I am considering doing some hunting in Alaska for commonly hunted game (Caribou, bear). I want to bring back the meat because I am a firm believer in eating what you shoot.

What are people's thoughts on bringing meat back to the lower 48 (montana)? Especially costs, methods, regulations

You can always process, freeze and either fly it home with you or have it FedExed to you....shipping frozen fish home is extremely common too. Just make sure it's packaged and frozen solid before you check the cooler with the airlines. They won't want any ice in the cooler at all.

MT

I helped a lot of people ship meat and fish out of Alaska when I lived there. I think the short answer is it can be done pretty easily but the the money would probably be better spent on prime Montana beef. That moose steak gets awfully expensive by the time it hits your table.

Mark

Just make sure it's HARD FROZEN. I had a place in Dillingham called "Bill's Delivery" freeze mine. Good thing, because United lost it for 3 days. I packed it in 5 day coolers--which were a GIGANTIC pain-in-the-ass to handle but ultimately were well worth the trouble. They didn't get to Denver with me, finally showed up in Colorado Springs and eventually arrived by by contract courier (175 miles each way from the Springs) at my home. The unfrozen ducks I threw in at the last minute were frozen. Talk about good coolers!

You can buy what are called "wet locks", which are heavy waxed cardboard boxes with plastic liners. These are usually available locally and will hold about 80-100 pounds of meat. Most airlines will hold perishable cargo in cool storage for you but don't bet the meat on it. Wet Locks are handy but riskier than coolers. I secured the lids on mine with large cable ties-after airline inspections-but TSA opened them again anyway and only resecured them with their crappy tape.

It's all a matter of priorities--my horns are still in Alaska but I'm eating well!

The airlines have a surcharge for overweight and oversized containers($50 each) but the clerks usually miss one charge so it really didn't cost that much extra to get them home. The locker in Dilly was very reasonable. Of course, I had a relatives home to butcher and wrap my meat at so I didn't bring back anything that would later be trimmed. I guess it cost me a bit less than $1.00 a pound to bring home most of the rear quarters, the backstraps and the tenderloins. I donated the neck and ribs to a food bank and left the front quarters with family.

I would check into alternative methods of shipping it back by air cargo. Most airlines have reduced the check in weights to 50 pounds with a limit of 70 if you pay extra. And then you can only check in so many bags. Air freight may be a quicker and cheaper solution than trying to check it in on the plane with you. It is worth checking into.

snowwolfe--steelers wont rule next season.

If your interested in the smaller critters (bou, blacktail,etc) I'd freeze it up real good if time allows otherwise I know local fred meyers sells dry ice. I'd mail home my personal gear (our post office is open 24/7/365), keep your optics and high priced gear with you and throw the meat on as checked baggage, you will still have to pay for an extra bag but mailing home most of your gear is still cheaper.

I also know AK air has a freighter that flies from anchorage to the west coast daily with stops in a lot of smaller communities along the way untl it hits seattle.

Moose is gonna be expensive no matter how you do it, unless you take the choice cuts and donate the rest.