I am planning an elk hunt this fall without an outfitter. Does anyone have suggestions about shipping elk antlers? I will be flying out to Colorado from North Carolina. The airline does allow antlers to be shipped as excess baggage for a fee. I'm concerned about the antlers being crushed by other luggage. Any suggestions or ideas will be greatly appreciated.
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First off, if you are sending them back to NC, the antler plate must be cleaned of ALL meat. If it is a trophy set of antlers (B&C or P&Y), you'll need to crate them so that the skull plate doesn't have to be split. You'll most likely want to ship with a freight company (Roadway, ESTES, etc.) as UPS, FedEx, and DHL are extremely expensive on oversize items. If the crate is too big, they won't take it at all. Another shipping option is Greyhound/Trailways bus. Check with them for rates and rules.
If the antlers are non-record book antlers, I would have the skull plate split. You can then pack the antlers up and ship with almost any carrier.
you may not be able or allowed by law to bring the antlers into your state UNLESS the skull plate is boiled clean. Check your state laws for this. James's advise is sound.
You should bring a couple of bags of pipe insulation, and a roll of duct tape with you. Cut the insulation to size, and wrap it around all beams and points, then tape it into place. If you do this, the rack will be less likely to break or chip during rough handling. Good luck.
Thanks for all the advice.