Working in Mumbai - Hoping to Hunt in MH

[mcquentin]

Hello;

INTRODUCTION (INTERESTS at bottom):

I am a Canadian, residing in the USA and working for an Indian company in Mumbai. In fact, I have an apartment for one year in Hiranandani. After this first year (2011), I will be travelling back and forth 3 or 4 times a year.

I like to hunt for the meat and for the trophy, and have hunted in Canada, the USA, Germany, France, South Africa and Namibia.

My rifles are:

Anschuetz 1422 stuetzen in .22 Hornet with EAW pivot mounts and a Hertel u. Reuss 4x36 scope with a #1 reticle (rabbit, hare and small African antelope)
Steyr Mannlicher Classic in .243 Win with EAW pivot mounts and a Kahles 8x56 S scope with a #4A reticle (pronghorn antelope, mountain goat, gemsbok and rehbok)
Browning A-Bolt II Eurobolt in 7mm Rem Mag with EAW pivot mounts and a Zeiss 3-12x56 T* scope with a #4A reticle (mule deer, fallow deer, ibex, bighorn sheep, medium African antelope)
Marlin 336C in .30-30 Win with Leupold mounts and a Redfield 1.5-4x20 scope with a #2 reticle (whitetail deer, backtail deer)
BSA CF2 stuezten in .30-06 Sprg with EAW pivot mounts and a Schmidt u. Bender 6x42 scope with a #1 reticle (close range: elk, mule deer, red deer, moose, large African antelope)
Sauer 202 Elegance in .375 H&H Mag with EAW pivot mounts and a Zeiss 1.5-6x42 scope with a #1 reticle (elk, red deer, moose, large African antelope, cape buffalo)
Winchester 96 Legacy in .44 Rem Mag with Leupold mounts and a Redfield 2-7x36 scope with a #2 reticle (wild boar)

I also have one revolver and seven pistols; and I have several shotguns of various gauges. Mostly I like SxS shotguns for pheasant, chukar, grouse, partridge, quail and dove. I also hunt turkeys with a single-barrel shotgun.

I have a PAL in Canada and all my firearms are registered there, even though all of them are in the USA at the moment.

My wife has asked me not to hunt felines and bears, and my daughter has asked me not to hunt equines - so I do not. Elk or moose meat on the grill will keep me happy for a long time.

I retired from military service in 1999 and have been a techical project / delivery manager for the past 12 years.

INTERESTS:

I am interested in hunting in India with a shikari. It is my understanding that it is possible to hunt nuisance wild boar and nilgai in Maharashtra. I have no doubt there would be a lot of paperwork and permission required from many sources, but I am still interested. And I realize there would also be an application process in order to temporarily import a rifle and ammunition for that purpose as well. But, if anyone knows of a way whereby I might be able to hunt legally, with the correct approval, I would very much like to hear from you. I am thinking one first must identify a region with the regular occurance of nuisance animals and then arrange introductions to the local forest / wildlife officer, landowners and farmers through a shikari...

Anyway, please do revert with any information!

Malcolm Quentin

[dr.jayakumar]

mr.macquentin,
you can't hunt in india.and by the time you get all the right papers,you will be too old!
welcome to india.

[prashantsingh]

Dear Malcolm Quentin,
Hunting is banned in India. Taxidermy is a dying art here(the only one I know of is in Mumbai) and there is no way you can export a trophy out of India. (legally that is). The better option to hunt Neelgai would be Texas.USA.

[goodboy_mentor]

Yes hunting is practically banned in India under Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. You may read details about this act at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildlife_P ... ct_of_1972

Hunting of animals only in Schedule V of Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 is allowed. The animals in Schedule V are common crow, fruit bats, mice and rats.

From time to time and place to place wild boars and some other animals are allowed to be hunted for "crop protection" etc. There is usually lot of paperwork involved to get the permissions for hunting them.

Sometimes some wild animal like tiger etc. when declared "man eater" and posing danger to human life, then that particular animal is allowed to be hunted by shikaris.

Importing your rifle will be extremely difficult and time consuming for you. Import of firearms is in restricted list of EXIM Policy. You would need an import license from central government for importing firearms. You would also need to have an arms license(getting an arms license is a time consuming and herculean task in itself. It may take from few months to few years.) If somehow you get the permission to hunt wild boar etc., it would be much cheaper and easier to pay a local hunter who would accompany you and allow you to use his shotgun or rifle.

[shooter]

dear malcom welcome aboard.

be careful what you post.
even if someone PM's you PLEASE REJECT ALL IMPULSES TO REPLY BACK. THERE ARE DODGY PEOPLE AROUND>

[Priyan]

mcquentin,
Welcome to IFG
I'm sorry to inform you that hunting is banned for about 40 years now so the only thing we can hunt is cockroaches and lizards in our home
Also transferring your firearms would be a pain in the neck and chances are that it would take decades, also ammo is hard to find now-a-days (30-06 should be OK though)
I heard even if someone hunts a wild boars and other pests after doing all the paperwork (Chances are that the pest might die of natural causes before getting the paperwork done though ) it can't be used as food, it needs to be buried. Awww! what a waste of good food.

[nagarifle]

next best option for hunting would be Pakistan or Nepal, Nepal the cost would be around $10k

-- 19 Aug 2011, 10:52 --

oh yes, if hunting licence were that easy in India then you will be at the back of the que which ends in North pole

[mundaire]

Big game hunting banned in India - circa 1972

Blanket ban on all forms of hunting in India - circa 1991. Prior to that small game hunting was permitted (with proper paperwork).

Currently you can shoot vermin (listed under Schedule V of the Wildlife Protection Act) - common crow, bandicoots etc.

If a particular species has been declared an agricultural pest (blue bull, wild boar etc.) in a certain area - a farmer involved in the business of agriculture, may shoot said animals for "crop protection" on his own land. All animals shot in such manner are to be duly reported and the carcasses to be deposited with the local forest officials.

If anyone tells you otherwise/ offers to "arrange" an outing for you - please be warned, the penalties are stiff and a long jail term pretty much assured.

HTH

[shooter]

even if you wish to 'observe' such a cull, your wish of 'being accompanied by a shikari' will remain unfulfilled.

I dont know if there are many shikaris remaining in the whole of india let alone MH and if they will be able to accompany you for the cull.