Trophy and meat processing around Anchorage

[jwatts]

My sheep hunt is right around the corner. I've been looking into my options for meat and trophy care and narrowing it all down. I wanted to see if anyone on here had any input on what I am looking at doing so far. I will be hunting in Tok, driving back to Anchorage, and flying home from there.

Meat- I want to get as much home whole (not ground or made into sausage) as possible. I'd prefer to just get it deboned, sliced into roasts and steaks, sealed, and frozen. I would prefer to fly home with it if possible but if the turnaround time was too long I would have it shipped. I have narrowed it down to Glenn's Wild Game Processing or Indian Valley Meats. I intend to call them to check on turnaround times and see if they can do what I want. Does anyone have any past experience with either of them? Anyone else I should look at?

Trophy- I've about decided to do a euro mount and have the whole hide tanned. My wife wants a whole sheep hide for the wall, and I really like the look of euro mounts. Assuming the cape looks good I plan to go this route. I'm torn on whether I should drop the head and hide off with a taxidermist, or take the head to someone with beetles and take the hide to a tannery. Again, I'm going to call a few folks to see if they will do what I am looking for, but wanted some input if anyone had any. I know that most any taxidermist down here will do skulls and tan hides (or send them off to be tanned). Are there any in particular around the area that may be better suited for what I want that I should look into?

This is the final part of planning. I think everything else is figured out and I am ready to get up there and finally tackle my first sheep hunt.

 

[mobilefamily]

A) Good luck on your hunt!

B) Why not just bypass processing in Anchorage and fly home with your meat? I have done this twice, checked in coolers (once) and waxed boxes (once) with Alaska Airlines. You pay the extra bag fee (keep boxes under 100 pounds) and take the meat home after you flight to be handled at home or with your local processor.

 

[jwatts]

Yeah, sorry I wasn't clear. I would love to fly home with the meat. I wanted to find someone that would seal/freeze the meat so I could fly home with it. If I had time I wouldn't mind getting it broken down.

 

[mobilefamily]

If it's not very bloody, and if the boxes are sealed well, you can check it with Alaska Airlines even if not hard frozen. It will be marked for a refrigerated space and kept cold before the flight.

If you spend the night in Anchorage, there are lots of hotels with giant freezers where you can rent space for less than $10/night. The Lakefront hotel is one. You can cab over to Wal Mart to get boxes/coolers, tape, and plastic bags.

 

[jwatts]

I haven't booked a hotel for the night before my flight. I'll check out lakefront for the freezer space.

 

[19hunt92]

I am actually doing the same as you this year and hunting out of Tok as well. I contacted a processor and am having it frozen prior to flying out and then packing in a cooler and taking with me. Feel free to PM for more info i already looked into

Also, when are you flying in? Might be able to consolidate travelling to save some $$

 

[jwatts]

Sending you a PM

 

[Fishn4eyes]

I just did this out of the NWT.

I took about a dozen two gallon freezer bags and put the meat in there, double bagged it and then put the meat in dry bags after that and put it in the freezer in Norman Wells to freeze overnight. I put the meat in a large duffle bag the next morning and checked it via checked baggage like that.

I drove to Edmonton so I left a couple soft-sided Yeti's in my car there and once I arrived there via airplane, I dropped the meat in the coolers and drove 8 hours home.

Meat was great and I processed it when I got home.

Guessing you could something similar in both Tok and Anchorage if you had to spend nights there.

 

[jwatts]

I could definitely grab some bags when I get back to Anchorage. I should have plenty of time to get it frozen before I head home.

 

[Wapiti1]

I stayed at the Aviator downtown Anchorage and they had freezers just for hunters/anglers. They were free if you stayed there. Not a super awesome hotel, but clean and comfortable. Easy walking to everything you needed downtown.

I had a few extra days, so I got a 60qt rolling cooler and 4 fish boxes at Walmart. The meat was packed in ziplocks, then into heavy trash bags, then frozen in the cooler/boxes. The cape was bagged and frozen with the meat. The horns were bagged and frozen. I also had 100lbs of fish to bring home along with my sheep.

The rifle got shipped home through the post office and I packed the case full of clothes and other gear. Horns into my duffel. All of it was checked at the counter for flight home. 4 fish boxes, one cooler, and a duffel.

Cost a lot in fees, but I got it all home.

Jeremy

 

[jwatts]

Thanks Wapiti1. I'll put the Aviator on my list as well. It looks like freezing it myself and flying it home may be my best bet. We've boned out 2 bull elk in a hotel parking lot for the ride home before. I figure I can get a sheep carved up and ready to freeze quick enough.