How do you do it?

[Tbob]

So I’m curious how you out of state hunters get your meat and heads home? I’m planning an Ohio deer hunt for November 2020. I will have a buck and doe tag to fill. I’m just curious how you guys go about getting your meat and heads home? If I get lucky enough to score a buck, I want to get it euro mounted. I’d likely have 2 deer worth of meat  to bring home as well. Just curious for you guys that have to fly in and out on commercial flights for your hunts do it? Thanks so much!

[Karl Blanchard]

Bone it out or process it. If you can process AND freeze it then even better. Put in cooler and fly it on home as a checked bag. 

[BULLBLASTER]

Freeze it and send it through as checked luggage in coolers.

[fishngamereaper]

Fed ex overnight to your door step runs around $200 for 50lbs.  I don't trust commercial airlines, I've seen them leaves coolers partially ajar, which sucks if you get stuck on the runway or detoured. Only place I would commercially fly meat from is Alaska since they do it all the time. 

Just an option, Im sure commercial would be ok most of the time, but Im leary.

[gaddy]

I have never hunted out of state but have talked to a few that have. What they would do is get a cheep chest freezer. Fill it with stuff needed for the hunt and load it in the truck. When they got their game they would bone it and stuff the freezer. Every stop they made on the way home, be it a hotel or rest stop that had access to a plug in they would plug in for a bit. Not sure about the heads.

[jrebel]

I have never hunted out of state but have talked to a few that have. What they would do is get a cheep chest freezer. Fill it with stuff needed for the hunt and load it in the truck. When they got their game they would bone it and stuff the freezer. Every stop they made on the way home, be it a hotel or rest stop that had access to a plug in they would plug in for a bit. Not sure about the heads.

   We drive and tow a trailer.  The trailer has a chest freezer and generator.  We run the generator when we need to.  If your not driving, I would probably have it processed and frozen and send it home in a cooler via your flight.   

[dvolmer]

Fed ex overnight to your door step runs around $200 for 50lbs.  I don't trust commercial airlines, I've seen them leaves coolers partially ajar, which sucks if you get stuck on the runway or detoured. Only place I would commercially fly meat from is Alaska since they do it all the time. 

Just an option, Im sure commercial would be ok most of the time, but Im leary.

Wow!  That's crazy for 50 lbs of meat!  I would only pay that price for 50 lbs of Halibut. 

[BULLBLASTER]

Fed ex overnight to your door step runs around $200 for 50lbs.  I don't trust commercial airlines, I've seen them leaves coolers partially ajar, which sucks if you get stuck on the runway or detoured. Only place I would commercially fly meat from is Alaska since they do it all the time. 

Just an option, Im sure commercial would be ok most of the time, but Im leary.

There’s no reason the airlines should need to open your cooler to leave it open. Tape it up and make sure it’s solid. Flying anywhere in the lower 48 would leave plenty of time for frozen meat to make it. Still frozen most likely when you arrive.

[fishngamereaper]

Fed ex overnight to your door step runs around $200 for 50lbs.  I don't trust commercial airlines, I've seen them leaves coolers partially ajar, which sucks if you get stuck on the runway or detoured. Only place I would commercially fly meat from is Alaska since they do it all the time. 

Just an option, Im sure commercial would be ok most of the time, but Im leary.

There’s no reason the airlines should need to open your cooler to leave it open. Tape it up and make sure it’s solid. Flying anywhere in the lower 48 would leave plenty of time for frozen meat to make it. Still frozen most likely when you arrive.

In most cases I would totally agree with you..but I've seen some weird stuff happen to all types of luggage..guess I'm just over cautious.

[Limhangerslayer]

Coolers work for us.  I bought a cooler in mexico to bring home marlin.  It was frozen weekend we left and still frozen weekend I made it home, and that was memorial weekend

[Stein]

I drive home with meat iced in coolers.  Once the meat cools down, there is virtually no ice meltage and you could go a week if you wanted to.

Flying, I get the meat real cold and then pop in a bit of dry ice.  I don't want freeze any more than necessary, but make sure it stays below 40.  You can't have wet ice in checked luggage, so your only option is dry ice or frozen meat.

[fishngamereaper]

I drive home with meat iced in coolers.  Once the meat cools down, there is virtually no ice meltage and you could go a week if you wanted to.

Flying, I get the meat real cold and then pop in a bit of dry ice.  I don't want freeze any more than necessary, but make sure it stays below 40.  You can't have wet ice in checked luggage, so your only option is dry ice or frozen meat.

Some airlines don't allow dry ice anymore and if they do normally it has to be vented, so no air tight taped containers...at least when I checked last in February.

[jamesfromseattle]

For fishing trips I’ve checked my gear and gotten a soft cooler as close to the max carry on dimensions as possible and packed it as full as possible of frozen fish. Then carried it on. Weighs more than the 50 pounds you’re allowed to check. They do look at you a little funny when you put it through the x ray machine.

[dscubame]

I drive home with meat iced in coolers.  Once the meat cools down, there is virtually no ice meltage and you could go a week if you wanted to.

Flying, I get the meat real cold and then pop in a bit of dry ice.  I don't want freeze any more than necessary, but make sure it stays below 40.  You can't have wet ice in checked luggage, so your only option is dry ice or frozen meat.

Precisely 

[Karl Blanchard]

I drive home with meat iced in coolers.  Once the meat cools down, there is virtually no ice meltage and you could go a week if you wanted to.

Flying, I get the meat real cold and then pop in a bit of dry ice.  I don't want freeze any more than necessary, but make sure it stays below 40.  You can't have wet ice in checked luggage, so your only option is dry ice or frozen meat.

Some airlines don't allow dry ice anymore and if they do normally it has to be vented, so no air tight taped containers...at least when I checked last in February.

dry ice has been a no go for my brother flying from pretty much every corner of north america.