Getting guns to Alaska
12-12-2002, 07:44 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Fairbanks, Alaska
Posts: 1,665
RE: Getting guns to Alaska
If you are flying up you check them in as baggage. If you are driving up, you bring them with you if you want, and pay a fee to get them through Canada. I presume you are flying though, so it's as easy as bringing them to the airport with the rest of your bags and checking them in when you leave.
A couple options though is to mail them up or ship them UPS or Fed Ex to your destination if you have somebody on the other end that can hold them for you such as an outfitter or friend.
I ship my bow back and forth quite a bit, and one thing I would suggest is to get a large, double gun case and pack as much other stuff in it as possible. Most airlines such as Alaska Airlines allow you 2 bags to check in, and have a $50 fee for extra bags.
Make sure you ask your airlines about shipping meat, and especially the cost of shipping your antlers. It can be upwards of $400 to ship antlers back home on the airlines, so make sure you have that situated before you leave! You might want to look into the option of leaving your animal at an Alaskan taxidermist and having them do the mount for you, and ship the mount to you in a crate via barge/truck to wherever you live.
If you end up with quite a bit of meat, what you might want to do is mail your bags home and check the meat in as baggage. You'll be limited to 70 or 75 pound bag limits without extra fees, so it will cost you $100 to ship 4 - 70 pound boxes of meat back home as baggage, that's a heck of a lot less than any other method, and you will be able to pick your meat up at the airport when you get home. I think there is a max bag limit that you can check, so make sure you know that before flying up. You WILL get more than 280 pounds of meat off a mature bull moose, you are probably looking at more like 500 pounds boned out if you get a 50" or greater bull. Another option with meat is check in your 4 or 5 boxes of meat, leaving you a 150 or so pounds in Alaska. You could take that to a meat processor in Alaska, and have them make sausage, burger, jerky and whatever else out of the rest, and ship it to you when done.
Shipping antlers and meat is a big issue to look into before you come. It could cost upwards of $1,000 if you aren't prepared. It might only cost $300-$400 if you are. That is based on a moose alone, you'll be looking at more for other critters.
What are you planning on coming up to hunt? Are you going outfitted, drop off?
ArcticBowMan's Hunting Photo's
A couple options though is to mail them up or ship them UPS or Fed Ex to your destination if you have somebody on the other end that can hold them for you such as an outfitter or friend.
I ship my bow back and forth quite a bit, and one thing I would suggest is to get a large, double gun case and pack as much other stuff in it as possible. Most airlines such as Alaska Airlines allow you 2 bags to check in, and have a $50 fee for extra bags.
Make sure you ask your airlines about shipping meat, and especially the cost of shipping your antlers. It can be upwards of $400 to ship antlers back home on the airlines, so make sure you have that situated before you leave! You might want to look into the option of leaving your animal at an Alaskan taxidermist and having them do the mount for you, and ship the mount to you in a crate via barge/truck to wherever you live.
If you end up with quite a bit of meat, what you might want to do is mail your bags home and check the meat in as baggage. You'll be limited to 70 or 75 pound bag limits without extra fees, so it will cost you $100 to ship 4 - 70 pound boxes of meat back home as baggage, that's a heck of a lot less than any other method, and you will be able to pick your meat up at the airport when you get home. I think there is a max bag limit that you can check, so make sure you know that before flying up. You WILL get more than 280 pounds of meat off a mature bull moose, you are probably looking at more like 500 pounds boned out if you get a 50" or greater bull. Another option with meat is check in your 4 or 5 boxes of meat, leaving you a 150 or so pounds in Alaska. You could take that to a meat processor in Alaska, and have them make sausage, burger, jerky and whatever else out of the rest, and ship it to you when done.
Shipping antlers and meat is a big issue to look into before you come. It could cost upwards of $1,000 if you aren't prepared. It might only cost $300-$400 if you are. That is based on a moose alone, you'll be looking at more for other critters.
What are you planning on coming up to hunt? Are you going outfitted, drop off?
ArcticBowMan's Hunting Photo's
12-12-2002, 10:21 PM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: egypt
Posts: 1,994
RE: Getting guns to Alaska
What ABM states is not to far off in costs or what to expect.
As for your weapons however, BE VERY CAREFUL when shipping as they need to be sent via a FFL lisc holder to a FFL lisc holder at the other end! One main reason to carry it on yourself! Bows vs rifle shipping requirements are vastly different! A quick talk to local gun shop can verify this.
Prices vary from carrier to carrier. The last I heard Delta was the only flight that will allow you to take moose antlers excess baggage anymore. Ak Air you have to Air Freight them back which can get costly. One thing you can do is split the skull, tape them together, and ship postal, ups, or fed ex....If you want to play the score game, be prepared to pay the price. As for the mount deal, its also not cheap to ship back an animal in the size crate that would be needed for a shoulder mount Moose or decent caribou! A way around this would be to get the detachable antlers if at all possible!
On the meat, also dont rule out donating it to the village you'll be fly in our out of. If you take care of it, donating half of the meat is not a uncommon thing....and you'll still go home with 250-300lbs of meat on a mature bull.
As for your weapons however, BE VERY CAREFUL when shipping as they need to be sent via a FFL lisc holder to a FFL lisc holder at the other end! One main reason to carry it on yourself! Bows vs rifle shipping requirements are vastly different! A quick talk to local gun shop can verify this.
Prices vary from carrier to carrier. The last I heard Delta was the only flight that will allow you to take moose antlers excess baggage anymore. Ak Air you have to Air Freight them back which can get costly. One thing you can do is split the skull, tape them together, and ship postal, ups, or fed ex....If you want to play the score game, be prepared to pay the price. As for the mount deal, its also not cheap to ship back an animal in the size crate that would be needed for a shoulder mount Moose or decent caribou! A way around this would be to get the detachable antlers if at all possible!
On the meat, also dont rule out donating it to the village you'll be fly in our out of. If you take care of it, donating half of the meat is not a uncommon thing....and you'll still go home with 250-300lbs of meat on a mature bull.
12-13-2002, 02:40 PM
#4
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rancho Murieta CA USA
Posts: 160
RE: Getting guns to Alaska
ddavis;
ABM had some good advice in double gun case. I fly with my shooter every year and I always use a big double case and fill it full of gear. I can usually get most of my hunting gear ( binocs,knives,etc) in there as well as some of my clothes. The clothes help to give your gun a little extra padding. Only problem I've found is that you cannot have any ammo in your luggage. I shoot premium factory loads so I've never had trouble stocking up at the destination. If you shoot handloads, you may have to make some arrangements for getting your ammo there. As far as checking the gun in, it's a piece of cake. They'll give you a tag to sign declaring that there is no ammo in the case and off it goes.
ABM had some good advice in double gun case. I fly with my shooter every year and I always use a big double case and fill it full of gear. I can usually get most of my hunting gear ( binocs,knives,etc) in there as well as some of my clothes. The clothes help to give your gun a little extra padding. Only problem I've found is that you cannot have any ammo in your luggage. I shoot premium factory loads so I've never had trouble stocking up at the destination. If you shoot handloads, you may have to make some arrangements for getting your ammo there. As far as checking the gun in, it's a piece of cake. They'll give you a tag to sign declaring that there is no ammo in the case and off it goes.
12-14-2002, 11:52 PM
#5
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: WA, USA
Posts: 143
RE: Getting guns to Alaska
Ddavid,
If you are driving you need to do one extra step. BEFORE you leave the US, You MUST stop at US Customs and fill out a Customs form 4455. This is a registration form and will prove that you had these firearms when you left the country. Your best bet (if driving) is to call US Customs (360-332-8661) and find out all the little details. Your valuable guns can and will be seized if you do not do this properly.
Whoever said there is no such thing as a stupid question has never worked in Law Enforcement.
If you are driving you need to do one extra step. BEFORE you leave the US, You MUST stop at US Customs and fill out a Customs form 4455. This is a registration form and will prove that you had these firearms when you left the country. Your best bet (if driving) is to call US Customs (360-332-8661) and find out all the little details. Your valuable guns can and will be seized if you do not do this properly.
Whoever said there is no such thing as a stupid question has never worked in Law Enforcement.
