Stone sheep meat, horns, & cape transport

[JHemmert]

Hello, my name is Jared. I'm new here. I joined to gather and hopefully provide information. I'm in the process of booking my Stone Sheep hunt and have a million questions as would be expected!! I know I can ask my outfitter but I'm looking for thoughts / recommendations from other hunters as well!
My question today is in regard to transport of the meat, horns, and cape of the ram if I am fortunate enough to harvest one! Is it possible to have the ram plugged and bring everything home on the plane with me? The thought of leaving it all there to be handled by an exporter is painful!

 

[wyosteve]

I had my Dall plugged and brought the horns and cape back with me on the plane as checked bags. We ate some of the meat and the outfitter kept the rest for his family. The meat will need to be frozen and well packaged I believe if you want to bring it back.

 

[Olympics777]

I don’t know any helpful information, but please post pics once you get one. I’m poor so people who get to hunt sheep sharing pics is as close as I can get.

 

[Bubblehide]

It may depend on where your hunt is, where you live, and the travel path. You may need to have hide-cape salted and dried, horns and skull bouled, dried, with zero flesh. Then there may be paperwork requirements and certification such as plugging.

 

[Blockcaver]

NWT requires an export permit and plugging for a ram leaving the Territory. The document will list all the sheep parts in the container that is sealed with a wire and lead seal that the hunter is exporting. That and my license and carcass tag was what I needed to go home to BC.

Not sure about import into US paperwork and legal requirements for that.

 

[JHemmert]

I had my Dall plugged and brought the horns and cape back with me on the plane as checked bags. We ate some of the meat and the outfitter kept the rest for his family. The meat will need to be frozen and well packaged I believe if you want to bring it back.

Thanks! I did the same with my dall, ut I was in Alaska. I wasn't sure how Canada worked.

 

[wyosteve]

My Dall was from the Yukon, but a number of years ago, so maybe things changed since then.

 

[Shooter264]

I've brought all my horns and capes with me from Canada. Plan on spending an extra day or two at the end of your hunt if you want to bring them home in case your hunt runs to the end. If your hunt ends early then there is usually plenty of time. It's better if Capes are salted and dried but as long as they are at least fleshed and salted it's usually not an issue with the US at the border. I've either put the dried cape in my checked bag and horns in my carry on or if the cape was not completely dried I went to a Canadian Tire and purchased a hard sided tub and a roll of duct tape to seal the lid on tight and added it as checked luggage. Never had any issues with either scenario.

 

[JHemmert]

I've brought all my horns and capes with me from Canada. Plan on spending an extra day or two at the end of your hunt if you want to bring them home in case your hunt runs to the end. If your hunt ends early then there is usually plenty of time. It's better if Capes are salted and dried but as long as they are at least fleshed and salted it's usually not an issue with the US at the border. I've either put the dried cape in my checked bag and horns in my carry one or if the cape was not completely dried I went to a Canadian Tire and purchased a hard sided tub and a roll of duct tape to seal the lid on tight and added it as checked luggage. Never had any issues with either scenario.

Thank you! I would love to take the horns as carry on, no chance of losing them!

 

[Shooter264]

Thank you! I would love to take the horns as carry on, no chance of losing them!

It's quite the sight to see the look on the security peoples face when your pack goes through their X-ray!!

 

[JHemmert]

It's quite the sight to see the look on the security peoples face when your pack goes through their X-ray!!

It was thoroughly entertaining when I brought my dall home from AK!! One guy had no idea what to say and the lady working with him him told me it was no big deal and congratulated me on my ram!

 

[JHemmert]

I don’t know any helpful information, but please post pics once you get one. I’m poor so people who get to hunt sheep sharing pics is as close as I can get.

Many years of saving and planning are going into this! Dream come true for me.

 

[JHemmert]

NWT requires an export permit and plugging for a ram leaving the Territory. The document will list all the sheep parts in the container that is sealed with a wire and lead seal that the hunter is exporting. That and my license and carcass tag was what I needed to go home to BC.

Not sure about import into US paperwork and legal requirements for that.

Thank you, ill be going from B.C. to the U.S.

 

[Millek47]

Assuming that you are flying, you will need at a minimum of 4 hours to get thru customs with skull and cape. I believe that you may have a hard time bringing the meat.

 

[JHemmert]

Assuming that you are flying, you will need at a minimum of 4 hours to get thru customs with skull and cape. I believe that you may have a hard time bringing the meat.

Thank you, I will plan accordingly. I've been told by a few people that the meat will be tough to bring. Is it the U.S. that is the problem?

 

[Doc Holliday]

Thank you, I will plan accordingly. I've been told by a few people that the meat will be tough to bring. Is it the U.S. that is the problem?

I had no issues with customs when bringing my stone sheep meat back this past August when I flew back to the US from BC (Vancouver>Seattle). I declared it, as well as my rifle, but they never saw it, looked at it, or asked any questions whatsoever.

But when I drove back to North Dakota from Saskatchewan with some ducks and geese in Oct, both Canadian and US border agents inspected it, had questions, and I had to complete documentation.

 

[JHemmert]

I had no issues with customs when bringing my stone sheep meat back this past August when I flew back to the US from BC (Vancouver>Seattle). I declared it, as well as my rifle, but they never saw it, looked at it, or asked any questions whatsoever.

But when I drove back to North Dakota from Saskatchewan with some ducks and geese in Oct, both Canadian and US border agents inspected it, had questions, and I had to complete documentation.

That's great to hear!!! Did you bring the cape and horns as well? Thank-you

 

[Doc Holliday]

That's great to hear!!! Did you bring the cape and horns as well? Thank-you

I did not, but now wishing I did. The wait is killing me

 

[JHemmert]

I did not, but now wishing I did. The wait is killing me

Haha, that's what I'm afraid of!

 

[Tilzbow]

I’ve done two caribou hunts and two sheep hunts in Canada and never had any issue bringing meat, cape or sheep horns back into the U.S. via plane. Both sheep hunts I packed the cape and horns in my checked bags and they went through without incident.