Flying with game meat help!

[Fletch]

So the boy and I are driving down my mothers car to FL a couple days after Christmas. They are too old to make that drive anymore and will be flying. So we decided to have a little adventuring to the trip.

We took a recommendation from bugsandbows off another thread in this topic and decided to do a FL hog hunt with West Shore Outfitters. We are doing a thermal night hunt and an inshore fishing trip a couple days later for reds and trout and such.

So if successful we want to bring back the meat. It will be all butchered and frozen. Any recommendations on coolers to fly with that meets 62 linear specs? Would like to fly back a <50 pound cooler of meat with dry ice or 2. Something relatively cheap and easy to get at a common store or Amazon.

[tarheel95]

So the boy and I are driving down my mothers car to FL a couple days after Christmas. They are too old to make that drive anymore and will be flying. So we decided to have a little adventuring to the trip.
We took a recommendation from bugsandbows off another thread in this topic and decided to do a FL hog hunt with West Shore Outfitters. We are doing a thermal night hunt and an inshore fishing trip a couple days later for reds and trout and such.
So if successful we want to bring back the meat. It will be all butchered and frozen. Any recommendations on coolers to fly with that meets 62 linear specs? Would like to fly back a

I haven't done it myself, but I think the meat eater crew posted a video on packing and flying out game. You might check their YouTube page to see if their tips are there. Good luck.

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[BizCT]

5 minutes ago, Fletch said:

So the boy and I are driving down my mothers car to FL a couple days after Christmas. They are too old to make that drive anymore and will be flying. So we decided to have a little adventuring to the trip.

We took a recommendation from bugsandbows off another thread in this topic and decided to do a FL hog hunt with West Shore Outfitters. We are doing a thermal night hunt and an inshore fishing trip a couple days later for reds and trout and such.

So if successful we want to bring back the meat. It will be all butchered and frozen. Any recommendations on coolers to fly with that meets 62 linear specs? Would like to fly back a <50 pound cooler of meat with dry ice or 2. Something relatively cheap and easy to get at a common store or Amazon.

Ask your guide for his opinions, but years ago i used to fly back with frozen game meat in boxes with dry ice inside. I had to write "dry ice" on the box and punch a few small holes in it. Of course, your airline would be best to check with. I also brought a small cooler on flights as carry-on. I dump the ice before security and never had issues with thawing on a short flight.

[Fletch]

1 minute ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

Ask your guide for his opinions, but years ago i used to fly back with frozen game meat in boxes with dry ice inside. I had to write "dry ice" on the box and punch a few small holes in it. Of course, your airline would be best to check with. I also brought a small cooler on flights as carry-on. I dump the ice before security and never had issues with thawing on a short flight.

I've packed Elk roasts in carry on bags before lol. I was wondering what anyone found for a cooler that would meet size specs. I am flying Frontier and they say cooler is fine and dry ice.

 

[Nomad]

In Montana,  for my Mullie I just bought a cheap cooler , wrote my name and address on it with marker and used a couple of straps around it .

[BizCT]

2 minutes ago, Nomad said:

In Montana,  for my Mullie I just bought a cheap cooler , wrote my name and address on it with marker and used a couple of straps around it .

Same. I typically stop at a wal-mart or something and buy something cheap and then tape it up.

[Marion]

I've packed Elk roasts in carry on bags before lol. I was wondering what anyone found for a cooler that would meet size specs. I am flying Frontier and they say cooler is fine and dry ice.
 

I packed the backstraps of my mulie and antelope in my checked luggage. It was still rock solid after coming back all the way from Wyoming to NY.

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[The_Real_TCIII]

Careful with the dry ice, there are restrictions on that. If you can freeze the meat before you leave and pack it with gel packs in a good cooler it will stay frozen for a day

[Rack Attack]

I fly to Florida several times a year sport fishing in the keys.  It's not uncommon for me to bring back 100# of frozen fish fillets at a time.  I have a friend that lives in the keys so I am able to leave a vacuum sealer down there year around and use it as needed.  What I do is vacuum seal the fish and freeze it.  I have two RTIC brand soft sided coolers (https://www.rticcoolers.com/shop/coolers/softpak/Soft-Pack-40-Grey) I also have one of their backpack coolers (https://www.rticcoolers.com/shop/coolers/back-pack/Back-Pack-Cooler-Blue-Grey) . I pack the frozen fish and 5# or under of dry ice in each cooler and check the cooler as normal luggage.  This system works out very well and everything is still frozen rock hard when I get home.  You can have 5# of dry ice per bag without issues with the airline.  One thing to remember with the dry ice is to leave a zipper on the cooler slightly cracked open as they are very tight sealing and will actually start to blow up from the dry ice if you don't.  You can fit about 50-55# of fillets in each of the soft side 40 coolers and about 40# in the backpack cooler.

[mlammerhirt]

So the boy and I are driving down my mothers car to FL a couple days after Christmas. They are too old to make that drive anymore and will be flying. So we decided to have a little adventuring to the trip.
We took a recommendation from bugsandbows off another thread in this topic and decided to do a FL hog hunt with West Shore Outfitters. We are doing a thermal night hunt and an inshore fishing trip a couple days later for reds and trout and such.
So if successful we want to bring back the meat. It will be all butchered and frozen. Any recommendations on coolers to fly with that meets 62 linear specs? Would like to fly back a

Fletch.....be sure to start a new thread on the hog hunt.....very interested in your experience

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[Fletch]

40 minutes ago, mlammerhirt said:

Fletch.....be sure to start a new thread on the hog hunt.....very interested in your experience

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Will do!!

[Cory]

I have cooler bags  to put into suit cases and freeze the meat before I get on the plane from Denver to Buffalo and it stays frozen. Your baggage isn’t in a temperature controlled compartment on a plane and stays cool. I know anywhere from Florida to Buffalo is a lot quicker and depending who you fly with is direct flights. 

[crappyice]

Got a buddy who hunts Texas hogs quite a bit- he says once they get big (over 75 pounds) they rarely bother eating them. Not sure if that has been other experience but I would hate for you to go through all the trouble to end up with meat that is not enjoyable.


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[Pygmy]

5 minutes ago, crappyice said:

Got a buddy who hunts Texas hogs quite a bit- he says once they get big (over 75 pounds) they rarely bother eating them. Not sure if that has been other experience but I would hate for you to go through all the trouble to end up with meat that is not enjoyable.


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Depends on the sex....My buddy shot a sow that weighed 175 and it was the best wild pork I ever had...I shot a boar that weighed 100 pounds with guts and he was not bad, but was starting to get a little gamey..Not nearly as good as my buddy's sow...

[Marion]

Depends on the sex....My buddy shot a sow that weighed 175 and it was the best wild pork I ever had...I shot a boar that weighed 100 pounds with guts and he was not bad, but was starting to get a little gamey..Not nearly as good as my buddy's sow...

Soak em overnight in buttermilk and it sucks the gaminess right out. Makes some bomb ass roasts. Love wild hogs

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[Fletch]

13 hours ago, crappyice said:

Got a buddy who hunts Texas hogs quite a bit- he says once they get big (over 75 pounds) they rarely bother eating them. Not sure if that has been other experience but I would hate for you to go through all the trouble to end up with meat that is not enjoyable.


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Yea we are not looking for huge hogs. 80-100 pounders. I'll ask the guides about male/female. I go no problem taking a sow if it eats better. 

[eaglemountainman]

I know this reply is too late for your recent trip, but something to keep in mind for the future. I do a western hunt each year. Once I punch my tag, I debone all the meat and freeze it solid. When I fly home, I use my backpack as my overhead storage bag. I line it with one of those grocery store freezer bags and place 45-50 lbs of meat in there. If I can't fit it all, I can put 10-15 lbs more in a carry on under the seat.

I dread the thought of putting it in my checked bags, with the very real possibility of them getting lost. I can only imagine the fetid stench after a few days, not to mention the loss of all that precious meat.

Hope you had a good hunt and were successful. 

[Fletch]

I brought on suitcase empty that I put 39.5 pounds of frozen in to checked baggage. The cargo hold is not heated so even better. I bought a nice soft side cooler to put another 25 pounds in as my carry on. All went well!


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[ADK Native]

I have flown back from Alaska with salmon and moose meat without any problems.

I use the largest regular old cooler that can be transported in checked baggage.  The product is frozen solid, packed as tight as possible and any air spaces filled with articles of clothing.  No defrosting observed.  I always tie down the lid with a couple of straps since one time they ripped off the latch.

One time I arrived late at night only to be told my cooler was still in Chicago.  I told the airline that it contained perishable food and needed to be in a freezer.  They told me they do not have holding freezers.  Next afternoon I pick up my cooler full of salmon and found it still in a frozen condition.

 

Edited January 23, 2020 by ADK Native