Then I did 45# ice chests with dry ice and paid the fees for each additional 50#.
Ship your clothes, rack etc. back (unless you are bringing the cape, I just brought the antlers/skull cap) and bow via UPS or other.
Delta charges checked bags (50lbs) of $30 for first bag, $40, $150 and $200 for each after that...I have checked 150 lbs of meat...I then have put about 40lbs of frozen meat in a dry bag in back pack as carry-on and another 20-30 in a smaller drybag.
I have simply put wrapped, frozen meat in 40 liter dry bags from Walmart...They are perfect size for 50 lbs...No issues and no leaking...Meat has stayed frozen from both Missoula and Denver to NY.
It is a pain if you are by yourself and is a separate adventure in itself.
This fall, my return trip will be first class...comes out only slightly more expensive but allows first two checked bags at 70 lbs "free"...plus, you don't have to be one of those guys walking to the back of the plane with 70 lbs in your "carry on." :)
Check your baggage limits. My flights only allow up to 4 checked bags.
Take care. Mike
They took over 2 weeks to ship my cooler filled with deer meat from Denver to Louisiana. Everything was rotten and had to be thrown away. That was package was supposed to take three days to get here. I sent another package with a USB jump drive from Louisiana to Oregon. I mailed it on Dec. 5th. It showed up in my mailbox last week as undelivered mail. The package looked like it had been laying in a mud puddle on the side of the road for a couple of months. I have another package coming USPS that is late being delivered.
Avoid USPS if at all possible until this COVID mess has been straightened out. I haven’t had any problems with FedEx or UPS. They’ll be expensive, but USPS is unreliable at this time.
It is the best way to ship gear you don't need right away to your home.
Sorry to gum up your thread. My cynicism is high tonight.
MathewsMan’s advice is probably the best solution if you have additional time to drive home.
As stated, best to plan on taking a couple of boxes of meat on the plane with you as baggage. I take my gear/clothes in a packer box. Makes it easier to ship home. But you still have to bring your gun home on the plane. So that is still your first checked bag