Packing game birds for flight back home
 

How do you handle the packaging of game birds for a flight home? I'm flying for the first time on a bird hunt. I expect (hope) to take home 7 ducks and 9 upland birds.

I have to board a plane back home. How do you go about doing that? Carry on cooler, checked in with dry ice, ship separate and retrieve back home...?? Thanks all!

Where are you going to hunt, in country or out of the country? Out of the country may present a different challenge. Your best bet is to call the airlines you are using and ask what you have to do. If you can freeze your game and then put dry ice in your cooler they will stay frozen for quite a while but it may be cost prohibitive, if you even may put dry ice on a plane, Call the airline and let us know what they say.

Whichever way you find the birds will get there in good shape and for an economical price. Call the airlines you're flying with, the USPS, UPS, and FedEx and go with the best rate for a decent delivery time to find out the best way according to your specific circumstances. It won't take a very big cooler/box to ship them home and the weight should be minimal compared to a big game animal. PS: Most airlines allow dry ice, but it is under FAA requirements as far as how and quantity. If they are already frozen and in a good container you may well not even need it if your flight time isn't that long from departure to arrival and depending on what time of the year, etc.

Just before I read your post Top, I was thinking it may be better just to ship them UPS or FedX and not bother flying them home on his flight. May be less red tape.

Within the US, UPS is the best bet. Red tape as well as extra "baggage" costs with most airlines has become just a serious pain in the a$$. So much so I just take the RV anymore. As long as you seal the container air tight up real well, dry ice lasts a long time. Next day air UPS for that small amount of birds shouldn't be that costly.

Why not freeze them where you are, solid. Then wrap them in a warm coat and stuff them in a duffle bag? As long as you're not over 50lbs it may be free if it's within your baggage check limit.

Yep, then your flight gets delayed or lose your luggage and you have a real mess on your hands. I have sat around airports waiting to take off too many times to stick perishables in my luggage. If I careed about my game meat to take it home with me, I would make sure it gets there in good condition. Going on the cheap will make you weep, many times.

He must have never connected through O'Hare or Atlanta huh Oldtimer? :p

Isn't that the truth, or Philly.

I always flew in and out from Baltimore because I HATED Philly Airport. Was usually faster to drive to BWI from Grantville anyway. Harrisburg never had direct flights no matter WHERE I was going.