Tips for crossing the border

[Dewey Cox]

Going to Montana for a trap clinic in June.
Is there times of the day I should be aiming for to cross the border? I assume I'll cross at Coutts. Does it get busy enough to even worry about that?
I'd rather spend an extra hour fishing somewhere if I could avoid a possible delay at the border.

And I do have my form 6nia, and an invite from the host club.

[KGB]

Go at night after dark, there is nobody there…

[Dick284]

AFAIK tipping border agents is frowned upon…….

[roper1]

Are you pulling a trailer or hoteling it ? We had Kojak's big brother really give us a going over because we didn't have hotel reservations. We crossed mid-morning, so had no plans, we were truly winging it. Had Kojak the larger frothing at the mouth.

With you having an event and a specific destination, should be fine. Good luck!

[Dewey Cox]

I'm tenting at the gun club, hopefully that doesn't cause grief.

[W921]

Originally Posted by Dewey Cox

Going to Montana for a trap clinic in June.
Is there times of the day I should be aiming for to cross the border? I assume I'll cross at Coutts. Does it get busy enough to even worry about that?
I'd rather spend an extra hour fishing somewhere if I could avoid a possible delay at the border.

And I do have my form 6nia, and an invite from the host club.

Years ago it was better to cross at a big crossing like coutts than at a small one. The little crossing might not see another car for rest of day and has nobody else to talk to except you.
They used to ask you important stuff and then small talk about other stuff and then ask you the first questions again to see if you say the same answers.

[KGB]

And if the border agent asks you if you have guns, drugs or cigarettes- just smile and ask What do you need brother?

[Mistagin]

We crossed a few weeks ago. The US border agent asked a bunch of generic questions about where we were going and for how long, etc., and then this, "Do you have any guns or ammo?" I smiled and answered, "Yes, all locked up at home just like the law in Canada requires."
He just chuckled and said, "Have a nice vacation."

[Berniebeag]

I cross into Montana every couple months for business trips. Depending on where I have to go it is either Roosville, Del Bonita, Coutts, or Wildhorse. There is one guy at Wildhorse who is extremely "professional" and does not seem to like people coming to the US. I prefer the smaller crossings, it seems as though Coutts is used as a training facility so you never know who you are going to get or how thorough they want to be. I have not had any issues with volume but I usually cross by 10 am. If you have recently bought any vehicle parts like tires make sure you have a copy of receipts to prove you got them in Canada, this will help when coming back home. I seem to have more questions / delays coming home than going down. I have no criminal record what so ever so not sure why. Sometimes it seems the Canadian border people are offended that you left the country If your paperwork is correct there should be no issues.

[Ackleyman]

Never know what you will get as far as line ups or delays at Coutts. At least the US Customs are fairly decent people. Unlike coming back where its a battle at times to get in your own country....without a firearm. The woman i got this spring looked like a rottwieler with lipstick on.

[Grizzly Adams1]

Originally Posted by KGB

And if the border agent asks you if you have guns, drugs or cigarettes- just smile and ask What do you need brother?

And be sure to stop for that red light at the crossing. Failing to do so is a major security No No. Don't ask how I know.

[KGB]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams1

And be sure to stop for that red light at the crossing. Failing to do so is a major security No No. Don't ask how I know.

I am dying to hear that story!

[jlagman]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams1

And be sure to stop for that red light at the crossing. Failing to do so is a major security No No. Don't ask how I know.

Does a red light mean something different when it's not at the border?

[waldedw]

Originally Posted by Dewey Cox

Going to Montana for a trap clinic in June.
Is there times of the day I should be aiming for to cross the border? I assume I'll cross at Coutts. Does it get busy enough to even worry about that?
I'd rather spend an extra hour fishing somewhere if I could avoid a possible delay at the border.

And I do have my form 6nia, and an invite from the host club.

Hey Bud we're gonna make a trap shooter out of you yet,

Enjoy the trip and the clinic, who's running it

[Grizzly Adams1]

Originally Posted by KGB

I am dying to hear that story!

Middle of the Alaskan wilderness, a car ahead of me being given the once over, thought I'd expedite things so I went to move up. WRONG. Okay, so I stepped out to get my passport from the back seat. WRONG again. I got a severe lecture, which I think was largely tongue in cheek. Something about me knowing better at my age.

[thumper]

Anyone remember the days when you were crossing the border coming back into Canada, and the Canadian Border Guard would say “Welcome Home!” ?

[Dewey Cox]

Originally Posted by waldedw

Hey Bud we're gonna make a trap shooter out of you yet,

Enjoy the trip and the clinic, who's running it

It's a Nora Ross clinic

[urban rednek]

Originally Posted by thumper

Anyone remember the days when you were crossing the border coming back into Canada, and the Canadian Border Guard would say “Welcome Home!” ?

It's been 47 years since I've heard those words come from a Canadian Border Services Agency employee's mouth.
Every time since it has varied from professionally discourteous to blatantly obnoxious drivel.

[waldedw]

Originally Posted by Dewey Cox

It's a Nora Ross clinic

Cool, I hear her clinics are great, good luck, probably see you at Provincials in Edmonton

[traderal]

Originally Posted by thumper

Anyone remember the days when you were crossing the border coming back into Canada, and the Canadian Border Guard would say “Welcome Home!” ?

Only one time. On the way into Alaska the US border guard was plain nasty. Coming back into Canada the guard was an ex RCMP who actually served in the small town I was from, had a very nice conversation. Other times coming back from the US the Canadian guards were worse than the US ones. All depends on the ego.

[Grizzly Adams1]

Originally Posted by traderal

Only one time. On the way into Alaska the US border guard was plain nasty. Coming back into Canada the guard was an ex RCMP who actually served in the small town I was from, had a very nice conversation. Other times coming back from the US the Canadian guards were worse than the US ones. All depends on the ego.

The Canadian ones are not guards, they're just tax collectors,

[roper1]

Slight derail, but we were crossing years ago. Guy in front of us with Montana plates didn't wait for the red light to turn green, just drove right up.

Whoeeee, then argued with Kojak for 5 minutes, pinned it, and drove home. We were doing everything by the book, but that shaved head was as red as any skin I've seen. He booted the running board on my truck so hard, it shook the car behind us. If I coulda caught the Montana guy, Hunny was gonna flip him....

[jlagman]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams1

Middle of the Alaskan wilderness, a car ahead of me being given the once over, thought I'd expedite things so I went to move up. WRONG. Okay, so I stepped out to get my passport from the back seat. WRONG again. I got a severe lecture, which I think was largely tongue in cheek. Something about me knowing better at my age.

I know you think you're the hero in this story, but let's objectively look at what happened.

1. You ignored a traffic control signal, if you blatantly blew past a red light in front of a cop, in the city, you'd probably at least get a ticket.

2. You left your identification in a place where it was inaccessible, despite knowing you were going to cross an international border. Do you stash you passport in your checked luggage, when you fly internationally?

3. You exited the vehicle, when not directed to. Does that sound like a good idea when you've been pulled over by a cop? What makes it suddenly okay at an international border crossing?

[KGB]

Originally Posted by jlagman

I know you think you're the hero in this story, but let's objectively look at what happened.

1. You ignored a traffic control signal, if you blatantly blew past a red light in front of a cop, in the city, you'd probably at least get a ticket.

2. You left your identification in a place where it was inaccessible, despite knowing you were going to cross an international border. Do you stash you passport in your checked luggage, when you fly internationally?

3. You exited the vehicle, when not directed to. Does that sound like a good idea when you've been pulled over by a cop? What makes it suddenly okay at an international border crossing?

Was he crossing the demilitarized zone in North Korea?

[jlagman]

Originally Posted by KGB

Was he crossing the demilitarized zone in North Korea?

Unless he left out the part where he was handcuffed and escorted at gun point...exaggerate, much?

[W921]

Originally Posted by jlagman

I know you think you're the hero in this story, but let's objectively look at what happened.

1. You ignored a traffic control signal, if you blatantly blew past a red light in front of a cop, in the city, you'd probably at least get a ticket.

2. You left your identification in a place where it was inaccessible, despite knowing you were going to cross an international border. Do you stash you passport in your checked luggage, when you fly internationally?

3. You exited the vehicle, when not directed to. Does that sound like a good idea when you've been pulled over by a cop? What makes it suddenly okay at an international border crossing?

Its not like average Canadian takes a course or studies border crossing procedures.
Common sense should be common with border tax collectors but maybe some are like a dog that's been tied up and ignored in someone's backyard for to long. Dog is half nuts and goes off on anybody who steps into his territory

[W921]

Years ago I was crossing into Montana with a load of lumber. This was with a big truck. Anyway border guy is crawling up side of load looking for I guess something maybe stuck in between the lifts of lumber or something. Anyway border guy was probably about 60 years old and really should have been using a ladder. He got almost to top of load and then realized he stuck because didn't have strength to get on top of load but was scared to come back down way he went up.
I was young so I climbed up on top and offered him my hand to pull him up. Paranoid idiot would not take my hand. What did he think I was going to do? Try to kill him? I had to climb down and run about 150 yards to get another officer to go back and crawl up on the load and do the same thing I was doing.
What kind of training do these guys get? Its not like Mexican border and this was years ago when there really wasn't much of a border between us and united states

[jlagman]

Originally Posted by W921

Its not like average Canadian takes a course or studies border crossing procedures.
Common sense should be common with border tax collectors but maybe some are like a dog that's been tied up and ignored in someone's backyard for to long. Dog is half nuts and goes off on anybody who steps into his territory

Proceeding past a red light or leaving ID in an inaccessible location, while crossing an international border don't sound like "common sense" to me.

[W921]

Originally Posted by jlagman

Proceeding past a red light or leaving ID in an inaccessible location, while crossing an international border don't sound like "common sense" to me.

Ive crossed every border crossing from coast to coast before 9/11 . Most of the time I didn't have to show my drivers license. Ive never had a passport. This was mostly trucking.
Back then on Canadian side nobody was armed. That's like the militarism of our police. Even fish cops pack m16 and trench gun or riot shotgun in their trucks now. I think the more armor these guys pack it changes the way they interact with the very people they are supposedly serving.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by W921

Ive crossed every border crossing from coast to coast before 9/11 . Most of the time I didn't have to show my drivers license. Ive never had a passport. This was mostly trucking.
Back then on Canadian side nobody was armed. That's like the militarism of our police. Even fish cops pack m16 and trench gun or riot shotgun in their trucks now. I think the more armor these guys pack it changes the way they interact with the very people they are supposedly serving.

No F&W do not pack M16s they pack semi auto rifles, based on the AR15.