I have hunted Colorado for muleys and elk for the last 10 years and we always drove. Last year because of one of my partners time constraints we flew but had a friend drive the gear and guns out since he was driving. The rental was a disaster with poor tires and multiple flats which cost us hunting time and it taught me that something as serious as hunting you have to keep as much control over your destiny as possible. Once when my brother who was in the navy and coming home to hunt VT he plew with his gun. He got to camp and when he opened his Kevlar case the scope was bent from the eye piece down to the stock. Someone had to put that case into some hydraulics to bend it while it was still in the case. I would never bring a gun on an airline.