I have booked a black bear hunt in Maine. Since I have never shipped anything domestically, I was wondering what is the most cost-effective way to ship the skin (and may be skull) from Maine to Colorado?

The outfitter mentioned that some hunters use UPS.

Anyone have experience in this?

Thanks.

BH63

Never shipped a Bear skin, but I've routinely shipped fish from Alaska as checked baggage.
Secure box that must weigh less than 60 pounds, sealed water tight if any box leaks it will be disposed of.
Maybe your outfitter could do a great job of fleshing the hide, freeze it in a water tight bag in a box and just ship it as we do the fish.
Typically TSA wants to see inside so take it to airport lightly taped and after they view it they will seal it with TSA tape so it won't need to be reopened on different legs of the trip.

I've used Fed Ex a number of times with good result to ship capes and skins. As suggested take it as extra baggage.

Mark

I shipped a frozen black bear hide and skull UPS from Payson, AZ to Raleigh, NC in 2001.

It took 4 days, not the Next-Day I paid for. The box was wet and crushed when it arrived....there was NO skull inside. Taped to the box was a note stating: Something dead inside

The hair slipped on the bear's ears so it was worthless for a rug to me.

After calls every few weeks for over 2 years, I finally got a check from UPS for 1/2 the amount I had insured the shipment for.

I bought a cooler and a roll of duct tape. I placed the hide and some frozen meat inside. Taped it shut and flew it home with me.

Just salt the hide and put it in your checked luggage. I've done this with several animals, including black bears.

I froze my hide this Spring in Alaska and just checked it as luggage.

Get it tanned there and have it shipped home
Just might be safer

Good advice from all.

I think I will take an extra large suitcase as my second bag, and then I have the option of sticking it in as checked baggage.

I will also see how much it costs to UPS it, and or tan it there and have the tanned hide shipped to my home (I don't plan on mounting it, just making a flat rug.)

Thanks.

BH63

Check to see if you need a CITES permit some states require them.

Buff: Flesh and salt hide in Maine. Wrap skull in heavy plastic bag. Salt and fleshed hide needs to be hung in Maine to allow moisture to drain from hide thereby reducing weight to less than 50 lbs. That is most airlines baggage weight limit. After hanging and salting a couple times, place the hide in a very heavy plastic bag and put hide and skull in a dry lock box. These are the waxed boxes used to ship fish. They also use them to ship lobster from Maine. You need to have your outfitter fill out a CITES permit and put the sticker on the outside of the dry lock box. Bears are CITES listed species because they check for illegal shipment of gall bladders. Check as baggage flying home.

If you are over the airline allowed number of bags, take your dirty clothes, boots, etc. and UPS FEDEX or mail them home. It is cheaper than the excess baggage fee. Whatever you do dont let the box leak because then they open the box.

^
Really good info, thanks guys.

I was thinking of taking the frozen hide and double wrapping in plastic bags and then putting in a military waterproof bag. Then the whole thing should fit in an old suitcase I have.

Never thought about the CITES angle. My current thought is to cut off the claws and carry them separately. I am not taking the skull, only the hide.

It is amazing how complicated our government has made everything.

I was reading a late 60s book on hunting, and it recommended when flying with a rifle "take your rifle with you on-board to your seat, to help protect if from falls".

That was back when the USA was populated almost entirely by people whose ancestors have lived in this country for 200 years or more.

BH63

You already have most of the suggestions. When I hunted with Doug (Skinner Creek, B.C.) I brought back the hide and skull. The hide was frozen and placed in a waterproof bag, which was then place inside a military duffle. It was under 50lbs and had no problems with it de-thawing and customs.

I would suggest having the hide tanned and the skull processed in Maine. That would assure a better outcome.

I send all my clients bear hides home frozen and in a Rubbermaid container. I just drill holes in the 4 corners and zip tie it together. Put all your info on it with a Sharpie and fly home with it.
Don't try and over think it it is a very easy process.

^
Now that is a very good idea!

Thanks.

BH63

After reading all the advice, I will be putting a plastic container inside a large suitcase, along with a waterproof bag. A smaller suitcase will be inside the container.

I will then carry on my smaller suitcase and use the container and waterproof bag to either ship via UPS/FEDEX or insert inside the large suitcase as checked baggage.

Thanks for all the great posts.

BH63

I would let a taxidermist salt and dry the hide and ship it to my local taxidermist..Save you some grief somewhere down the line..Water proof bags?? the last thing I want is my trophy skin soaking in melted blood and body juices..Check with your taxidermist on this.

If Im driving, I drive a PU with one of the smaller deep freezes from Sears for about $200. Buy one that fits across the bed, and they cost less than a Yeti box..I have a 100 ft. extension cord..

I quarter my elk, freeze the quarters. it will hold two elk quartered or three or more boned out. Im in no hurry with this set up and may even drop down to Texas from my Colorado elk hunt to hunt whitetail for a week or 10 days. I plug it in then add the deer to the freezer and drive home to Idaho...meat stays good for at least 4 or 5 days without electricity. but I always plug it in at motels or when not traveling..It really works well and I don't have to worry about the meat...At home my butcher hangs the meat for a weak or two in the cooler and lets it thaw slowly, cuts and wraps it and calls me..I put it in my big freezer and Im ready to go again, and the meat is better than any other way Ive handled it...

Wait until Sears has a sale and pick one up for about $150 to a 175 or less.

Game bags I use with the freezer meat is pillow cases, one of my rancher relitives wife is a nurse and she gets the tossed pillow cases at the hospital and sends them to the laundry..I have about 3 dozen of them, great game bags for quartered meat..

Just a couple of tips from a lifetime of hunting. Hope it works as well for you as it has for me.

Ray,

That's a great idea with the freezer. Thanks for posting!

^
That is a great and relatively economical idea for transporting meat in a pickup.

Although I once met a guy, who had the trunk of his car broken into at a small mountain town in Colorado and someone stole a cooler full of elk meat.

BH63