What to Wear & Bring
Hunting with a rifle, especially a big rifle, can become trying in the heat of Mozambique. Coolness of garments, the protection, and padding they provide from the outside elements, as well as your rifle hanging from your shoulder, need to be evaluated for what works best for you. Chief among questions is whether to hunt in a “short” or “long sleeve” safari shirt. This is personal, but here are a few thoughts. The sun can bake, so long-sleeve safari shirts with buttons to hold the sleeve up when needed are best to protect from the relentless sun and thorns. But they need to be light and breathable. Short-sleeve safari shirts work great, but don't forget sunscreen and expect cuts and scratches. Shoulder epaulets provide an extra layer of padding, as guns do get heavier as the day progresses. Next is "shorts" vs "long pants." Shorts of course are cooler, but if you wear them you can again expect scratches and cuts daily. To some this is worth the cost of cooling, to some it is not. Zip-off pants offer a compromise, but generally pocket space becomes limited.
So with that in mind, we recommend 4 sets of rugged safari wear in earth tone colors, a comfortable hat to block out sun, great quality boots (we personally recommend link to African Sporting Courteney’s) that are completely broken in, gaiters to put over the top of your boots to keep the nasty little thorns from entering, sweat bands (if appropriate), cotton handkerchiefs, undergarments that do not chafe, high quality socks, and a quality jacket. We discourage using military apparel or camouflage, as this can be misunderstood within local cultures.
Other “things” to bring are even more personal than clothing; but here are a few more thoughts. First and foremost, Gajogo suggests that you travel as lightly as possible. With that in mind, we recommend LED headlamps in lieu of large or even small bulky flashlights, light weight soft-sided bags, (that can be “stuffed” into unusual nooks and crannies such as a light airplane), include a light weight folded bag within your luggage for use to carry home goodies you purchase during your visit (nylon duffel bags are great).
Other useful things include a “Leatherman” tool, 8-15 inch cable ties for numerous varieties of reasons, soft padded gun cases that zip completely open to lay your gun in during rides in the safari cruiser, a camera of your choice with a quality padded bag to protect it, extra sim-cards, and lastly, appropriate personal first aid items such as creams, sunscreen, aspirin, etc, to care for blisters, sore muscles, and wrinkles caused from the excessive smiles you will be wearing most of the day.
Now "unthings." There is also a list of things you do not need to bring: there is no need to bring water purification tablets or kits, a GPS, sleeping bags, work gloves, canteens, hunting knives, skinning knives, gun cleaning kits, rain gear, water proof boots, hard helmets, or candy for the staff or the Boss.
And the last thing, a word about packing. If possible, remove the bolt from your rifle and pack it in a completely different bag than your rifle...BUT NOT IN YOUR CARRY-ON BAG! This makes your gun a lot less valuable asset to those seeking it as their own while it is in transit to your safari (airline theft).
GUNS...SIGHTS...BULLETS
Gajogo Safarilands recommends strongly that clients bring their own firearms which must include a big bore of .375 H & H Magnum or larger for Dangerous Game. Smaller calibers are acceptable for plainsgame, but keep in mind some plainsgame such as Eland might weigh up to 1800 lbs. so err on the side of "bring enough gun." Shotguns are required if you plan to shoot birds and are very effective in bagging any of the "Little Five". Handguns are permitted, as are bows and crossbows.
Gajogo Safarilands guns and bullets are included in your All-Inclusive Daily Rate. They include a Winchester Model 70 (pre-64) .375 H&H Mag, a Winchester Model 70 .30-06 Springfield, a Remington Model 7 .243 Win, and a Remington Pump Model 870 3" 12 gauge shotgun. All rifles have identical tactically scopes. All are excellent shooters. Bows, cross-bows, or arrows for either are not included, nor available at Gajogo Safarilands for rental or personal use.
Regarding importation of personal firearms, the guns, bullets, taxes, and related fee costs are the responsibility of the clients. Gajogo will painlessly import these for you at $300 per gun, plus $1 per bullet (taxes). This includes going through Johannesburg and into Mozambique (2 country import protocol). Remember, only three (3) guns are permitted for import into Mozambique. No more than two (2) can be rifles. Handguns, bows, and crossbows are all legal for import and taking of game, and if desired, importation will be handled on a case by case basis using the above fee structure. Bows and arrows may or may not be subject to fees and taxes. Laws between SA and Mozambique differ, change annually, and often are subject to the 'mood of the day' of Foreign Custom's Officers.
Gun cleaning and care will be handled by Gajogo Staff once your firearms are in camp. Sit back and relax, we have your importing, transport, legality, and care of your firearms bagged. All you have to do is shoot.
Do to the absolute large diversity of terrain within Gajogoland, there is no “absolute” sighting system that meets all requirements all of the time. Typically, most shots would fall into the 50-100 yard range, but it is not unusual to fire out to 200 yards, or be as close as 10 yards. Shots could be in wide-open savanna or in the thick jess. Regardless of your sight choice it is important that you practice both off-hand and on “sticks” to become extremely proficient in all varieties of shooting conditions. Remember to practice working your rifle's action for quick reloading without bringing your rifle from its shoulder mounted position (bolt, lever, or pump actions). If you prefer a scope, ensure that a relatively low power setting is available (i.e.: 1-5X, 2-7X, at most 3-9X, as the greater the scope power, the more you limit your ability to shoot accurately at close range in thick jess). All Gajogo rifles are identical tactically scoped for quick removal or attachment with zero accuracy loss. Optical sights work fine, but be sure to bring spare batteries. Most importantly: practice, practice, practice!!!
Gajogo Safarilands strongly recommends that you shoot a combination of solid and soft point bullets to ensure optimum take-down performance for dangerous game. Plains-game may be harvested using only soft point bullets. Gajogo Safarilands endorses Hornady Products. Link to hornady.com for more information. Hornady DGS®, DGX®, GMX®, Interlock®, Vmax®, and LeveRevolution FTX® are recommended while Trophy Bonded, Barnes-X, and Swift-A-Frame are also excellent bullet choices. Bring up to 60 rounds/gun, but the Geneva Convention International limit is 5Kg/11lbs total bullet weight. Be sure that they are properly packaged and counted accurately and are in a lockable hard case that can be taken from your personal luggage and shipped separately as may be required in transits through different countries.
Guns owned by clients must be temporarily imported into Mozambique for hunting (as well as South Africa if you come through Johannesburg). Therefore, both import procedures must be followed. Gajogo Safarilands must accomplish this for you, but regardless a proof of ownership via US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Form 4457 "Certificate Registration for Personal Effects Taken Abroad" is required.
CBP 4457s are available at most Customs Offices. The "Expiration date" on the upper right corner must be AFTER your return through South Africa. Your guns must, and other valuables may (I.e.: cameras computers, watches, etc) be physically presented to "Customs" for registration as proof of ownership on the CBP 4457 as well. No permanent record is kept. The form must be stamped by CBP to be valid (if possible, get an "original" duplicate and send it to Gajogo Safarilands as a backup). This CBP 4457 Form is required to bring guns "into" Africa, as well as "back" into the USA.
Now here are the restrictions that matter to you: only 2 rifles and 1 shotgun or handgun can be imported per licensed hunter, neither can be any variant of an auto-loader, and only 60 rounds of ammunition per gun can be imported with your firearms with total weight not to exceed (5 kg [11lbs] maximum). And, they must be in their own locked, yes locked, hard case that may be carried inside or outside your personal checked baggage depending upon the mood of the day in Foreign custom's Offices.