hours, it was ready. They showed me the broadhead slashes in his heart, clean and lethal. The meat filled my coolers, the skull went to a taxidermist in Michigan, and the hide’s being tanned for mittens and hats—wonderful reminders of the hunt.

The cold was the toughest part of this hunt, colder than anything I’d experienced, but it made it unforgettable. For a bison hunt, this one’s hard to beat.

Learn About this Bison Hunt Watch the Hunt