Shipping meat home

[seeth07]

pack 49lbs in there

What has been said about flying back the ice chests as luggage. Also some airlines have a weight limit per ice chest and charge a fee after that even for the free ones so don't exceed that limit.

Actually Alaska Airlines is extremely lenient with checked baggage weight.

Flying back from Kodiak last fall, 2/4 of our coolers were overweight in the 70 pound range as well as my hunting pack was stuffed with over 60# of gear. We didn't get charged for a single overweight bag. I think it was mostly because at that airport, its one flight out and everyone shows up at the same time an hour before so the lobby being slammed with people made the two people working the desk just tag bags quickly and go.

Leaving Ketchikan this last spring, we also found out that when you go past your first two bags, the remaining bags can be any weight. You pay $35 for the first and then $45 for the second and then for your 3rd and 4th bag, you pay $150 no matter what they weigh. I wish I would have known this because I could have saved $150 by only checking 5 bags between us instead of 6.

 

[cgasner1]

When I flew home from my moose hunt in 22 I used air cargo. The lady told me I should be glad I did the planes were booked and if I had tried to check it they wouldn’t have taken it. Fast forward a couple days and I’m standing in the airport in Billings talking to another guy coming home from ak with a moose. I told
Him I doubt your moose shows he wasn’t very happy when Alaska air confirmed that

 

[glass eye]

The more I think about it I’m flip-flopping and now leaning towards flying up without my lab. I’m going to miss her a lot but flying up to Fairbanks for free is the ticket and then air cargo the meat home assuming I get a moose or caribou.

 

[Jofes]

I did the fish boxes in 22 with 3 boxes. Worked well but that was about all I wanted to deal with including all my gear. This year for moose, were planning on using Alaska trophy expediters as we may not be able to process our moose before flying home, otherwise I would be attempting doing air cargo ourselves. I'll try and post up our experience and cost afterwards.

Do you have an estimate on how many days you will be on the water with your meat?

 

[seeth07]

I did the fish boxes in 22 with 3 boxes. Worked well but that was about all I wanted to deal with including all my gear. This year for moose, were planning on using Alaska trophy expediters as we may not be able to process our moose before flying home, otherwise I would be attempting doing air cargo ourselves. I'll try and post up our experience and cost afterwards.

Do you have an estimate on how many days you will be on the water with your meat?

I was also wondering that too. What would be the plan if you get a moose in the first 60 miles and you still have over 200 miles to float?

 

[glass eye]

I did the fish boxes in 22 with 3 boxes. Worked well but that was about all I wanted to deal with including all my gear. This year for moose, were planning on using Alaska trophy expediters as we may not be able to process our moose before flying home, otherwise I would be attempting doing air cargo ourselves. I'll try and post up our experience and cost afterwards.

Do you have an estimate on how many days you will be on the water with your meat?

If I don't drive up I won't take out at the Yukon River Camp Bridge. Float down to Venetie and fly out from there. So that would be maybe a 3 day float. Even if I floated all the way to the bridge I think the meat would be fine as long as it was kept cold and dry.

 

[djacker]

I used alaska air cargo last year for 220lbs of meat and 2 moose racks wrapped together. Super easy process. Cost me $650 for all of it. It would have been cheaper but, I flew on a Sunday. I had to use gold streak. I used plastic totes for my meat. It was still froze when I picked it up.

I just flew 210lbs of fish home Monday as baggage on Alaska Airlines. Also very easy. Also frozen solid.

 

[cgasner1]

I just talked with a guy in anchorage I used him last time for his storage and he put my bull in boxes to fly it he told me to have it flown in from where we are heading this time will be 2000-2500 dollar to get it to Billings with his services

 

[djacker]

I just talked with a guy in anchorage I used him last time for his storage and he put my bull in boxes to fly it he told me to have it flown in from where we are heading this time will be 2000-2500 dollar to get it to Billings with his services

Was this alsska trophy expeditors?

 

[cgasner1]

Was this alsska trophy expeditors?

Ya it was

 

[Trial153]

I would rather bite the bullet and check it all, that’s what i have done on all my alaska trips. Plan on doing the same with fish this week and Caribou later this month when i head back up

 

[cgasner1]

I’m still making some phone calls but I’m not far from just checking it. I called my buddy and told him that price and he said he would just donate it and buy wrapped beef for that price.

 

[djacker]

Ya it was

I spoke to him last year at Lake and Penn, seemed like a nice guy. He told me Alaska Air cargo goldstreak wouldn't ship our antlers home and said he'd ship all my antlers/meat for $900 on Monday using alaska air cargo.
I knew he was full of bs at that point, I had spoke to Alaska Air cargo several times before leaving and knew they'd ship everything I had. If I would've waiting until Monday to use normal Alaska Air cargo it would've cost me about $450, according to the rep that checked me in.

Baggage is super easy, just make sure your container is sealed good. Cargo is great option if your a known shipper and have a lot to ship.

 

[cgasner1]

I spoke to him last year at Lake and Penn, seemed like a nice guy. He told me Alaska Air cargo goldstreak wouldn't ship our antlers home and said he'd ship all my antlers/meat for $900 on Monday using alaska air cargo.
I knew he was full of bs at that point, I had spoke to Alaska Air cargo several times before leaving and knew they'd ship everything I had. If I would've waiting until Monday to use normal Alaska Air cargo it would've cost me about $450, according to the rep that checked me in.

Baggage is super easy, just make sure your container is sealed good. Cargo is great option if your a known shipper and have a lot to ship.

When I used him all he did was put my meat in boxes. He dropped it in boxes and stored it in his freezer cost me like 400 bucks. I used air cargo to get it all home when I was cutting my moose up I only had 9 of 10 bags of meat. Bag 10 was a back strap not saying he took it but I’d be willing to bet air cargo weighs things on both sides. I offered my buddy that flew me half the moose and he didn’t want any so I know he didn’t take it. The numbers he gave me yesterday didn’t line up with what im seeing for other prices.but a guy have to make a living I guess

 

[Jofes]

I'm sure it varies but does anyone know roughly the cost per pound average of carry on vs air cargo?

 

[cgasner1]

I'm sure it varies but does anyone know roughly the cost per pound average of carry on vs air cargo?

It’s pretty close the thing I like about air cargo is that I can drop off and pick up while not dealing with navigating the airport with all my other gear.

 

[glass eye]

I'm sure it varies but does anyone know roughly the cost per pound average of carry on vs air cargo?

I have always brought meat and hides home as checked baggage and even carry on.

Checked baggage weight limit is 100 lbs. on Alaska Airlines and cost $150 each bag.
If I’m seeing correctly cargo cost around $1 per pound.

 

[glass eye]

I’m discovering that there’s a “fly in the ointment” in my affordable scheduled flight in and out. Apparently those 2 native villages don’t like outsiders and are not welcomed.

I have flown into 2 other native villages; Old Harbor and St. Paul Island.
Both were very kind and hospitable even though I had heard that St. Paul didn’t like outsiders. On St.Paul a little kid on a bike gave me stink eye but I found it amusing. That was as negative as it got.

In Old Harbor on our hike back into town I asked an old man if he knew of any lodging (we were soaked) and he put us up in his mother-in-laws house who was currently living in Seattle.
And while waiting for our plane a native gave us some smoked salmon.

 

[Jofes]

I’m discovering that there’s a “fly in the ointment” in my affordable scheduled flight in and out. Apparently those 2 native villages don’t like outsiders and are not welcomed.

I have flown into 2 other native villages; Old Harbor and St. Paul Island.
Both were very kind and hospitable even though I had heard that St. Paul didn’t like outsiders. On St.Paul a little kid on a bike gave me stink eye but I found it amusing. That was as negative as it got.

In Old Harbor on our hike back into town I asked an old man if he knew of any lodging (we were soaked) and he put us up in his mother-in-laws house who was currently living in Seattle.

Can you get dropped south of the village on the river? I had also heard that but wasn't sure how true it was.

 

[glass eye]

Can you get dropped south of the village on the river? I had also heard that but wasn't sure how true it was.

The whole point was cost efficiency flying into town on a scheduled flight. Bush planes are expensive and landing near town in a bush plane would negate the whole plan. If I’m going to spend on a bush plane I might as well go big and fly into the headwaters of the Sheenjek and float to Fort Yukon.