Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Flying with meat

I'm flying to a hog hunt in Texas next week, and hopefully returning with a cooler full of meat. I'm sure some of you have done this, any tips. The lady from the airline said tape it up and check it, and gave me the max amount of dry ice I can use.

I wonder how I can temporarily plug the drain so blood doesn't drip on other luggage.

When we brought our caribou meat back from Canada they made us double bag it and the outfitter gave us fiberglass boxes to put it in.I would try to find a processor close to where you are hunting and have him freezer wrap it and freeze it for you.They would only let us put 2.5lbs of dry ice on ours but it had been processed and frozen for us so it was still good when we got back home.BEST OF LUCK ON YOUR HUNT

Get it processed and frozen if possible. Depending on how much meat you have and the size of the cooler, wrap it good in newspaper (great insulator). Double bag it in heavy duty trash/yard bags. Again, depending on how much space you have left in the cooler, stuff your hunting clothes in around the meat, and check it on to the plane. It will still be frozen when you get home.

Good luck on your hunt!

Before 9-11 I brought home a 120 quart Igloo full of dressed and frozen snow geese. I stuck a cork into the drain from the inside and duct tapped the lid. I did not put any ice in it. It didn't thaw at all.

make sure you dont change airlines as some dont allow any dry ice. and if any blood leaks they may throw it out. i have used cardboard fish boxs to ship it from anchorage with not problems but i got cheap coolers to ship it in last time. if a full cooler is frozen and 2 lbs of dry ice is put in you can go a couple of days. 2 lbs is not very much by the way, if you want to do it some good you need a lot bigger chunk. but use what you are allowed. i know you will worry but it will be fine unless they park it outside for 4 days - in which case there is nothing that will save it. ps dont the first 3 advisors get some meat??

Airlines (domestic) limit on dry ice is 2 kilo = 4.4# (without having to go thru the haz mat paperwork hassle and fees)
If meat is hard frozen with no air space around it like in the first post, it will last at least a couple of days in transit. Mark the carton in large letters "contains NO dry ice".
Hard frozen with not air space and a 3# chunk of dry ice and the cracks taped, it should be good for 4 days before any thawing starts. Mark the carton in large letters "contains LESS than 4# of Dry Ice".
That's pretty universal with the airlines and if you're coming back from a hunting area, the airline agents are usually up on things. When you walk up to the counter, declare that you have less than 5# of dry ice in that box and they'll take it from there. There may be a nominal paperwork fee.

Great idea!

And since you were number 4, it was really nice of you to suggest it!!

The lady at the airline wanted some, too. I'm not getting any home, am I?

Thanks for the ideas.

On my return trip from Yellowknife with 2 caribou, the outfitter packed the unfrozen quarters in rubbermaid containers and kept them tight with plastic zip strips through holes he punched in the lid and container. No ice added and meat arrived in great condition. Took it to the meat processor and opened it and no spoilage or leakage. No ice either. Meat was just above freezing when we left camp and was still cool when I opened container. This was in mid August 2005 and I landed in Minneapolis later the same day.

Problem solved, and money saved!

"Flying with Meat"

Sounds like a title from a Mel Brooks movie.

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type slow=vegitarian