i searched the archives and got mixed messages on the subject. i live in ct, and im going to alaska with my brother for a week in the beginning of december to hunt for ptamigan, harlequins, and barrows goldeneye. my question is, whats the best way to get these birds home for mounting? ive never dealt with salt dried birds and ive heard horror stories and others say its not bad. non-residents can only shoot 4 harlis a season, so i plan on bringing as many home that will be nice enough to mount, not to mention the barrows and ptarmigan. it seems like freezing and shipping would be expensive, but if all else fails i have no choice, but are their other options? thanks
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I would freeze them solid and pack them in a small cooler that can be checked as luggage or carried aboard your plane as carry-on luggage.
Or you could ship them to someone via UPS. They have dry ice coolers you can rent from them, or so im told. Im not sure how weel they would fare in a luggage compartment and you would probably have a better chance of loosing them.
I've hunted the tropics several times and I've had no problems though I must admit I've been worried.
I froze the meat and hide of an axis deer and was going to buy an ice chest over there in Hawaii but forgot to and it was time to leave early in the morning, so I put the frozen meat and hides in two cardboard boxes doubled up to make one thick one and lined it with my thermarest air mattress and covered the outside with duct-tape. When I opened the box exactly 24 hrs later the frost on the zip-lock bags had'nt even melted. 30,000ft in the belly of a plane is very cold!
I also dealt with skinning and salting ocellated turkeys in the very hot and humid jungle. The salted and air dried birds rehydrated well and made beautifull mounts.
In Anchorage & Wasilla you can buy dry ice in any Safeway/Carrs grocery store. Any small quantities like that I ALWAYS take as a carry-on. No chance of it getting lost then.....
for the replies. i think freezing them whole and packing as luggage will be best. can you ship as sealed cooler as luggage?
...checking in a cooler as luggage. Seal it with duct tape and carry the duct tape on you as most likely they will want to open it and you'll need to re-seal it. Also some airlines have restrictions or limitations on dry-ice.
that they will open your cooler at Anchorage International Airport. I make at least 3 round trips a year and EVERY bag, box, cooler, whatever gets opened here. Best way is to freeze them solid ahead of time, and then package so that you can take as carry-on. They may or may not let you leave the dry ice in with them. Rules or no rules, it depends on who you get at check-in. Those clowns are CLUELESS, and it's not a good idea to argue with them.....
Not to spoil the brew here, but when did the FAA allow dry ice on board any airplane?
No compressed gases and CO2 is just that! Check before you try to ship.
in the normal sense, where it could/would violently release its pressure. Condensed is probably more accurate. I have taken dry ice more than once with their full knowledge. Before & after 9-11........
Man Hijacks plane with block of dry ice.
Flight attendants report that the Highjacker took hostages and threatened to put ice in their coffee. The highjacker was quickly subdued buy an elderly women with a battery operated blow dryer. Court proceedings are set to start this week for the elderly women for bringing a blow dryer aboard.
I worked for several years as a guide in alaska, and they make a special box that has a waxy outer coating and is thick for transporting game and fish. Over the years I always brought home lots of frozen salmon, and several Ptarmigan. After 24 hours they were always still frozen. And I dont mean the kind of box that a refrigerator comes in. these boxes come in several sizes. While I always got them from the lodge I worked at, You will see that A LOT of hunters and fisherman leaving the airport with these type of boxes. Ask the airlines, and they should be able to help you.