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Shipping game meat

calling4life said:
What do airlines allow you to fly with though?

For example, can't you bring meat to fish freezing places in Alaska, where they essentially create a Styrofoam cooler for all your meat on the spot, and then fly that home with you? Isn't this a method people use.

So could you have that 200lbs frozen in a cooler and fly it back?

Maybe as two 100 lb coolers? $300... for two "bags" or are there limits here

Would actually seem very reasonable to me given I buy cheap roasts and cut my own steaks from them at the store, and the meat is still $6/lb.

At $300 to fly the 200lbs of meat back with you that would be $1.50/lb. Seems like a great deal.

Are things done like that?

Or do you really have to ship it back?

I like this discussion and would love it completely fleshed out. I've had meat shipped to me from small farms, like Wagyu beef, they generally ship it in a Styrofoam cooler and it has to be overnight or 2nd day air.

Cost for 200lbs would have the potential to be breathtaking...

Hoping to do Alaska trips in the future so I'm hoping this thread bears fruit.
Click to expand...
Let's hope the Alaska shipping rules don't apply.
My buddy shipped back a few fresh caught salmon that were filleted, flash frozen and shipped to his door. It cost over $200 and was only a few pounds. It was an expensive novelty.

I am aware that some meat packing places are set up to butcher and ship game meat. When I was moose hunting in Newfoundland the butcher was set up to ship 50lb boxes of butchered meat in heavy styrofoam containers and ship to NYC where you picked it up. Several fly-in hunters shipped a couple of boxes back but no one shipped an entire moose. It wasn't cheap but it was doable.
 
Has anybody checked if the bus companies ship and how much?

Or is there a 2-3daly freight option with a big cooler?
 
Myself and three friends elk hunted in WY. what we did was hire a guy to drive my truck and trailer with a chest freezer and generator he carried our rifles and gear with him, picked us at the airport. we paid his hotel bill while we hunted when we were done he dropped us at the airport and drove back. This cost each of us 600 a piece including the hotel, meals and fuel. Well worth the expense as we did not have to use a processor or some other means of shipping
 
I brought back 150lbs (3 boxes) of fillets back from Alaska this year. Seems to me it was $50 for my second checked bag $100 for my third and $150 for the fourth. Still worth it to me.

Last year we shipped back 8 boxes and I think the total was $660 but that was with a FedEx 75% off account.

Alaska Air tends to cater to hunters and fishermen. Can't say the same for any others.
 
My Father,Son and I brought back 350lbs. of fresh frozen
fish fillets from Alaska as baggage. We had no issues other than when we started traveling we were on a 24 hour clock to get it in the freezer. I don't think the airlines care wether it's fish or meat.
 
Most airlines allow meat, best is to have it frozen so no dry ice required. If not possible, fly Southwest as they do not charge for dry ice (United charges $100 per bag if it contains dry ice).
Use plastic coolers, as styrofoam not accepted.
Side note, clothes make a great insulator…once put a frozen turkey in my carry on…was hard as a rock after flying from KS to TX.
 
Alaska resident here. If you're visiting Alaska, they sell large insulated seafood boxes at every major store here. Typically people pack them with 50lbs of game meat because that's the weight limit for the airlines. Freeze your meat solid and pack it tightly and they last a long time in transit. Forget FedEx, the cost is staggering even with a bulk freight account. Keep the weight under 50 and you'll only pay extra bag fees. They'll add overweight fees if they go over and it's not worth it. I fly every year with several boxes of fish one way and venison back. Never had any issues in 15 years
 
JMW67 said:
Myself and three friends elk hunted in WY. what we did was hire a guy to drive my truck and trailer with a chest freezer and generator he carried our rifles and gear with him, picked us at the airport. we paid his hotel bill while we hunted when we were done he dropped us at the airport and drove back. This cost each of us 600 a piece including the hotel, meals and fuel. Well worth the expense as we did not have to use a processor or some other means of shipping
Click to expand...
It cost $2400 to get your truck driven out and back?
 
mnshortdraw said:
Alaska resident here. If you're visiting Alaska, they sell large insulated seafood boxes at every major store here. Typically people pack them with 50lbs of game meat because that's the weight limit for the airlines. Freeze your meat solid and pack it tightly and they last a long time in transit. Forget FedEx, the cost is staggering even with a bulk freight account. Keep the weight under 50 and you'll only pay extra bag fees. They'll add overweight fees if they go over and it's not worth it. I fly every year with several boxes of fish one way and venison back. Never had any issues in 15 years
Click to expand...

The boxes with foam hold up way better than the foil wrapped ones.
 
I had the distinct non-joy of making numerous trips from CONUS to Kwajalein Atol, of which the last leg is the "Island Hopper" from Honolulu to Guam. On the return trip the plane's luggage is filled with coolers, in plastic bags by the airline to protect our luggage from fishy ice water. Yes, they ship large amounts of fish.
 

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