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Old 08-30-2011, 08:31 AM
 
Location: Bethel, Alaska
21,368 posts, read 38,109,972 times
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Once you do one drive either way, you'll be hooked for life. I've crossed Canada 17 times now.
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Old 08-30-2011, 09:27 AM
 
Location: Alaska
200 posts, read 287,293 times
Reputation: 171
Quote:
Originally Posted by warptman View Post
Once you do one drive either way, you'll be hooked for life. I've crossed Canada 17 times now.
Gracious Warpt, that's a LOT of miles! I always feel a certain amount of freedom when driving on the open road. My biggest challenge when driving in a new area is keeping my eyes on the road instead of looking at the scenery
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Old 08-30-2011, 02:25 PM
 
Location: Interior AK
4,731 posts, read 9,942,023 times
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Well, at the few border crossings I've done, you don't have access to the US agents since they set up the points of entry/exit on two different sides of the road or on a different leg of he road entirely. The only border where I was actually within reach of the US agents should something go wrong with the other agents was at the Mexican border, not the Canadian one. But I haven't been to every crossing into Canada either... so maybe yours will be different.

Oh, and if the Canadian Agent threatens you that everything will be checked on exit... that's BS. They don't even have an exit agent when you get to the AK border Our folks on entry don't even care about the ammo or firearms - LOL.

We thought we had gone insane at the border because it was so surreal. First they wanted to know why my vehicle and my husband's vehicle weren't registered in the same state... ummm because I'm driving a *rented* UHaul??? Then they freaked out because my husband was a new US citizen, even though he's an expat from ENGLAND which is not a country that Canada even has problems with (hey, same Queen/Head of State as ya'll!). Then they wanted to search our vehicles for firearms because we'd properly declared our legal limit of ammo, even though we showed them the FFL shipping paperwork. So, during their search, they found some of the spare magazine's for my husband's Robinson rifle... and kept demanding to know where the AK assault rifle was... and could not seem to grasp that that particular mag is a standardized part for many different rifles and we didn't HAVE an "assault rifle". Then they grilled me about owning a .357 mag... which I didn't even have any ammo for and it was SHIPPED.

Seriously, Keystone Cops moment. I'm sure they meant well and were just doing their jobs, but I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone.
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Old 08-30-2011, 02:51 PM
 
Location: Alaska
200 posts, read 287,293 times
Reputation: 171
Quote:
Originally Posted by MissingAll4Seasons View Post
Well, at the few border crossings I've done, you don't have access to the US agents since they set up the points of entry/exit on two different sides of the road or on a different leg of he road entirely. The only border where I was actually within reach of the US agents should something go wrong with the other agents was at the Mexican border, not the Canadian one. But I haven't been to every crossing into Canada either... so maybe yours will be different.

Oh, and if the Canadian Agent threatens you that everything will be checked on exit... that's BS. They don't even have an exit agent when you get to the AK border Our folks on entry don't even care about the ammo or firearms - LOL.

We thought we had gone insane at the border because it was so surreal. First they wanted to know why my vehicle and my husband's vehicle weren't registered in the same state... ummm because I'm driving a *rented* UHaul??? Then they freaked out because my husband was a new US citizen, even though he's an expat from ENGLAND which is not a country that Canada even has problems with (hey, same Queen/Head of State as ya'll!). Then they wanted to search our vehicles for firearms because we'd properly declared our legal limit of ammo, even though we showed them the FFL shipping paperwork. So, during their search, they found some of the spare magazine's for my husband's Robinson rifle... and kept demanding to know where the AK assault rifle was... and could not seem to grasp that that particular mag is a standardized part for many different rifles and we didn't HAVE an "assault rifle". Then they grilled me about owning a .357 mag... which I didn't even have any ammo for and it was SHIPPED.

Seriously, Keystone Cops moment. I'm sure they meant well and were just doing their jobs, but I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone.
Gracious that sounds like it was a mess for sure! I was hoping to be able to carry our long guns with us because $25 is a lot cheaper than shipping costs across country. Plus, you know how men are with their guns......my husband and son (22 y.o.) are all about their hunting rifles and shotguns! Thanks for sharing your experience. I sure don't want to run into that kind of trouble at the border!
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Old 08-30-2011, 03:05 PM
 
Location: Interior AK
4,731 posts, read 9,942,023 times
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Shipping them is a lot cheaper than having them confiscated and replacing them Since you're already in Canada when they're "inspecting" them, they can confiscate any that they consider restricted/prohibited. It's not like the airport security where you have the option to get rid of something prohibited BEFORE entering, nor will they let you loop around, cross back into the US, and they'll return them to you.
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Old 08-30-2011, 05:38 PM
 
Location: At the end of the road
468 posts, read 799,128 times
Reputation: 454
Quote:
Originally Posted by warptman View Post
Once you do one drive either way, you'll be hooked for life. I've crossed Canada 17 times now.
I absolutely agree! Having been up and back once this year already, I am so excited to doing it again already! Not so sure I will enjoy the return trip in March as much, because of the weather.

Quote:
Originally Posted by stewnsue View Post
Gracious that sounds like it was a mess for sure! I was hoping to be able to carry our long guns with us because $25 is a lot cheaper than shipping costs across country. Plus, you know how men are with their guns......my husband and son (22 y.o.) are all about their hunting rifles and shotguns! Thanks for sharing your experience. I sure don't want to run into that kind of trouble at the border!
My husband has been begging me to bring some of his hunting rifles with me. I told him no way. I am traveling alone, with two dogs, a child with disabilities, a whole bunch of stuff....the last thing I want to deal with is a hassle at the border over his guns. If he wants them, he can bring them next year when he is with me to deal with it.
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Old 08-30-2011, 06:24 PM
 
Location: Interior AK
4,731 posts, read 9,942,023 times
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The only way to legally "drive" to Alaska with your firearms without having to deal with Canada's restrictions and prohibitions or any of the transit/customs/border issues is to drive to Bellingham, catch the ferry, NEVER take your vehicle off the ferry at any non-US port, and then drive off the ferry once you get to the end of the cruise. Since being on the vessel means you're technically never leaving the US soil, you can keep your firearms with you and don't need to fill out any paperwork of any kind (unlike mailing, FFL, cargo or Canada). If your destination isn't the panhandle or one of the islands, you just have to make sure you stay on the ferry all the way to Whittier, since getting off earlier means you either can't drive to the rest of Alaska or you have to drive through Canada to get to the rest of Alaska.

You'd be surprised at how many people don't realize that you can't drive from Juneau to Anchorage without going through Canada
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Old 08-31-2011, 10:01 AM
 
Location: JBER, AK
115 posts, read 165,769 times
Reputation: 59
Stewnsue - I will be a couple of weeks behind you with an SUV and moving truck. Have a great trip!
Naturesdreams - I have a portable (magnetic) block heater that sticks to the oil pan, and you plug it in... it worked fine in MN in subzero temps, and the moving truck has a block heater, too. You may be able to pick a portable one up, instead of having the expense of installing one... just a thought. The only problem is you have to remember to unplug the bugger!
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Old 08-31-2011, 11:24 AM
 
Location: Alaska
200 posts, read 287,293 times
Reputation: 171
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fearlessfemme View Post
Stewnsue - I will be a couple of weeks behind you with an SUV and moving truck. Have a great trip!
Naturesdreams - I have a portable (magnetic) block heater that sticks to the oil pan, and you plug it in... it worked fine in MN in subzero temps, and the moving truck has a block heater, too. You may be able to pick a portable one up, instead of having the expense of installing one... just a thought. The only problem is you have to remember to unplug the bugger!
Thanks Fearlessfemme! We definitely are going to try to have a great trip if we can ever get all these dadblasted details worked out. Hope you have a safe journey back to the U.S. and a safe journey to your new home state of Alaska!!

I may need the name of a good hair stylist on the Kenai because planning this move is causing my hair to turn grey.....and then there are the bald spots from pulling my hair out!
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Old 08-31-2011, 09:23 PM
 
Location: Valdez, Alaska
2,758 posts, read 5,284,996 times
Reputation: 2806
I'd ship the guns Parcel Post. You may have to pay an oversize fee, which jacks up the price, but I wouldn't want to deal with the damn Canadians about guns. I shipped all mine and had all my ammo and reloading gear itemized and they didn't ask about anything. Some friends just did the same thing last week and they looked at the itemized list and the box of ammo and said it looked all right. Other people have much bigger hassles. I'd minimize the chance for bs as much as possible.
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