Fly or drive to Wyoming

[Hammsolo]

Prepare, drive, relax, and enjoy. Oh, and listen to Hunt Talk podcasts.

 

[Sherpa1]

We drive every year from SO Cal to Wy for antelope. I like to know how my firearms and meat are taken care of. Flying with firearms can be challenging with all the new TSA and covid guidlines. Plus, my some goes to school at UW so we have the drive dialed in to Laramie.

 

[lifeisgoodsteve]

I did both solo last year and each has their merits.

It's about an 18hr. drive for me though I had over a week from Friday to the following Sunday off. The second time was time constrained of just 5 days so flew.

When flying I was going to be hunting with a local friend who was driving so didn't need to rent a truck. If going guided shouldn't need one either, but I guess that could depend (sorry if you already mentioned this as I didn't read the 4 previous pages of posts). Considering the savings on gas and lack of truck rental, and the cheap flight, the costs weren't much different than driving.

That said, I prefer driving if I have the time.

 

[Cheesehead]

I do an annual hunting trip out west from the Midwest

I may be crazy, but the ~20 hour solo outbound trip is my favorite time of the year. It’s like the night before Christmas, filled with anticipation. I look forward to it as much as (more?) than the hunting.

 

[Mallardsx2]

If you fly your at the mercy of the car rental company and crappy tires they have, whether or not you can get a 4X4 (Most will not reserve a 4X4 for you) and what tools they have if you get a flat tire (Which is bound to happen)...
Then when you get to the airport they will put their dirty hands all over your meat and it will cost you 250 to get the meat home from a couple deer. An elk will cost a small fortune....
Then you have to figure out how to get your horns home if you decide to have your animal stuffed....

The whole scenario will probably play out badly and you will wish you had just driven...

Get in YOUR truck with YOUR tools and all of the gear you think you will need.

Vacation to me is not standing in an airport full of masked people who dont want to be there and who potentially have the coronavirus...

 

[FlatlandHunter]

I always drive from Ohio. Peace of mind all my gear is with me and it’s part of the experience. I do take 2 days now to help break it up so I am not so tired when I get out there. When I stay in a motel/hotel I just take in my gun and any expensive gear with me.

 

[brushcreek]

biggest factor in the decision was my dad is 71 and does not care for long drives anymore. it is a guided hunt which was a huge factor too - won't need a 4 wheel drive truck. next year's planned trip to Colorado will be DYI and driving 18 hours.

 

[wytex]

If you drive factor in some road closure days just in case of a winter storm.

 

[2rocky]

I think Antelope are the most flight friendly big game. You guys are gonna have a blast.

 

[Bullshot]

I am on the east coast and drive, solo most of the time, occasionally with a partner. I usually try go more or less straight through, but that is getting way, way WAY harder in my 40's. I stop for a couple hours here and there for a short nap if needed, usually try to get past Chicago and to Iowa before stopping, but other times, the first stop has been in CO. Lots of coffee. The ride home is WAY harder. Pennsylvania is the worst, as after OH, Rt. 80 starts to get curvy again. My one to one and a half day drives are inevitably soon to be two to two and a half. Call it new-found wisdom.... following dumb luck for making it this far. I don't want to hurt myself, and definitely not someone else. But flying is not a great option when hauling camp and meat.

 

[vikingload]

Need some advice from experts here. Recently booked a guided Deer / Pronghorn hunt in SW Wyoming in early October. I live in Little Rock, AR which is 1,400 miles away. We could drive in two days or we could fly in to SLC, rent a truck and drive to our hunting location (80 miles from SLC I think). Flights are dirt cheap right now found one this morning for less than $200 round trip, can rent a truck for a week for around $350. My only hangups are getting the meat back and flying with possible corona virus issues or delays. What would you guys do? Interested in hearing about experiences flying home with capes / meat.

When I was stationed on the east coast, I always drove back for my hunts. Really made the hunt fun and a adventure doing the drive, it also helped with taking meat back and making sure guns handled properly.

 

[Wyohunt]

Who would pass up the excitement of driving 14 hours through Oklahoma, Kansas, and Eastern Colorado?

But seriously, I would drive.

Don’t forget the I-80 drive thru Nebraska. Go out of your way to do that.

 

[WNC2500]

I have done it both ways. I drive from Western North Carolina to Montana. (29 hours). As long as it is frozen when you leave, and you have it in a good cooler, you are good to go.
If I was you, I would definitely drive. I have flown, and it is easier, but there is no way I would be flying right now.

 

[FLS]

Done both several times. Last time I flew I froze my boned out antelope meat and put it in cooler with cape and head (57lbs) and shipped overnight from Fed Ex in Ft Collins. The shipping cost was less than extra/ overweight baggage fee. Air fare is stupid cheap right now.
Drove from SC last year, straight thru to WY for antelope and mule deer, then to CO for elk. I dropped deer and antelope meat off at a processor while we hunted elk, then picked it up when we were done. It was a LONG trip home.

 

[ArcticArcher]

Need some advice from experts here. Recently booked a guided Deer / Pronghorn hunt in SW Wyoming in early October. I live in Little Rock, AR which is 1,400 miles away. We could drive in two days or we could fly in to SLC, rent a truck and drive to our hunting location (80 miles from SLC I think). Flights are dirt cheap right now found one this morning for less than $200 round trip, can rent a truck for a week for around $350. My only hangups are getting the meat back and flying with possible corona virus issues or delays. What would you guys do? Interested in hearing about experiences flying home with capes / meat.

What I need to know real quick is this: Once you get to Wyoming, are there transportation only services into the wilderness, i.e. pack trains without a hunting guide? Looks like all the outfitters just want to take me hunting. I know what the rules say about non-residents.

 

[Matt B]

As others have said driving is the way to go. You have all your equipment, no lost baggage and you can be sure to get your meat home after the hunt.

 

[F250]

Drive. The airlines have lost my meat coolers, lost my rifle more than once, and lost my bags with clothes. I had the kid next to me power puke down my boot during take off. I watched my rifle being loaded onto the wrong plane once (that was good for a major fit !!). I watched a huge man try to stuff my packaged elk meat back into my cooler that he had dropped and busted open on the tarmac. DRIVE !!!

 

[Redman]

Pronghorn hunting I Always fly. It is pretty much a minimum 20hr drive to get to Pronghorn areas from where I live. I do this with one checked bag plus rifle or bow. If I am successful I ship my clothing and sleep system home UPS ground. Put the boned out meat in my carry on and cape/head in my checked bag. Yes I have had the tag on my bag stating where TSA inspected it and would have loved to see the look on their faces when they had a pronghorn buck staring back at them. With the carry on the lady scanning it said ahh you have meat in there! She just started a conversation about hunting and let me on through. Their has been no down side to this method for me.

 

[MJE2083]

My general rule is to drive if I can do it in 2 days or less one way.

 

[3855WIN]

What I need to know real quick is this: Once you get to Wyoming, are there transportation only services into the wilderness, i.e. pack trains without a hunting guide? Looks like all the outfitters just want to take me hunting. I know what the rules say about non-residents.

Are you meaning Wilderness Area when you say wilderness? Or do you just mean the back country?