Taking Decoys across the boarder?

D

D. Hinton

Active member
Hey guys,
In a few weeks I'll be headed North above the Mason Dixon...and even further in to ye olde Canada to duck hunt.

I was wanting to carry 2 birds from my rig with me to hunt with. Anyone had any problems getting them back ?

Heard through the grape vine they tax the skit out of you to where its cost prohibitive
Wanting to hear personal experiences..
 
Dax~


I have never done this - but have crossed plenty of international borders. Generally, customs charges duties only on items purchased abroad. I have never had to "prove" that I owned anything I was carrying with me.


Have you heard that decoys are especially subject to import duties?


All the best,


SJS

 
Mr. Sanford,

I have a friend of a friend probably of a friend. They wound up traveling with a covered trailer worth of decoys and wound up having to leave them as they were going to get taxed so much it was cheaper to just buy everything new
 
My experience is similar to Steve's. Never took decoys across, but I've been in Ontario with plenty of hiking/camping/canoeing gear and never had the least problem crossing either way with it. I can't imagine why decoys would be any different.
 
If you are crossing the border with you decoys and will return with them, you get a Carne' from US CBP. There is no duty for transporting for your own use. If you are buying and selling there is duty. Not unlike bringing your watch or your camera.
Joe
 
D. Hinton said:
Mr. Sanford,

I have a friend of a friend probably of a friend. They wound up traveling with a covered trailer worth of decoys and wound up having to leave them as they were going to get taxed so much it was cheaper to just buy everything new
Click to expand...

That doesn?t jive with my understanding. I would not worry.
 
Dax~


This might be a good time to contact your congress person's office for some help. They typically have staff that can track such issues down.


Just a thought: If the friend of a friend of a friend was going to serve as a paid guide in Canada, that opens the whole can of "employment" - and may be the root of the problem.



All the best,


SJS

 
I am leaving for a Cast & Blast in Ontario on Sept 15th and based on the experiences of friends filled out a CBP 4457 form to list my valuable personal property with customs prior to crossing the border.
A friend did an expensive bear hunt in BC and listed virtually all his hunting gear, rifle, range finder, binocs, sporting scope and camera.
Simple but time consuming
Form CBP 4457 is a 'fillable' pdf
Go online and fill out the form listing the items your wish to declare - custom decoys, guns, artwork, collectible etc.
Take those items to the closet CBP office - we have one near me in Rochester MN. Officer will simply verify and stamp the form
If there is any question if you purchased the items in Canada simply present the form.
Canadian resorts have become an excellent value - nobody wants to put up with the border BS

https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2017-Jun/CBP%20Form%204457_0.pdf



Good Luck
______
 
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We take around 7 dozen hand carved decoys back and forth every year. Never had them mention decoys at all. I guess when you go duck hunting for a week they just assume your going to have decoys.
I'm leaving in a few weeks again and don't have any worries.
 
The best thing to do is to check them in as owning them prior to crossing the border you should do the same with your firearms and ammo. The it is no issue coming back, we do it all the time
 

I have hunted in three different provinces in Canada many times, and always have taken rigs of my hand carved decoys. Never had a problem. Never had a problem with shotgun registration, declaring how much ammo, or anything else.

Coming back into the USA can be tedious at times, but if you are within the law it's part of the deal.

When waterfowl hunters began towing trailers full of decoys, and hunting equipment into Canada things changed, and not for the better...

Just my 2 cents
 
As mentioned above, register your gear with US Customs before you come into Canada to avoid hassles going back. I don?t think Canada Customs cares about decoys unless you?re bringing in a trailer load to act as a paid guide or to sell them.

You need to check Canadian regs for bringing in guns. You can get a permit for shotguns but handguns cannot come into Canada.

You will need to have the firearm permit with you as well as a provincial non-resident hunting license and Canadian Migratory Bird Permit when you are hunting here.

Have a good hunt!
 
Concur with Bomber--make it simple, make a list and have us customs check it. We never had problems taking dekes to Saskatchewan.
 
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