I would like advice on bringing meat home

[ODAVID]

I can find several places to go hog hunting but my problem is how to get the meat home to Idaho. I plan on flying down to either Florida or Texas and with the likely hood of getting at least one pig need to get the piggies home. My thoughts are make sausage out of everything at local butcher then place wrapped meat in large cooler with dry ice and put on plane to ship back to Idaho??????? With the oversize baggage fee sounds expensive to me. suggestions welcome?????????

thanks in advance
odavid

 

[HARPERC]

My thought on such things is generally, donate the meat to a shelter etc., then buy meat when you're at home. It's not usually cost effective to fly meat around.

If it's just important to you that's OK, it sounds like your plan is workable.

Just curious, I know Florida, and Texas are considered "Hog Heaven", Northern California, and Oregon are driving distance. The front door to front door cost might be better. Especially if you want the meat.

 

[SidecarFlip]

My thought on such things is generally, donate the meat to a shelter etc., then buy meat when you're at home. It's not usually cost effective to fly meat around.

If it's just important to you that's OK, it sounds like your plan is workable.

Just curious, I know Florida, and Texas are considered "Hog Heaven", Northern California, and Oregon are driving distance. The front door to front door cost might be better. Especially if you want the meat.

I'm with HarperC. Drive with Yeti's. We do. The only time it's an airplane trip is when I go with no intention of bringing meat back. If it's a freezer trip, it's a 4 wheeler trip and it don't matter where in the Continental USA that is.

We are in the mid eastern part of the country (Michigan) and we've driven to western Canada before (on a meat to home adventure).....

Nice thing about here is it's cold. We gut 'em and hang cool 'em and strap them to the roof rack (intact) and bring them home....or in the trunk or bed if no roof rack.....

Air freighting meat is stupid cost wise, especially for wild piggie (maybe for elk, maybe). If you double up on the driving and factor in fuel cost, meal cost, maintenance cost and motel cost versus flying out and back and air freight charges, I believe you'll find pounding the asphalt to be cheaper plus there is no TSA BS to deal with, lost baggage, airport games and baggage handlers playing basketball with your gun case.....

I'm an old fart but 2 of us old farts can drive cross country at a fairly relaxed pace in 3 days and arrive with no jet lag and our guns, clothing and ammo all in one place (back of the vehicle), that don't always hold true when flying, I know from personal experience. Nothing better to arrive at your destination and go to collect your rifle case or luggage and find out your rifle case (or luggage) went to Seattle and you went to Orlando. Been there, done that.

I say drive if you want a 'meat home hunt'. Fly if you want to just hunt/donate.

 

[ODAVID]

THANK YOU, for the excellent voice of experience and sound thinking. Both of these perspectives open my mind, hopefully others with share their thoughts and experiences.



THANKS AGAIN
ODAVID

 

[SidecarFlip]

There was a little humor in the Canada adventure. 4 hunters went and we planned on bagging one each so Yeti's were out of the question.

We pulled a 4x8 utility trailer behind the Suburban, Suburban was loaded with humanity, clothing and guns.

The trailer had a deep freeze and a generator.

We looked like gypsies but you gotta do what you have to do and yes, we filled the deep freeze.

The trip home was searching out motels where we could plug the freezer in.

Those wre the days....

 

[mightyman]

I have been there before without the advice...!
Killed an elk in Idaho, and shipped it home to GA...rack and meat...$900..next day Fed Ex due to meat being frozen

Several of my buddies have killed out of state, out west..they packed light, shipped their lighter clothing home via normal UPS...bought coolers at wallmart, taped them up and checked them on the plane.
Clothes arrived the next week..meat can't wait.
Just a thought
Mighty Man

 

[Capt. D]

Had a friend show up out of the blue as he was passing through. I talked him into staying a couple of days to shoot a couple of hogs because he has always wanted to. He knocked down a couple of pigs and really wanted the meat but had no way to get it home.

Its a little work but we used the gutless method of field dressing and vacuum packed the meat, (he helped on that part) we put it in the freezer for a couple of days until solid, then I packed everything on dry ice and shipped it UPS Ground to his front door. Everything arrived frozen solid. Just call UPS they will explain how its done.

 

[Sully2]

Go to a vehicle rental place ( Hertz for example) and rent a VAN....full sized and take turns behind the wheel. Meat packed in every "Walmart" cooler you can lay your hands on.

 

[dogdinger]

I think you are stressing out over-much. it really is easy to do. Just have the meat processed and frozen. Pack it in cheap Styrofoam chests and put newspaper in for extra insulation and duct tape them shut. fly it home with you as extra baggage. mail your other stuff home to save weight. I did this with a moose once from BC. That was back in the day when you got 2 bags for free. had to pay for 4 extra boxes @ 25$ apiece. This included a set of 55" moose antlers with my backpack ductaped inside them.....one bag. This included an over-night in Vancouver. the hotel put the meat in their freezer for me. Just make sure you get a direct flight if at all possible and get there early, so no boxes get left behind. you will have a lot less meat than you think. AJ