capes, and antlers shipping question

D

deerbedead

Guest

• Jul 24, 2005

• #1

I have a several taxidermy customers that are going to hunt bears, and caribou this fall in Alaska. They called me and wondered what the best way to get the capes and antlers home safely would be.
I think the guides will be able to cape, and salt the hides, or have them frozen, but in case would they be able to use a local taxidermist, or expediter to help them? Can they bring the capes on the flight home as a carry on?
What should it cost to have the capes and antlers prepared for shipment?
How much should shipping be from Alaska to Utah for a bear hide, and a caribou cape, along with the antlers?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Travis Roundy

 

N

nvlonghunter

Guest

• Jul 26, 2005

• #2

Travis, last fall my brother in law and i harvested two caribou out of the king salmon area.This is what we did.
We froze our meat and our capes at the local store, packed our capes in plasic bags and packed them in freezer boxes with meat.
DO NOT PACK EACH BOX OVER 100 lbs. the airline will make you take out any weight over 100 lbs. one of our boxes weight was 106 we had to remove 6 lbs. the xtra box fee was 50.00 and the weight over 50 lbs was another 50.00.Alaska air would not let us take the anterlers we had to ship them back on Alaska air shipping 400.00 minn.We are going again this year first week in october.Good luck

Glen

 

D

deerbedead

Guest

• Jul 26, 2005

• #3

nvlonghunter, thanks for the info. I haven't been to Alaska yet, and wasn't sure what to tell my customers. It sounds easy, but expensive. Just like I thought.
Thanks, again,
Travis

 

L

laketrout

Guest

• Jul 27, 2005

• #4

Ship clothes, etc home snail mail via post office. Frozen meat and capes as extra baggage on the plane home with you. Paying for a couple extra meat/cape bags is cheaper than airfreight. Caribou horns can be split and two or three sets can be nestled together and securly fastened with duct tape. Antler point tips should be covered with cardboard or pieces of garden hose and securly taped. Skull plate cleaned and covered with plastic. Ship them home using the post office. In'92 we shipped three sets, split and nestled as above from Anchorage post office to western NY for a total of $27. Took two weeks and they were in fine shape.
Hope this helps.

 

R

rost495

Guest

• Jul 30, 2005

• #5

FWIW splitting the skulls is the correct way to nestle the antlers more compact. IF you have a big duffle and clothes left and room for a bag, you could wrap them as mentioned and then wrap in clothes and put in a duffle as a checked bag.

Remember IF you cut the skull plate they cannot be entered in a record book. Personally I've no use for record books as they generally mean nothing these days. But thats my opinion.

 

D

D13er

Guest

• Jul 30, 2005

• #6

Yeah, that's what alot of guys say right up until they kill one that is eligible.

JB

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote."
--Benjamin Franklin 1759

 

R

rost495

Guest

• Aug 4, 2005

• #7

JB

I've got one animal in the record book and it was so non meaning to me that its no big deal.

Anymore nowdays it just signifies who had the most money to pay to get to a good one. Not who worked the hardest.

And I'm a true believer that the trophy is in the eye of the beholder. One of my most prized mounts is an archery killed doe. Long story behind her but she was far harder to target and eliminate than any of the bucks I've ever taken.

I"d rather see the mount or look at my photo albums than worry about a few lines in a book....

Regards, Jeff

 

D

deerbedead

Guest

• Aug 7, 2005

• #8

Guys, thanks for the info. I appreciate you taking the time to help me out. Maybe someday I'll get to go to the north country and find out for myself how awesome it is.

Travis