Hello everyone.
I am planning a trip to the Amazon rainforrest, where I want to hike with a couple of my friends for some weeks. But with all the dangerous animals, that live in the Amazon, I would REALLY like some sort of firearms for selfdefence (and of course not shoot if not absolutely necessary).
So I wanted to hear if anyone knew how to rent firearms for some weeks.
You’ll have bigger problems with snakes and bullet ants than cougars and jaguars. Due to the dense nature of the forest, your greatest risk is getting lost!
Hire a guide instead. A guide will provide deep insight into the forest, have the right equipment, and keep you from getting lost.
Hey Cindy.
I have of course thougth of snakes, bulletants and I know how to use a map and a compas, but I didn't want to write a summary of everything you need to think of before going on a hike just to ask a simple question about firearms.
And btw I would rather run into a snake, that mostly attacks when threatened or get lost, then meeting a jaguar where you nothing could do if you didn't have a rifle so it would be certain death, and it is very unprofessional by you to think a jaguar compose less danger then a snake that most likely wouldn't even attacks on less you provoke it.
What part of the Amazon are you thinking of hiking?
Andreas
Many South American snakes are far more agressive and easily triggered than North American snakes. Rattlesnakes are incredibly laid back compared to snakes in other parts of the world. Rattlesnakes also carry a hemotoxin, where many other snakes have neurotoxins. They are the nice guys of the venomous snake world. The snakes of South America are way scarier.
I’m not sure about why you say I’m being “unprofessional” as this board is hardly a profession. I gave you my opinion based on a lifetime spent outdoors and also based on my own experiences in the jungle. Getting lost is a very real danger and the most likely one. Even GPS fails because of the dense overhead foliage. Even experienced researchers get lost.
The really dangerous animals are the teeny tiny poisonous insects and reptiles, not the big jaguars. There are several plants that are either poisonous or thorny. Mosquitos and jungle diseases are real threats.
First thanks for the answers.
And Cindy I know the small bugs are the most poisonous, but you gotta prepare for everything if you want to be safe.
With all due respect, this sounds dangerous. Trying to hike in the amazon rainforest without a guide (either private or otherwise) would be dangerous and stupid. If you managed to get lost without anyone knowing your whereabouts how would you expect to get back to civilization? Cindy is correct, snakes, ants etc are far more dangerous than cougars and/or jaguars (which are on the protected list). They have guards that are daily walking through the rainforest specifically to protect the animals from people (like you). If you are caught harming/killing an animal you are fined and prosecuted. They have a very serious conservation plan in place to protect these animals.
Please check through some of the travel forums i.e., lonely planet, foders, trip advisor to obtain advice as to your plans. I checked through LP quickly for answers to your question - and it would be a very interesting read for you. Please do so before you make any plans.
you gotta prepare for everything if you want to be safe.
This isn’t true and can actually create unsafe conditions.
Risk is about probability and consequence. If something is risky we try to mitigate that risk. There are many ways to mitigate risk for any situation. You are rarely forced into a single solution.
You see an issue with jaguars, a low probability and high consequence situation. This is a medium risk situation, not a high risk one. Your solution (firearms) create other risks that must also be managed. I would even argue that you are creating a larger risk with your solution than the one you are trying to mitigate. But you can mitigate the jaguar situation without firearms:
You seem to be focused more on unlikely scenarios instead of likely ones.
Holly raises a great point.
If you maim or kill a protected animal then you will face fines and/or jail time.
Fines are in the multiple thousands of dollars. Jail time in a foreign country is pretty bad.
Your solution just has too many weak points.
Just curious. What do you intend to do if the answer to your question is NO? That seems to be the response to the same question you posted on the TripAdvisor Brazil forum.
As maiming or killing a protected animal carries fines, jail time, etc, please note that this discussion borders heavily on crossing Community Guideline #8 ("do not help people break laws"). The OP isn't asking to break a law, but the answers being asked for may cross this line. Thank you for your observance of our guidelines in helping answer the OP's question.
I've also edited back some other guideline violations. I may not have done enough, but I'm trying not to be heavy handed. Thanks to everyone for finding ways to help the OP in a respectful manner.
Andreas,
You need to contact someone on the ground, in Brazil, who's familiar with both the national/local laws, and also the accepted community norms in the region. You may get some well-intentioned guesses here (and also some pushback, as you've seen) but I don't think you are going to be able to make your plans based on what you get here.
If it were me, and I really wanted honest answers, I'd contact someone in the adventure tourism business in the area. Just a guess, but I suspect there's a strong chance that the answer to your question will eventually turn out to be "no" (firearms generally tend to be strictly controlled in most of the world - the USA is an exception - especially to non-citizens). If that's true, I'd assume your Plan B would be to hire a local guide, so by reaching out to a guide service there you might meet your need one way or another. Even if they aren't able to/want to answer your questions, they could probably point you in the right direction.
As mentioned, you should ask in a forum with locals or country specific specialists to advise. TripAdvisor has destination specific forums. Read that country's laws about wildlife laws and be prepared for further unsolicited advice. There are vast protected areas where you are forbidden to enter without permission and guides. They will have the required protection if you have the permission.
Andreas
Coming to this forum with a question about renting guns in the Amazon, is the equivalent of going to an optometrist to treat a broken leg
If it were me, and I really wanted honest answers, I'd contact someone
in the adventure tourism business in the area. Just a guess, but I
suspect there's a strong chance that the answer to your question will
eventually turn out to be "no" (firearms generally tend to be strictly
controlled in most of the world
This is an excellent idea. Just doing some digging around out of curiousity, it looks like Brazil has some very strict gun laws, a lengthy registration/permit process, a minimum age (25) and it's possible that it's not even legal for foreigners to carry within the country. That's not even taking in the possibility of penalization for shooting protected wildlife. It's a complicated, serious subject so a professional guide/adventure company familiar with local laws would be your best resource.
Cindy and Holly have provided some excellent advance as well! A guide service would ensure that your novice (assuming this is your first time) experience in the forest/jungle is the best one possible as, along with making sure you don't get lost, they can provide instruction on the things you DO need to be most cautious of, such as particularly harmful parasites and insects, and how to protect yourself.
andreas,
As the others have pointed out so well, there are numerous hazards you'll have to deal with. A brief list (some of these have been covered previously)......
It would be a better idea and far safer to travel with an experienced firm that employs expert guides. This is one you could look at - https://www.gadventures.com/travel-styles/cruising/river/amazon/ . I've never travelled with them, but they seem to get good reviews.
You may also want to browse this travel forum - https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/americas-south-america/brazil .
It would be a good idea to pack along a satellite device to use in case you get into trouble - https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics/camping-and-hiking/best-personal-locator-beacon (subscription probably required).
I know someone who has taken jungle training with the British Army and even though they had automatic weapons, they were also at risk from the hazards mentioned above.
Unless you're well trained and experienced with this type of venture, travelling on your own for "some weeks" in the Amazon rain forest is a recipe for disaster!
Good luck!
"then meeting a jaguar where you nothing could do if you didn't have a rifle so it would be certain death"
Even those with a rifle can be at risk. The armed Conservation Officer in this recent story was in dense bush and turned around to find a Cougar stalking her and very close. There was another Cougar nearby. Fortunately the C.O. reacted quickly - https://bc.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1408469 (and this was in an urban area, and not the jungle). Big cats are ambush predators and you may not know they're near until it's too late.
Big cats are ambush predators and you may not know they're near until it's too late.
THIS.
In any conflict between apex predator jungle cat and a nervous tourist with a rented gun, I'd bet my money on the cat.
Hitting any moving object (let alone a stealthy ambush predator) requires training, lots of practice, and some luck. There's no way you would bring down that dangerous animal. The gun would just lull you into a false sense of security, get in your way, and put others at risk of getting shot by mistake. I seriously doubt that a tourist could legally get a gun, but if somehow you could, with all due respect, this seems like a really, really bad idea to me.
Even with training, practice and luck, my money is still on the cat and not on Yossi Ghinsberg. Big or small, they are amazingly smart and stealthy creatures as evidenced by my 10lb. tabby (who has a bit of a love/hate relationship with my significant other who is in law enforcement) and enjoys stalking and taking down my boyfriend (who is highly trained in the use of firearms). Whenever I witness it happen, it almost always reminds me of one of the best intros to a "Six Feet Under" episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noIJyY2KxRA
And I suspect that walking around anywhere with a loaded gun is a recipe for disaster.
No hospitals deep in the jungle.
I think the OP won't be back.
I guess Jeff Bezos would be pleased with me- I read Amazon to be the website- like in Prime. LOL
Why do I see you potentially on CNN with a breaking story of a group of friends getting lost, guns are fired, and one is attacked by a crocodile?
Go with an accredited guide/accredited organization and have a wonderful time.
I was just realizing that he wanted a rifle. Good luck with that. Jungle foliage is so dense that the rifle can get tangled in it.
My Dad always said that carbines were superior for jungle warfare.
which country are you going to? do you have an experienced guide with you? a jaguar is faster than your rifle, without a good guide a rifle is useless. you should also check the area to be sure no drug cartel operating labs around the area. I did a 4 day trip in Peru's amazon area, it's very challenging environment, we were fine without firearms, but the guide is hands down most critical, wouldn't made it without him.
So he wants to travel (presumably by airplane) from some unnamed country to some unnamed country in South America with jungle, and wants us to recommend a place to rent a rifle? Hmmmmm.
Sasha-- time for some glass cleaner on your crystal ball ?
