Large duffle bag to fly with horns

DonVathome

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While I spent 3 hours building a custom cardboard box to fly home with my caribou horns it occurred to me I could tape the tips (with cardboard or pieces of a rubber hose) and them simply put it into a duffle bag and duct tape as needed. If I used a cheap duffle bag it seemed way easier then custom making a cardboard box.

Your thoughts? Other easy ways to get larger horns, like an elk, on the plane? Note I cut antlers off - no skull.
 
I took about 6' of garden hose on my hunt and taped small sections over each antler tip, wrapped the skull cap and payed a little extra and they put them under the plane. My Caribou scored 420 4/8 B&C and 466 SCI so it wasn't a small rack. If you cut the antlers from the skull you should be able to tie both halves together after placing the hose on the tips and ship them like that.
 
Thanks! What is allowed and what can get you into trouble with a tree hugger airline person checking you in are 2 different things. Out of sight out of mind, clean and well hidden are the key. I have zero issues with antler tips, even saw them poking out of the box I made a few years ago while coming off the plane - bad, could not believe they arrived in Ohio 2 flights later. I prefer them out of sight so you cannot tell what they are. IMO that is more important then cleaning the skull or covering tips. Saw someone who went crazy with plastic wrong on horns, looked like it took forever and a day but I liked it.
 
Keep in mind a duffle bag leaves room for more gear. The box I just built in Alaska held antlers, cape, sleeping bag (wrapped around cape to keep cold), down jacket, smelly boots and still weighed under 40 pounds. So it is able to take bulky items. Had I planned on this before this trip I would have saved paying for a 3rd bag on American - a $140 savings!
 
ellgrass good idea but elk antlers, never seen a game bag big enough. I have a huge duffle bag, just checked, not nearly big enough.
 
It's probably a good idea to keep the antlers out of sight. I had a friend who shipped his moose antlers home from Alaska and they never arrived. He got a refund but the antlers disappeared.
 
It's probably a good idea to keep the antlers out of sight. I had a friend who shipped his moose antlers home from Alaska and they never arrived. He got a refund but the antlers disappeared.

So...I'm flying home from AK to PHX after my successful caribou hunt on the Mulchatna River. My bride is driving to the airport to take me home.

I'm waiting on the curb with my large duffle, gun case & big uncovered 'bou antlers. She pulls up in her little red Subaru sedan instead of my NIssan PU!

So okay, yeah it was my fault for not telling her otherwise... :rolleyes:

Fortunately I had some rope handy in the duffle. First I used a towel El had in the car to wrap the lower part of the antlers. Then I managed to get them firmly tied across the trunk lid by threading the rope thru the both rear windows & using more rope on the rear bumper to counter the pull. While I'm doing this, the PHX cop is having fits with us being parked in the loading zone too long.

And...we actually made it home without incident or marring the trunk lid too bad
 

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