Flying with frozen meat?

[Texastaxi]

I'm leaving for an aoudad hunt, Thursday afternoon. The private ranch that I'm hunting is the same ranch that 7 aoudad were dropped off by TPWD in the late 50s, yet they have never eaten any. I'd like to take some meat, from the one I killed three weeks ago, and cook it for them.

Problem is, I'm flying there. I don't want to put the frozen meat, in my checked bag, in case it thaws out and leaks. Will they let me carry this on, in a soft sided cooler? It's about a gallon Ziploc sized bag.

[Bisch]

I don't know the answer for sure, but I would bet not!

Bisch

[The Stallion]

Best bet i would think would be fedex it with dry ice and it being frozen to the ranch rather then flying with it

[Mike Murphey]

I have taken fish on a carry on with ice and had no problem.....place the meat in double zip locks and place the ice in double zip locks....

[Bisch]

Kevin, call the airline you are flying on and ask them. It would suck to watch them toss it in a trash can as you walk away from the security area!

Bisch

[bcdawg1]

Double or even triple bag it for extra leak protection and put it in the middle of ur checked bag, 6" plus of clothing all around it will insulate it better than ur soft sided cooler, unless u have a YETI of course. I bring pheasant back from New York every year this way and have never had it thaw more than just the surface in 8 hrs of travel time. Only potential problem would be if ur luggage gets lost but the extra layers of bags should keep any thawed blood secure.

[PYBUCK]

I have some hunters from South Carolina that freeze their deer meat every year and put it in small ice chests, gorilla tape them shut and check them when they fly home.

[locknload]

Pack a cooler and duck tape. Check it in like baggage. Do not add any ice, not acceptable. Freeze your meat prior and should be no issue.

[Dale Moser]

I brought frozen fillets home from the coast on Southwest. I carried it on in a small cooler with dry ice. The gate attendant told me to reach down during ascent and open the lid just a little so the pressure change wouldn't make it pop. I thought some folks were gonna mob me when I some dry ice steam came out that lid.

[ItsLeo]

Vacuum Packed frozen solid with no ice is acceptable in a carry on soft sided cooler.

[In-Yo-Grill]

We brought our Pheasant meat home once frozen. I just wrapped it in a towel and put it in my back pack. Never came close to thawing out. They questioned my buddy but let me slide right on by.

[Texastaxi]

Digging through the United website, it looks like ItsLeo is right.
They'll let you carry on frozen meat ... WITH dry ice, like Dale mentioned, if needed.

[Tony Pic]

I have brought many a Axis/hog on a commercial plane, coming and going from San Antonio. Was limited to 100 lbs and gave some meat to the baggage handlers to make my cooler 100lbs. Think it was a additional $65 to the $35 for the baggae. It was frozen solid and packed with dry ice. The baggage compartment will keep it cold. What you don't want is delays or baggage going someplace else. You have no idea where your meat is being kept.
Good Luck.

[helibow]

You have more risk of your meat thawing in carry on than you do in checked baggage in my opinion.... the flip side of the coin is that some jackleg isnt gonna dig through your baggage in main cabin and pilfer your game meat. I've done it both ways and not had any issues, but I didnt take dry ice. Small cooler, triple bagged with some frozen gel packs and then added ice if needed from where ever my layover was.

[Randy]

I have brought meat home in my carry one several times flying. Just freeze it and let them know what you have in your bag when they go to scan it. I've also bought a cheap suitcase and put a whole frozen deer in it and traveled home.