how to get em home???

[Shrek]

I did Florida to CDA Idaho this year and it wasn't too bad to me. 46 hours each way with two short naps in the front seat included. Checked into a motel when I got there and got a good nights sleep and I was ready to go. I was thinking that it would be nice to have a driving partner to split it with but 40 hours plus in a truck with someone might not be a all that great. I think the thought of driving is a lot worse than the actual driving. I should mention that I drive for a living but just local work. 8am to 4pm most days not long haul.

 

[Arbutusbucks]

I drove to NM with a friend from NE PA. Took us 36 hours, you're beat when you get to your destination but its nice not to have limits on your gear.

 

[chippewawarrior]

This past fall, I drove from Milwaukee, WI to Steamboat Springs, CO with my brother-in-law. Thankfully, we came home with 2 elk, and thank god we drove! My brother-in-law is a butcher by trade, and we still had a ton of meat spread out over 4 coolers (2x54qt & 2x100qt). They were packed full. It was for first rifle in mid October, so we had snow on the ground which was a huge help. Logistically, you will need to have your ducks in a row if you plan to fly with your meat...

 

[Craig Van Arsdale]

I would drive personally. I did two bulls from NM to CA this year. Got them processed there and frozen then used a bunch of dry ice. 19 hrs of driving in summer heat and the meat had just started to thaw by the time we got home.

 

[katdaddy2013]

Four of us are going to split the gas, windshield time and all other expenses to Colorado. That's the only way to get em home.

 

[Brent1321]

Yes, having two guys drive, the others fly. That is what I would do. That will likely save you all money versus paying luggage fees. I drove solo from Colo Springs to Fargo, ND, straight thru. Then the next day I joined two others and we drove 8 hours into Canada! This was for two days of duck hunting!!!! I would say a week plus in the CO mountains is worth the drive from MD. Flying sucks, my opinion......

 

[dotman]

Leave 9ish in the morning and you'll be hunting the next afternoon. I do it almost every year. 24 hours of seat time and a few hrs rest, and I'm in the woods.

X2... I drove 24hrs straight from KC to ID solo. If needed take a cat nap but with multiple drivers it would be an easy straight thru.

 

[Becca]

Check your specific airline carrier, you may be able to take "overweight" baggage up to 100lbs for no worse fee than any other excess bag. We fly goat and deer meat within AK this way on AK airlines. They charge $50 per extra bag, and $50 per "overweight" bag, but not both. So one additional bag weighing 99 lbs flies home with us for $50. We put the meat/capes into Rubbermaid totes (frozen if at all possible) and just make sure to stay under the 100lb limit.

We also helped a friend construct a box for caribou antlers to fly home commercially. Padded all the points and packed into a cardboard box we fashioned from several smaller boxes. I believe he had to pay for an oversize bag, but it got his trophy home.

I recognize you are unlikely to be using AK airlines (and I also know nothing about elk ) but it's at least worth checking on...

 

[Huntin Hard]

Me and a friend are planning a trip to Colorado elk hunting from md and we are going to driving with a trailer behind us. I would drive if I was you.

 

[Devonian]

You could all fly in but two could drive a rental home if you need to bring back a few animals. I drove from Maryland to Colorado with a friend this past fall and it wasn't that bad.

 

[Jeff Martin]

You guys are making me feel like a little girl. I complain about my 11 hour drive for a week before i go

 

[flatlander51]

Thanks for all the replies. I've been doing a little research and it looks like it'll cost roughly 400$ to have 1 elk processed, boxed into 4-50# boxes and 2guys flying it home as their checked luggage. that includes shipping 2 mens gear home via fed ex. but does not include cape and horns, just meat. A second elk would cost us an additional 525$ because the 5the guy will have to pay an extra baggage fee of 125$ because he will be checking three gun cases as his luggage. Don't want to ship the guns fed ex, to much money in those cases to risk! Doing That would allow us to bring home two elk on the plane at 180$ a man. And the lucky ones who kill will have to cover the cost of the horns and cape them selves. After 2 the cost goes through the roof as if it wasn't already expensive enough. More then two and we will have to have the meat shipped home at 640$ per elk. Plus 200 for processing. These are all rough figures but as you can see it won't be cheap to fly. There's a chance that 2 guys may drive but that's still up in the air. honestly giving the area where are hunting and the fact that we're backpacking and only shooting 5x5s or better I don't see us killing more then 1or 2. But if we do and we all fly its going to get quite expensive but there will be a lot of smiling faces! Thanks again for everyone's help.

 

[brettb]

Next time you are out here send me a message, Ive got freezers and what not if you need to prep your animals before heading home, been prcessing wild game since I was 3 prfofesionally and will help out anyway possible. or just meet up for a beer.

 

[flatlander51]

Sounds good ill be out there this sept. thanks