Headed to BC next month for caribou. Any suggestions on getting cape and antlers and meat home back to Montana. I am flying so that makes logistics a little more expensive . Any suggestions would be helpful.

Tough to get meat home without you driving. Consider leave meat,get caribou mounted in Bc ,less hassel to ship finished animal to you.

Drive. The experience my friend and I had flying back (pre-China Virus) from Winnepeg with deer meat, etc was a nightmare. Never again.

Driving unfortunately not an option tickets already secured and I’d rather have my own taxidermist do the mount

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Originally posted by twilli:
Driving unfortunately not an option tickets already secured and I’d rather have my own taxidermist do the mount

twilli....You can bring your meat and cape home with you as long as you have all of the necessary paperwork to satisfy the USFW Service and you will want to make sure that the meat is boned out and the cape is free of all blood and meat/red tissue, in order to keep everyone happy at USFW. Your outfitter should know the details on doing this.

Much of what you can and cannot do will depend on the airline. I know guys who have taken meat in coolers, but you have to be sure the total weight and size of the package does not exceed the airlines guidelines for checked baggage. You will also have to have it packaged so that there is no possible way it can leak, as the airlines will get really excited if it does.

There will of course be extra fees for any additional checked bags over and above what you are allowed, which these days is not much...some just allow one checked bag plus your carry on.

As for the antlers, that will be the big issue and they may not be allowed on the commercial flight due to the size. In the past you could take them with you if the antlers were packaged properly and points covered so there was no possible way that the antlers could puncture/damage other luggage. But things have changed a lot and as far as I know most commercial airlines do not allow them and want them to be shipped as air cargo.

Personally I would send the cape and antlers to a taxidermist in BC to have them prep your cape and antlers and then ship them to your taxidermist in the US.

Best bet is to contact the airline you are booked with and check for their current restrictions. Also talk to your outfitter and see what they recommend for the antlers and cape.

The antlers can be split and this will greatly decrease the size of the package/crate they go in, but that will not be an option if you shoot a B&C animal.

Just some thoughts.......

Good luck on your caribou hunt.

The costs that expediters are now charging to ship your cape and horns to the US is ridiculous.

Last year I went on a sheep hunt in the NWT. The border had just opened and the Norman Wells field office was not open for any hunter to pay the tax and get the animal tagged. So nobody could bring their trophies home with them. The outfitter had to manage this at the end of the year.

So at the end of the season the outfitter left everything with an expediter. It cost me $1500 to have a sheep cape and horns sent from Edmonton to Alaska where my taxidermist was. I have heard other stories from hunters that the new fees these companies are charging are outrageous. So if you can bring the cape and horn with you I suggest you do. If not be prepared for a rude awakening when the expediter gives you the bill.

Good advice from others above. If you are booked with Air Canada in particular, gain as much knowledge of their policies regarding everything (ammo and firearms included), and get to airport for trip home real early… or consider walking home. Also if the first legof your flight home has a connection in Canada before your final leg home to USA, you will not be allowed to clear US Customs in the Canadian airport of your first leg. You will have to get your baggage at the last Canadian airport you fly from and do US Customs there. Without a good amount of connection time, you are up the creek. Just my experience.

After speaking with multiple people from Air Canada most who could not speak English as I know it . None were familiar with there antler and cape policy . Finally found one guy who said I had to be a secured shipper in order to bring my cape and antlers on a domestic flight into Seattle. That does not sound correct either . I asked him your telling me that if your not a secured shipper that everyone entering the US has to use a customs broker and he told me yes . Anyone have any clarification? Plus they are not including ass lube for the fucking on transporting a gun . $50 each leg plus the extra bag fee. No offense to Canadians but if this is how difficult it is going to be no need to go back to Canada for anymore hunting . Driving was not an option due to time constraints. All no one in air Canada could clarify what constitutes rigid packing material to covers the antlers. Anyone familiar with this taxidermist in Smithers Garret Hamelink Northwest artistry ?

twilli...Air Canada sucks. I avoid using Air Canada whenever possible. I have never had a good experience with Air Canada and they have always done there best to make traveling with firearms as painful as possible. But if that is who you are booked with it doesn't matter at this point.

I live pretty close to Smithers. I do not have any personal knowledge of the taxidermist you mention but I could do some checking into them for you if you would like.

Too bad.I know the feeling. Fwiw, people have since told me that WestJet is a lot easier to deal with.

twilli....I am no Facebooker, but my wife checked and Garret has a FB Page under Northwest Artistry. There are pictures of some of his work etc. and you can contact him via the message or phone links from his page. I am sure he can give you an idea of what it would cost to have your antlers and cape properly prepared and shipped to your taxidermist.

I talked to a couple of local people who have used him for work and they were happy with it. They both said he was a nice guy to deal with and handled things in a professional manner. I was also told by another guide I know that a number of outfitters that operate in NW BC use Northwest Taxidermy and recommend him to their clients for getting their mounts done or for the handling and shipping of antlers, horns and hides.

Again, I would suggest calling and getting the info on handling your caribou right from the horses mouth. The phone number is 1-250-847-1092.

I called him Skyline thank you. If your around the 18th-19th I've got two days to kill if you want to grab a bite to eat and libation. Yes Air Canada is who I got booked with and have no recourse there except for future flying.

Thanks, Tom

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Originally posted by twilli:
I called him Skyline thank you. If your around the 18th-19th I've got two days to kill if you want to grab a bite to eat and libation. Yes Air Canada is who I got booked with and have no recourse there except for future flying.

Thanks, Tom

Tom...appreciate the invite and would have enjoyed getting the chance to meet you and BS, but the wife and I will be out on a moose hunt. The boss drew an early season bull license and she is itching to get out there, as she has not shot a moose in a few years.

Maybe we will get a chance to meet in the future if you come back to BC on another hunt or I go down to Montana for antelope. Hope you have a good caribou hunt and I will look forward to hearing about it.

Cheers, Kelly

wish you good hunting time twili and kelly.

Thanks Medved will post report when I get back