Good day,

I've got a hunt planned in B.C. (Canada) and was wondering how to get my meat back to Arizona in a cost-effective way if I am successful.

I will be hunting Elk and would love to fly back most of the meat. Outfitter says I can have it processed there or packaged in dry ice but that I need to make my own shipping arrangements since most hunters just donate most of the meat.

What have you guys done?

You gotta accept that it'll be somewhat expensive, though there are options.

Since you're flying, you have two main options: Checked baggage or overnight shipping. Shipping it will likely be more expensive. See if the meat processor will vacuum seal and pack it in wax boxes once frozen. It will last in checked baggage during the flight home.

One piece of advice: buy a first class ticket, as (at least with Alaska airlines) your first two checked bags (up to 50 pounds each) come at no extra cost. If you fly coach, all checked baggage will be $X per bag/box. Ask the meat processor to package it into boxes heavier than 100 lbs, since additional checked bags past your first two do not have a weight limit, and I assume you'll use up your first two complimentary checked bags with a rifle case and a clothes/optics bag. Since you'll be in Canada, the weight limits may be in Kilos, but you get my drift.

You do take the chance of having it get lost in the luggage, but you take that chance with shipping it too. Canadian airlines may have different rules, so check them but I will bet they're somewhat similar.

BTW, I just returned from Alaska with about 200 lbs of packaged salmon/halibut.

I was quoted about $500 to overnight it to my mother's place in Montana via Fedex. Instead I paid $200 to bring it in 4 boxes with me via checked baggage. I did not have any other checked baggage though. I carried all my cloths/boots with me via carry on, which I assume you won't be able to do, since you'll have more equipment/guns/ammo, etc..

I haven't checked Alaskan air, but recently checked multiple other airlines as my wife and I are going to WY in October.

What I found:
- We are flying home first class, first two checked bags are they free AND can weigh 70lbs, not 50. That's +80lbs and -$70 right off the bat.
- extra checked bags are restricted to 50Lb and cost like $120

IF you exceed weight limit it's another bump up and you can't exceed 100lbs

When we ran the math, coming home first class ends up almost being a wash, when you throw in free drinks and food, we come out about even!

When you start juggling First Class air tickets and $500 shipping fees why not drive? I know it takes the added days but you can see the sights, set your own time schedule, not sit in airports, get delayed by weather someplace else on the planet where "your" plane sits, take extra gear, buy dry ice as needed. Az to BC would be a hoot, but then, I do like to drive.

We cut ours, freeze it on site, and put it in coolers frozen and put it on the plane with us AK air on the flight home.

no need for ice, or dry ice. We put it in the cooler in the morning around 8am. We drive 8 or so hours, visit and eat with friends, generally on a flight by 1am or so, and land home around 7pm so the meat is out of "cooling" for about 36 hours. It might be that some of the top pieces have a bit of squish to them by that time....

Depending on costs at times, they do change rates from year to year at times, we'll box up our clothes in a big box and USPS it home....doesn't matter how slow that is to get home. IF it affects how much luggage we can go and the cost.