I'm going to be in Wyoming and I was thinking about how I'm going to get my antelope cape and antlers home. I was planning on putting the cape and horns in a cooler, tape it up, then check it on to the plane with my rifles. Does anyone have any tips on doing this or suggestions to help keep my cape preserved? The flight does have a layover in Colorado from Laramie, Wyoming before heading on to California, which worries me a little. Any suggestions or input would be greatly appreciated.

I have brought back bear meat and hides on two different plane trips. If you freeze it you will not have a problem. One time I had it in a duffel bag, another in a heavy duty card board box.
One flight was from Spokane to DFW the other from Canada via a car ride to International Falls to DFW.

I've used a styrofoam cooler taped shut......but don't use any dry ice....they won't let that on the plane.

bringing the cape back on the plane as your carry on is the way to go, but when I did it they wouldn't let me bring the horns on, I had to check them in as checked bagage. Ready for this, they told me the horns could be used as a weapon!

I've told many of my clients to bring the skin with them on the plane. Once had a client shoot a monster mountian Lion, he didn't want to be bothered carrying it with him on the plane, checked it through, got lost, 5 days later he got a package that stunk! Lost his cat!

Outfitters I have used have frozen the meat and cape and then shipped it to me next day air, after I got home. Costs a little more but no hassle, especially when traveling along distance and a flight change or two.

In June on a bear hunt in Idaho with NE #2, I had my bear hide and meat frozen solid. Raced 3 hours to Missoula and bought an ice chest. Delta allowed 4 lbs of dry ice. Flight didn't leave until the next day. Didn't use tape as I was sure TSA would want to look in the cooler, so I bought some luggage straps, so TSA could open it and resecure it. All was still frozen the next afternoon when I arrived in OKC.

Sevens

I'd go with cowboyhat's suggestion. I've has the outfitter do that trick twice and when I called my taxidermist the day after I arrived home they already had the capes and horns. So what if it cost a Fedex charge you have avoided any airline hassles and the trophy goes direct to your taxidermist for tanning/mounting.

Regards,

Mark

I'd drape it around yer sholders... great new fashion statement sure to thrill all PETA types! Just pick the bit's of fat and hair off the seat for the sake of the next passenger.

I've brought a few deer capes back on the plane over the years. I usually freeze it solid, and then put it in the middle of the packaged frozen meat, then put it all in a plastic bag and then in a cardbord box... Even after 10-14 hours out of the freezer it's all still frozen solid when I get home. I never really worried about them loosing it. IMO I think they have just as much chance of loosing it as any major shipper does. Either way you're hosed. I would imagine that you could aslo freeze it solid and then put it in a soft sided cooler and take it as carry on.

As far as dry ice... all airlines are diffrent. I think most of them will allow you a certain amount in the checked luggage compartment if you think you need it, but you use it I would contact them before hand to find out the particulars.

Ive never delt with a lope cape, but I do know that you need to take a little more special care with one that with say a deer. Thier hair tends to slip more easily. I would recomend contacting your taxidermist to find out the particulars...

Good luck on your hunt!

quote:

Originally posted by Ivan:
As far as dry ice... all airlines are diffrent. I think most of them will allow you a certain amount in the checked luggage compartment if you think you need it, but you use it I would contact them before hand to find out the particulars.

My experience has been that airlines will often accept packages containing dry ice as checked baggage, but that they will also charge a hazmat fee.

I didn't know I could bring the capes on the plane. Does anyone know if I can do this on United? I found their website rather unhelpful. The antlers I guess I can just put in my suitcase.

As for freezing the cape, is there a place I can go (like a grocery store) to have this done. I'll be in a tent and away from the luxury of electricity. I appreciate the help.

I hunted Dall sheep in the NWTs last year. I thought the outfitter would send the cape and horns to my taxidermist. He told me when I got there that wasn't the way they do it. My ram horns, cape and a kilo or two of backstrap barely fit into a zipper bag I had carried gear in. I checked it in at Norman Wells. It road to Yellowknife, Edmonton, Toronto (where it was examined)and on to Dallas. It arrived with one horn poked through the bag, but no other damage. I dropped the cape and horns off at a taxidermist in Rockwall.

I froze the backstrap in Dallas then packed it in my luggage through Zurich to India. It was well aged, well traveled, and tasted great.

Sevens

Just ask your outfitter how he ordinarily handles this. If he has no clue you better rethink your booking.

Mark

Mark,

I have already talked to my outfitter about it. I've also talked to my taxidermist. Still, I'll call and review with them again before I leave.

Hunted antelope in Casper a few years ago. The meat processing company froze and boxed the cape and horns for me. I checked the box as baggage and it was still frozen when I got home that afternoon. Last year we took a empty cooler with us to Texas on the blackbuck hunt, froze the capes and horns, put them in the cooler and again checked it as baggage. Plan to do the same thing next month in Wyoming.

sometimes insuring an item will help make sure airport people take a little more care with things.............i always heavily salt hides with very fine salt & give them time to dry first.....

Alaska Air no longer accepts antlers as checked baggage; they must go air cargo now.

quote:

Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:
Alaska Air no longer accepts antlers as checked baggage; they must go air cargo now.

I won't dispute whether Alaska Airlines has changed their policy - I don't know. But last Friday evening I watched two sets of 'bou antlers (one was a sure B&C) loaded as checked baggage on my flight from Anchorage to Juneau. I normally use air freight myself.

I have done this 3 times with whitetail deer. The deer is caped, from the neck down, but the head and antlers are still intact. They are frozen and then packed in a cardboard box and checked as luggage. You have to pay for an extra bag, but I have never had any trouble.

Antlers

Anything is possible but the last few years I lived out in Dillingham no antlers went as excess bagggage on AK AIR. As John said they all went air freight. No discussion! You show up at the airport with your horns they go air freight. Usually shipping the meat is not worth it and most is given away.

Here in the Lower 48 I think I would go the FEDEX route but having things frozen and checked through seems doable if you want to mess with it.

Regards,

Mark