Dollar Trifecta

This past year I went to Illinois on a bow hunt. We drove from NY. Next year I was wondering about flying. I haven't flown in about 10 years so I'm not up to snuff when it comes to baggage and guns and what not. Id be bringing clothing and gear (bow and muzzle loader...tree stand prolly outta the question) I was wondering what kind of hoops you have to jump through to fly with the weapons and how much it would cost me...assuming the airline ticket is approx $300....last year we rented a small u haul for gear, tree stands, food etc... and drove from NY. Just curious as to how much more it would cost flying, and what some of you have encounterd while flying.

Bob H in NH

If you stay within the luggage limits, flying with equipment is easy. However, if you bring any meat back you will be going over baggage limits and the fees for this add up quick. You can bring a treestand, I've seen them come down the luggage ramp, but that's your 1 bag, you also need the gun/bowcase and it needs to be TSA inspected.

Dollar Trifecta

so you get one bag, and anything else is xtra?

Bob H in NH

It really depends on the airline, but I believe most/standard is now 1 checked bag and one carry one. You can't put anything "dangerous" in the carry on, knifes, BH, I wouldn't even put a release for archery in there.

When you go above the 1 and 1, or over the weight limit, which I think is 50lbs, then you pay extra.

Just for reference, my wife and I went on a 7 day elk hunt. We checked the bow case and each had a carry on stuff with clothes. The bow case was packed with two bows, arrows, broadheads, rleeases and used clothes for padding. We were just under the 50 lbs on the case.

RenaissanceBiker

You could ship the stand to your destination using UPS. You could probably ship the gun and bow as well, just pack them carefully. You have to let UPS or the airline know if you are shipping or packing ammunition. I knew a guy in Alabama that rode a V-Rod motorcycle. He told me about a weekend he spent riding in the Colorado mountains. I asked him how long it took him to ride to Colorado. He said he shipped his bike there and flew to meet it. Then he shipped it back and flew home. Some people have more dollars than sense.

halfrack VIII

bringing guns through the airport sucks, and i don't think you can bring powder on the plane, i could be wrong though