Contributors to this thread:
I am flying to Colorado for the first time to elk hunt(have driven in the past). What is the best/cheapest way to ship the meat and antlers home?
With fuel what it is now, cheap is not what you will likely find.
Used to be we could all use air freight, but since 911 you have to be a "known shipper".
Call ups, fedex and I think you will find your best bet is to mail all your gear home and buy two coolers to use as your luggage. Hi-grade and you can take about 80 pounds of the best meat. Donate the rest to charity.
good advice thus far.
I say drive and take your meat back with you or take on luggate as noted above the best pieces.
Shipping all meat home is WAY too costly. I have done it and will not do it again. Not only that, but actually getting it all coordinated once you have left the state can be a nightmare. My last elk meat came back 5 (five) months later from NM.
Check with your airline on how many items you can check. Just came back from AK on Ak airlines. We were allowed to check 5 items, 1st one free 2nd $25 3rd,4th & 5th $125 each. Checked bow & meat,shipped gear & horns ups. Good luck!
I was just there in CO. My so killed his first bull - a small 5X5. Custom Quality meats in Craig = $325.00 for cut, wrap, freeze & ready to ship. The shipping through FedX = (drum roll - brace yourself) $650.78!!!! *!^%@$#*!&@
The whole deal: DAD SON License $525 $525 Plane $378 $378 Rental $398 2 nites hotels $194 fuel ~ $120 food $150 Butcher $325 meat shipping $651
Aprox total $2,741 $903
Great hunt. Awesome time with son. Enjoyed hunt thoroughly. BUT, like everyone else, fuel is up, all costs are rising, paycheck isn't keeping pace, credit card balance has me taking deep breaths......
Looks like paying United $125 or $150/box of meat would have been the thing to do and chance it that it gets home frozen.... I received 2 boxes of meat on Tuesday of this week. Guessing that I got 100# of meat packages total.
FYI........
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I was just there in CO. My so killed his first bull - a small 5X5. Custom Quality meats in Craig = $325.00 for cut, wrap, freeze & ready to ship. The shipping through FedX = (drum roll - brace yourself) $650.78!!!! *!^%@$#*!&@
The whole deal: DAD SON License $525 $525 Plane $378 $378 Rental $398 2 nites hotels $194 fuel ~ $120 food $150 Butcher $325 meat shipping $651
Aprox total $2,741 $903
Great hunt. Awesome time with son. Enjoyed hunt thoroughly. BUT, like everyone else, fuel is up, all costs are rising, paycheck isn't keeping pace, credit card balance has me taking deep breaths......
Looks like paying United $125 or $150/box of meat would have been the thing to do and chance it that it gets home frozen.... I received 2 boxes of meat on Tuesday of this week. Guessing that I got 100# of meat packages total.
FYI........
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Sorry for teh double post..... multi tasking. Plus, I had the amounts in nice columns; didn't some out that way. basically, I had a long lost of costs. My son had a license & plane ticket (I actually bought that too). ANyhow, the num,bers are there. Look into flying the meat home. Beware that any flight delays will cost you your hard earned meat....
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I ran into the same situation 3 years ago, flew out to Colorado Springs, killed a small 6x6 and had to get it all home....meat, horns,luggage, rifle, etc.After checking around I found the cheapest way was to send as much luggage as possible, my rifle and antlers through the good old U.S. Mail.I insured everything which didnt cost much and took 1 carry-on bag and checked the meat in coolers as my baggage, had to pay extra for a couple of coolers but it worked out O.K.
My buddy and I just returned from Colorado where he tagged out on a mature cow Elk. Since it was in the begining of our trip, we keep the tenderloins and 4 # of backstraps for camp meat. On our return trip we packed 67# of frozen meat into our 60qt cooler ($125)and 38# into another 60qt cooler (free) and packed the rest (23#) into a soft side cooler into a wheeled carry on luggage and took the bow case home on United Airlines. All still frozen solid. The rest of our gear we shipped home DHL 5-day ground for $56, recieved this morning. (3 1/2 days) This was two 45# gear duffle bags and a 35# rubbermaid container of campgear. Next time we will pack it in three 48qt coolers @ 50# each and the remainder into soft side coolers in two wheeled carry on luggage. This adds up to $25.
For antlers, split them and go to a locale florist shop and ask for a long stem roses shipping box that they get from the distributors. Clean, pack and wrap the antlers and ship UPS or DHL.
Just returned from N.M. We drove out but guys in camp were from maryland it cost them $700 to have the meat packaged processed and shipped.
at some point you're better off saving the money and donating to local needys..........particularly when most guys these days can fill a freezer with cheap venison locally.
