Cheapest way to ship meat
Contributors to this thread:Elk
From: DonVathome
01-Oct-17
What are the cheapest ways you have found to ship meat? I checked ups and can ship WY to OH 50# for around $25, arrives in 1 day ground seems to good to be true???
From: jims
01-Oct-17
$25/50# is super cheap if you can get it? I've shipped several hundred pounds of big game plus salmon/halibut on the Alaska Airlines. First bag free, 2nd $25, third+ $75 each....depends upon the airlines though. I've sent quite a few turkey capes across the country and they are usually around $40 for 3 day....and the box weighs around $20.
From: sticksender
01-Oct-17
I think you must've entered something wrong on the UPS site, like one of the zip codes, or the weight. I checked their 1 day service for a 50# package from central WY to central OH, and showing a cost around 350.00. Ground service 5-day delivery, about 70.00.By US Mail, Priority Mail service (2-day) is about 86.00. That's normally what I use. In a sealed styrofoam-lined box, the meat usually arrives still frozen.
From: Mule Power
01-Oct-17
No way that's accurate Don. Are you flying? I'm guessing so or you'd be taking it with you driving. Put your meat on the plane and ground ship your clothes and gear.
From: Scooter
01-Oct-17
I’ve done it several times from Montana to Pa.... Via Airline; and can tell ya ,there ain’t any “cheap way”..... Last yr I brought Home 4 - 50 lb. boxes of elk and it cost about $500.00 ....First bag was free, second bag was $25.00.... and from there it went up and up with each bag...I quess if I understood it correctly, the cost jumps dramatically cause they say each bag adds more weight, which causes more fuel cost ....Next time, I plan to either drive out, or, just bring back 2 boxes and donate the rest to a needy family...
From: TD
01-Oct-17
Best way is a couple guys flying and only one of em tags out....... =D FYI.... You can get another 30-40 lbs frozen meat in your "carry on" (backpack) as well..... normally goes off as "organic" (think "bomb") with TSA but that's a minor inconvenience. Normally.... depends on what else you have in the pack.......
Over the years we have also donated a good deal of meat along the way. But you mail back your gear and haul meat on the plane. Two 50lb coolers and carry on.... that's 120-130 lbs each with "normal" baggage rates before you get to stupid rates...... but even the stupid rates for another 50 lbs are much better than 1 or 2 day UPS/FedEx..... to HI anyway.....
From: jims
01-Oct-17
If you have certain airline credit cards you can sometimes get more bags for free or discount. Meat donation can sometimes be a good deal for everyone involved but obviously you don't get to take home as much tasty, lean, organic meat!
From: Ucsdryder
01-Oct-17
Did someone say meat donation? If you guys need a volunteer I am 20 min from Denver International Airport. You’re all welcome.
From: WV Mountaineer
01-Oct-17
Cheap and shipping meat are not synonymous. Took me almost $600 to over night ship from CO to here. That was 6 years ago too.
From: Tdiesel
02-Oct-17
just get it hard frozen and add max amount of dry ice in a cooler ship on a Monday so no sit in warehouse over a weekend shipped elk from CO to Maryland fed ex for like 100 bucks several times always shows up still hard and frozen.
From: Bob H in NH
02-Oct-17
Run some numbers in the planning phase. Often if you upgrade your ticket to first class you get the first two bags free AND they can be 70lbs not 50. That's 40 extra pounds of meat before you get into excess baggage fees. Plus you get drinks on the plane and your luggage is marked "priority" to less likely to get lost.
If you can get a deal on the tickets, it works out well. My wife and I did this last fall to WY.
From: Trial153
02-Oct-17
Cheap and shipping meat cant be used in the same sentence.
From: CurveBow
02-Oct-17
Been there, done that with the airlines, Fed X and UPS. I now drive from NYS to Co!
From: smarba
02-Oct-17
Agree with TD, carrying as much as you can frozen in your carry on helps a little.
From: Waterdawg
02-Oct-17
Last year, I shipped a processed, frozen elk, frozen cape and elk rack from NM to FL via Wild Game Transport (Alan -970-712-0946) for $800 to my house. The price is based upon the distance shipped. Wyoming to Ohio would be cheaper. Good friends have also used this company without issues.
From: Sage Buffalo
02-Oct-17
Don: If you are on UPS main shipping route it can be as cheap as about $1 a pound for guaranteed delivery within 3-5 days (pending location).
I once shipped 300 lbs of meat back to MA and it was just over $300. Came on a pallet too.
You must be on their main route.
From: Guardian Hunter
02-Oct-17
Call Cliff Carney of Carney hunts in Colorado. They ship meat and taxidermy from many Outfitters. He is honest and reasonable. Regards, gary
From: DonVathome
03-Oct-17
Thanks guys I always take it as baggage but I can get 2 cow elk instead of one and I am considering it.
FYI my plan is always meat as carry on NEVER weighed. Carry on and personal item can be big and I have easily taken over 100# as carry on! Last 2 years my huge cow elk meat was all carry on.
Some good ideas here - mainly I was shocked at how cheap I found ups was. Seemed to good to be true.
From: DonVathome
03-Oct-17
Interesting, I rechecked shipping and it went from $25 to $350
