Can anyone throw some tips/knowledge my way about flying back from Sasaktoon with a whitetail cape and rack (hopefully). In addition to the $150.00 handling fee charged by Air Canada, is there a prefered container I should take with me? Thanks
Once you get there go to walmart and buy a big rubbermade storeage tub. For the last few years I have been putting frozen cape horns and meat into a big rubber made tub which i buy once i am up there and have not had any problems flying air Canada from Calgary to Los Angles.
Buy the small rolls of duck tape and put an extra one on top when you pack the tub then you will have it handy to reseal the tub after customs. Do not put rolls of duck tape in your cary on it will not make it through security. We load the tubs and weigh them the night before we fly. Set them out and they are frozen solid by morning and stay frozen for the trip.
Keep things as clean as possible, zip lock the meat and double trash bag the cape don't let any blood or hair get on the tubs. We have been using a propane torch on the skull caps to singe the membrane layer off and dry out the blood then wrap the bone in duck tape then write with a sharpe our WIN #. And Tag # on each bag of meat and the cape and the tape on the horns. Bring meat home with you fill up your tub to the weigh limit to help keep things frozen, and it will help in customs if you don't have meat in with your horns they will say "trophy hunter eh" then give you the rubber glove treatment to find something trivial in your papers or just to delay you so you might miss your flight. I have seen it happen almost every time some other group of hunters was going though customs next to me.
For the last ten years I have been going to Alberta to hunt whitetails and our group of three hunters have not had problems with Air Canada staff the problems are always at the US customs in Calgary, try to get the older officers the young guys always want something we have never heard of then you have to wait for one of the older more experienced officers to come over and set them strait. It has become kind of a joke for our group as to who will get the runaround. Last year it was my dad, the new officer was trying to confiscate everything 155" rack, cape, and 30lbs of meat because the nuts weren't attached to the cape? He thought dad had shot his buck for the horns then shot a doe for meat, and we couldnt seem to get him to realize that having the nuts on the cape would not have made where the bags of meat came from any clearer. I had to get the old guy helping me to go over and straiten it out.
Good Luck.
Buy the small rolls of duck tape and put an extra one on top when you pack the tub then you will have it handy to reseal the tub after customs. Do not put rolls of duck tape in your cary on it will not make it through security. We load the tubs and weigh them the night before we fly. Set them out and they are frozen solid by morning and stay frozen for the trip.
Keep things as clean as possible, zip lock the meat and double trash bag the cape don't let any blood or hair get on the tubs. We have been using a propane torch on the skull caps to singe the membrane layer off and dry out the blood then wrap the bone in duck tape then write with a sharpe our WIN #. And Tag # on each bag of meat and the cape and the tape on the horns. Bring meat home with you fill up your tub to the weigh limit to help keep things frozen, and it will help in customs if you don't have meat in with your horns they will say "trophy hunter eh" then give you the rubber glove treatment to find something trivial in your papers or just to delay you so you might miss your flight. I have seen it happen almost every time some other group of hunters was going though customs next to me.
For the last ten years I have been going to Alberta to hunt whitetails and our group of three hunters have not had problems with Air Canada staff the problems are always at the US customs in Calgary, try to get the older officers the young guys always want something we have never heard of then you have to wait for one of the older more experienced officers to come over and set them strait. It has become kind of a joke for our group as to who will get the runaround. Last year it was my dad, the new officer was trying to confiscate everything 155" rack, cape, and 30lbs of meat because the nuts weren't attached to the cape? He thought dad had shot his buck for the horns then shot a doe for meat, and we couldnt seem to get him to realize that having the nuts on the cape would not have made where the bags of meat came from any clearer. I had to get the old guy helping me to go over and straiten it out.
Good Luck.
Originally Posted by Lang
Once you get there go to walmart and buy a big rubbermade storeage tub. For the last few years I have been putting frozen cape horns and meat into a big rubber made tub which i buy once i am up there and have not had any problems flying air Canada from Calgary to Los Angles.
Buy the small rolls of duck tape and put an extra one on top when you pack the tub then you will have it handy to reseal the tub after customs. Do not put rolls of duck tape in your cary on it will not make it through security. We load the tubs and weigh them the night before we fly. Set them out and they are frozen solid by morning and stay frozen for the trip.
Keep things as clean as possible, zip lock the meat and double trash bag the cape don't let any blood or hair get on the tubs. We have been using a propane torch on the skull caps to singe the membrane layer off and dry out the blood then wrap the bone in duck tape then write with a sharpe our WIN #. And Tag # on each bag of meat and the cape and the tape on the horns.
This.
Originally Posted by Lang
the problems are always at the US customs
This is true no matter where I've crossed back into the US.
The Canadian side couldn't possibly be more friendly and accommodating. The US side - guilty until proven innocent.
Thanks for the help Gentlemen!
I use the rubermaid tub as my luggage going into Canada and pack a duffle bag in the tub. Use the bag for your clothes on the way out. I don't use the duct tape, I drilled a couple of holes through the lid and the lip on the container 6 to be exact and use zip ties to lock it. Leave the zip ties on top when you seal it up. I've done this for the past 10 years between Alaska and Canada and have never had an issue. That tub was one of the best $5 purchases I have ever made, definitely got my moneys worth out of that thing.
Our oufitter supplies a plywood box for the cape and rack. You didn't ask about the meat but I'll write anyway. Meat is left with the locals; too much of a hassle to bring it back and you can buy choice beef at home for less $/pound. We'll be in S-toon on November 7. 12 years and running with the same outfitter.
Originally Posted by Lang
Once you get there go to walmart and buy a big rubbermade storeage tub. For the last few years I have been putting frozen cape horns and meat into a big rubber made tub which i buy once i am up there and have not had any problems flying air Canada from Calgary to Los Angles.
x2!
I brought 200lbs of boneless caribou home this way from the Yukon to New Brunswick in 2010. That was a coast to coast flight with no problems at all.
.
Marked
Good to know