I ran into some Americans having an issue at customs at the airport in Lusaka, Zambia, last summer.

Craig and Amy (last names withheld), from Western Michigan, and two friends were in the country to go hunting and were stuck at customs until the rifles and crossbows they brought from home were cleared.

“We won this trip at a hunting conference,” Amy said. “My husband bid on a hyena — they’re cheap — so we’re here.” The couple with Amy had paid just $3,000 to kill a hippopotamus (“but then there’s the fees, regulations and shipping — so it really adds up!”). The group of four were off for a trek into the remote interior of Zambia.

It wasn’t their first time hunting in Africa.

“Our trophy room is full,” Amy laughed. “It’s becoming ridiculous. And then a…