Meat and airplanes; how'd you do it?

[1_pointer]

Heading to ID next week to chase elk. If for some reason I run into one from the bottom of the gene pool and am able to hang my tag on it, I then have to try to get as much of it home as possible. If I get it early enough in the hunt, I'll get it to a processor so it's hopefully frozen or at least mostly frozen before the flight. I plan on buying a cooler there and then paying the outrageous fees to get it home. BUT, if it's a last minute deal and not frozen, how do you guys recommend getting in from ID to IN?

One option would be to leave to leave it with BOY to have it processed and then pay for next day shipping from there to here. I guess I could do that either way.

Do they allow for coolers to be flown with dry ice? Would the un-climate controlled part of the plane be cold enough to keep the meat for the one day of travel?

How do you pack your meat (yes, I typed that)? Last time from AK to UT, the frozen meat was sealed in the cooler with a luggage strap and packing tape. Any other way work better?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Bambistew]

Check with your airline, some allow fresh meat to be flown and some will not allow it even if its frozen and packaged properly. Most do allow dry ice, but only a limited amount per plane, and I think most are 5lbs per person.

Check on air cargo vs over night shipping, its way cheaper. Consider 2-3 day shipping vs overnight as well. Frozen solid in a cooler or insulated fish box it will remain frozen for at least 2 days, at day 3 it starts to thaw on the outside. Day 4 the inside starts to thaw... I would imagine it would take almost a week to totally thaw and the temps to rise to 'rot' levels. I ship fish to MT all the time, it takes 2-3 days when shipped 'over night' and always shows up frozen solid.

My friend will be shipping a moose via Alaska Airlines cargo, the quote was $0.85/lb vs. over night at $3.50/lb. Not sure what the cargo shipping is like in ID however.

I usually bring it back with me on the plane if I can get it frozen in time. I don't worry about burger, just trim/bag in ziploks and take care of it when I get home, but do freeze them. I cut/wrap all steaks and lay them between previously frozen meat/items so it freezes faster. It should freeze solid in about 12-18hrs. Putting it in a big 'pile' in the freezer will take days to freeze.

Duct tape the crap out of your cooler if you go that route, and make sure the drain plug is not the crappy hinge kind, but screws on, or better yet doesn't have one.

Most airlines end up being about $1/lb to ship, not really that bad considering you don't have the hassle of shipping.

 

[brownbear932008]

I have flown back from MT. to VA. several times with mulies in a cooler, meat along with hides. I always get the deer processed there and packaged and place it in a cooler with some ice and its been fine. I am probally goin to try dry ice this year it takes up much less space. They usually let you have no more than 5lbs in cooler.
Just make sure you do not pick your meat up from the processors to early. I made this mistake on an early in the hunt kill and had the meat on my hands for 3 days before my flight and struggled to keep it frozen well it was starting to thaw on the outside when I got home. Luckly the cargo area under the plane was so cold it froze a lot of it back for me, I had frozen water from ice melt in bottom of my cooler.
Of coarse an elk is a much larger undertaking lots of meat there. I think the cargo flight sounds like the ticket honestly because the airline is gonna burn you up on that much meat/weight being shipped once your over that 50lb limit it gets expensive quickly...... But you def. want to stay away from 4 days of travel with the meat not being in some type of freezer system.

 

[npaden]

Check on the air cargo services. If you don't go with the NFG (Next Flight Guaranteed) some of the rates aren't bad at all. For sure cheaper than FedEx or UPS priority type deliveries.

Just double checked Southwest Air Cargo and they are $107 for 100lbs from Boise to Indianapolis.

 

[5Speedjim]

Ask the butcher. They deal with it all the time. They might tell you fed-ex. Call your outfitter and get a phone # for a processor. I drive from Jersey to Wyoming so they can't lose my luggage L O L

 

[1_pointer]

Here is what Delta has posted on their website regarding fresh/frozen meat:

Delta allows perishable items (both edible and non-edible) onboard as part of your carry-on baggage allowance as long as there is no violation of agricultural restrictions for the destination country.

Perishable items include:

Fresh or frozen foods, fruits, and vegetables
Meats, fish, poultry, or bakery products
Flowers of varying sorts including cut flowers, floral displays, and vegetable plants
If the item does not fit within our size or weight restrictions for carry-on baggage, we will accept the item within your checked baggage allowance once a limited liability release form has been completed. Delta will not accept liability of any perishable item that spoils or goes bad during its journey in cargo.

I take that to read I can take fresh meat with me. I will call to verify, but is that how you guys read it?

They also allow the use of dry ice, but the container has to be have allowances for the release of carbon dioxide. Any suggestions other than poking a small hole in the thing? That or some frozen gel packs might work to at least keep it cool enough, if not frozen, until I get home.

Thanks for the recommendations on a cargo shipper! The $107 from Boise to Indy might be able to work as the guy I'm going with gets over that way quite often. I could have it processed and frozen then have him ship it to me the next time he's in Boise.

5 Speed, no outfitters will be involved in this endeavor...

 

[Tom]

Ship/mail your gear back, it won't spoil, so you can take more meat as baggage. Yes, it reads that way, you can take it. It didn't say there how much weight and cost per bag though.

 

[schmalts]

Ditto what Tom said. UPS your gear ground, and take your meat as luggage. It is also cheaper to buy a second cooler out there and pay extra baggage fees instead of the overweight fees on most flights. Take one cooler out there, and put a large empy duffle bag inside on the flight out. On the way home the duffle gets full of gear and the cooler full of meat.

 

[M. R. Byrd]

Ah, back in the good old days when you could have two seventy pound bags. In '97 my brother in Alaska wanted some fries, so I took him sixty pounds of bull nuts and the five of us returned to Kansas with seven hundred pounds of fish. Fair trade, I think. All of our baggage allotment was fish the rest of our clothes, were either worn or in our carry on.

In 2009, I mailed clothing and supplies to Alaska by priority mail with delivery confirmation and mailed my clothes back to Kansas the same way and had the bear hide and skull as checked baggage.

 

[ALPINESKULLWORKS]

Flying meat!

I just finished a moose hunt in Maine! I flew the cape and some meat home in coolers. Do not let each cooler weigh more than 50 lbs total or you will get bent over on overweight fees. My stuff was out of the freezer for around 30 hours and was still frozen when I got home. U.S. airways say no to dry ice. Make sure you take duct tape to the airport as they will open your coolers and they do not have tape to seal them back. Meat and hides show up as a big solid object on an x ray machine so they will look at it. I shipped my antlers UPS. Send your gear home UPS. Take a pocket full of money and have a good hunt.

 

[PJ0311]

1 pointer - you did read right about fresh meat but your post was discussing carry on luggage. A normal sized cooler will not be allowed as a carry - on due to size. You are allowed one carry-on and one pesonal item (a smaller backpack is allowed as a personal item). Max weight for a carry-on bag is 40 lbs (for Delta). Theoretically you could carry 80 lbs on board but I'm not sure you could fit that into two bags small enough for carry-on. As far as overweight bag fees for Delta, if your bag is going to be over 50 lbs check two bags. An overweight bag will run you around $90 and up depending on weight. A second bag will run $35 (first is $25). If you have an elite frequent flier status your bags can weigh up to 70 lbs and your first two are free. If you do end up using dry ice make sure you let the agent know (they should ask if they see a cooler) so they can put a label on it. We have to know so we can let the captain know it's on board.

 

[BOWUNTR]

We just flew 300# of moose meat from Alaska to California... as extra baggage with Alaska airlines. It cost $150 (50 cents a pound) for overweight baggage (Alaska Airlines). We sent another 300# (meat and cape) with Alaska Airlines cargo for $330 ($1.10 a pound). If I was in your shoes, I'd take the whole elk with me on the commercial airliner. Just make sure it's in a leak proof container and is under their overweight/oversize limits. Ed F

 

[PJ0311]

Guess I should also mention if you are trying to check antlers they are considered a specialty item and will cost $150. I would look seriously at other options for shipping your meat or gear because your rifle/bow will count as a checked bag and you really don't want to pay for a third bag as that will cost you another $125. Bag fees are brutal nowadays. Don't forget to make sure your ammo is in original packaging or in a fiber, metal, or wooden container. Every year passengers get their ammo taken away because it's loose or in plastic bags. That and bear spray are probably the two most taken items in the summer and fall months. Sorry for writing a novel...

 

[1_pointer]

Shipping via air cargo appears to be more hassle than it's worth to me. I'll flyout with a cooler + gun case. Will ship my gear home and check the cooler and guncase on the plane. Flying makes this stuff alot more complicated than driving...