I am hesitant to even ask....but,
I have been checking on 'dermists prior to the previously discussed bear hunt in Canada.

Some of the ones I have talked to suggest bringing the skin and/or head back in my checked baggage.

This sounds like the premise for a B- movie.......anyone heard of this and how did it work out?

Smell?
Regulations?
Damage to the skins?

.44

yes you can bring it back in your checked bags, but just make sure it's all fleshed and salted. Also make sure it's been drained before outting it in a piece of luggage. I've done it a a few trips to Alberta..

When I went on a caribou hunt in Canada last fall he outfitter put the split rack and the cape in separate plastic bags. When I got to the Montreal airport to fly back to Texas, I was told by the man behind the baggage counter that if they find one drop of blood leaking out of the bag, they will take the package off of the plane and it is destroyed! He said that they did not have to notify anyone either.

Needless to say, I got a little nervous. He provided some plastic shipping bags and package tape and I sat in the floor at the Montreal airport and packaged the antlers and the cape in eight separate layers of plastic to insure that they didn't leak.

Everything made it home OK but I talked to another hunter on the flight back and he said that hunters would be amazed at the number of hunting trophies that never make it to the US because of the airline rules.

I would suggest taking something that you can be sure is waterproof to ship the hide back in . . . maybe a plastic lined duffle bag.

Good luck!
JDS

Thanks....

I'm an outfitter with an excellent local taxidermist so just advise my clients to use him. .......however, for those who chose to take their trophy home, I advise the following.
The hide and skull must have no meat remaining on it and be salted .........no problem for a guide that is professional. In our case, the hide would be prepared, salted, drained and resalted, the skull cleaned and prep boiled sufficiently to remove all tissue. This would most likely take an extra day to pass the border expectations. Then both would be sealed in waterproof bags for the trip home with a caution to get them open as soon as possible upon arrival home in order to breathe. The requirement for an export permit is also a consideration timewise, as it often delays everything. The easy advice and perhaps the best, is to use a good Canadian taxidermist.

~Arctic~

I once checked a cooler as one "bag" put my friends and my bear hide with skull attached in it. I duct taped it shut in Saskatoon before leaving. They lost it (big surprise). A day later it was found and the hides were still frozen.

We each had two bags. I checked a duffel and the cooler. He checked a duffel and a gun case with both weapons. Worked out great

Make sure you have your bear license with you! Bears are protected under CITES, so unless you can prove it is yours there is a problem.

Most of the time this is not an issue. However, there is always the chance.

If you use a local Canadian taxidermist, be aware that they can not ship directly to you. They will ship it to a broker ($), where it will clear customs ($). Then it will be shipped COD to you. A taxidermist that is not doing this risks having the entire thing confiscated.

If you have a local taxidermist that does a lot of bear, then go that route. If not, many of the folks in Canada are very good. They do a lot bear, so they have it down cold. The pelt is thicker and heavier than a deer. The tanning takes a bit more processing because of this. Just make sure you have full contact information for the taxidermist in Canada. You will be dealing with them, not your outfitter. Spend some time talking to them, letting them know exactly what you want. They also can provide some good ideas.

As a side note. I had impressions taken of the paws. It was inexpensive and makes a nice trophy.