Opinions on Driving Vs Flying costs

Fink · Feb 13, 2015

How much time off would you be able to dedicate to the whole hunt, travel and all? If you had a full week, plus the weekends, I think you'd be doing good to start your hunt on a Monday, and would probably have to end it after your Friday morning hunt. That doesn't leave much time for actual hunting.
For me, it would be less about the actual money costs, and more about maximizing time, especially if time was limited.

go_deep · Feb 13, 2015

Only long haul experience I have was island park Idaho to the up of Michigan by myself non stop by the time I got to each end of my trip I needed another day to recover, wish I would have flown. I'd say traveling by air and renting if not outside of you're budget would be ideal. Have friends that fish Alaska and ship meat back all the time on dry ice. May want to call a few taxidermistand meat lockers in the area guessing they have Hunters come through every year doing what you want to and could tell you exactly how they go about it.

25contender · Feb 13, 2015

I can tell you from Experience that driving Is the way to go if you have the time. Driving gives you many more options and is logistically easier. I have done both from the east coast to Montana since 1988.
Now days your luggage will be more of a hassle than in the past as they charge you for everything. When I fly I always opt to ship all my gear via UPS to a friend or a UPS facility for pickup when I arrived. It is expensive but at least I knew it would get there ahead of time and I didn't have to worry about it making it there on the plane as I always had 3 stopovers to get to my destination. I can tell you it is expensive to ship meat back too. If you are elk hunting you will have a lot of meat to ship back. Another problem with flying is that you will have to allow a few days for processing the meat and freezing the meat for shipping or bringing it back on the plane with you. When I send my gear to Montana I pack everything in coolers and when I kill something I used those coolers to bring the meat back on the plane. I just box my gear and send it back UPS. If your processor freezes the meat in the coolers it will be fine for the flight home if you pick it up at the last minute before your fight out. Also remember weight of each bag is limited and you will be charged accordingly for overweight baggage. I think the limit now is 50lbs per bag on most airlines and my 2 coolers are always over 75lbs. Your horns will need special attention to put them on the plane. All the tips have to be covered and taped to keep from puncturing other luggage in the hold. They also charge for the horns as they are like luggage.All this takes time and to be honest I always loose more days flying and having things prepped for flight and shipping than I do driving.
Something else to remember is that finding a Four Wheel drive vehicle and renting one can be expensive and somewhat hard to find if you don't book one months in advance. I would reserve my truck at the ford dealer as soon as I drew my tag. Why so soon you might ask? August and Sept is right smack in the middle of fire season and the state and contract firefighters will lease every available 4x4 truck in the state if it is a busy fire season. The cost will run anywhere from $600-$1000 per week for the rental. Also remember you will have to pickup and return the vehicle and this takes time.

Personally I prefer to drive. in reality It takes no longer to drive than fly and prep things and process the kill before you leave. It is also cheaper than flying by the time you figure in Flight, Truck rental, gas while you are there, meat prep cost of shipping or extra luggage fees.
Driving my diesel truck last year from NC to and from Cost me at $982 for fuel and $200 for hotels while traveling. I made the trip there in 48hrs and 48hrs back. Another great thing about driving is the flexibility you will have. I always take between 2 and 3 weeks for my trip but if I shoot one early I can leave early like last year. If I need a few more days I can do that without having to worry about changing a flight. Getting your meat and horns back is so much easier when you drive. You just put the meat in your coolers and go. You can process it or have it processed when you get home.

So all I do is drive now days it gives me more flexibility on my trips.

Hilltop · Feb 13, 2015

Appreciate your perspective Mark. Few of us have taken more than one or two long trips like this so it is nice to hear from someone with many trips experience. I am looking at an Alberta Moose hunt. Our plan is to rent a pickup for the trip so we don't put all the miles on our own vehicle. It still looks to be considerably cheaper to drive.

25contender · Feb 13, 2015

Yes I love flying but in reality I don't think you really gain much time advantage in the long run. Driving is tougher but it really depends on how you manage your time while making the trip.

Hilltop said:
Appreciate your perspective Mark. Few of us have taken more than one or two long trips like this so it is nice to hear from someone with many trips experience. I am looking at an Alberta Moose hunt. Our plan is to rent a pickup for the trip so we don't put all the miles on our own vehicle. It still looks to be considerably cheaper to drive.

Hilltop · Feb 13, 2015

25contender said:
Yes I love flying but in reality I don't think you really gain much time advantage in the long run. Driving is tougher but it really depends on how you manage your time while making the trip.

Plus road trips with your buddies can be almost as fun as the hunt!

Tim McCoy · Feb 13, 2015

I nearly always drive. Longest so far was western Oregon to southern NM to hunt the White Sands missile range with my son. Two long days of driving each way, but fun. I'll often take 2-3 trips OR to eastern MT/WY/SD a season, 14 - 20+ hours. I like the flexibility if I tag out early, will often scout a different spot at some point, and like control of my schedule, meat, hide, horns. A bonus is all the gear I can bring, always too much. I'll often pack a freezer for a long trip or drop meat off for processing while I play somewhere for a few days scouting, go back get the processed frozen meat, put it in coolers and head home. I've had issues shipping meat and the costs can be high. Lower gas prices now make it a no brainer for me. If I was pressed for time or had a longer drive,
I may fly more often.

Doe Nob · Feb 13, 2015

I've driven Houston to SD, CO, NE and NM every year for the last several. If I go solo I stop in hotels on the way and get at least 7 hours sleep. Drive times have been anythere from 15 hours to 27 hours. If we have two people we rotate drivers and try and straight shot it.

I can never sleep in the car though, usually I am drinking coffee or red bull and not eating while I drive, then get out from behind the wheel and can't go to sleep. I think next time we will take a bottle of whiskey just to help knock out whoever isn't driving!

Eating what I kill is a big part of hunting for me, and I always want to bring back as much as I can and I drive whenever I can. Its a big impediment to me going moose hunting, driving 36ish hours to Canada and back sounds rough.

There is always the option to donate the meat locally, drop the head/horns off at a local taxi you have vetted and fly in and out. I have done this once with archery mule deer. Took back one cooler of 50 lbs of boned and finely trimmed frozen meat, left the skull for a euro mount at the taxi. There was not but 20-30 lbs of meat left to donate anyway, mostly neck meat and front shoulders. Boned and trimmed you should be able to get the backstraps, loins and much of the hams back.

That said I still want to bring a lot more gear than one 50 lb bag and my rifle or bow case. Driving you can take everything you want and be prepared for contingencies or leave early as mentioned. We will draw antelope tags in WY this fall, probably get a deer tag to go wtih it. We are taking archery gear and rifle gear and backpacking gear in case we want to spike out for a day or two. There is no way we could bring all this stuff and fly!

If it was a fully guided or outfitted hunt and they would help me expedite gear and meat, I'd think about it and ship gear there and back. Sometimes you just don't have an option - AK, fly in caribou etc etc.

Audio books help chew up the miles.

Doe Nob · Feb 13, 2015

Oh, and you get to drive around looking like Jed Clampet and have fun experiences like changing a tire at 4 am on the side of the road outside El Paso.

25contender · Feb 13, 2015

Nice!! I know the feeling. I now drive a Excursion which is nice. Its amazing what you can pack it that beast!!

Doe Nob said:
Oh, and you get to drive around looking like Jed Clampet and have fun experiences like changing a tire at 4 am on the side of the road outside El Paso.

CrimsonArrow · Feb 13, 2015

Another vote for driving here. That way you are in control of your gear the whole way, and bringing meat home is much easier. You also need to figure about a day for travel on each end even when flying, so in reality driving only adds 2 days.

smartweed · Feb 13, 2015

Driving out from Ohio to hunt ND is always a good trip, with lots of good fun and sights to see along the way, especially if you have a buddy or two along. However, solo I would really have to think about it. I can't imagine you could make the time you'd need to driving that much. You can always ship your gear to somebody out there early, to assure it gets there, then fly in.

Farmer · Feb 13, 2015

For you hunters looking at flying and worried about needing equipment once you arrive a really great way to have your equipment waiting is to send it via US Postal Service very cheaply when sent "clothing" rate. More than once doing flying/renting vehicle solo hunts I send my stuff to a Post Office near my destination. I send it to myself c/o General Delivery at the Post Office. They will hold the item for two weeks automatically or slightly longer if you clearly note your arrival date on the outside of your parcels. I use a stiff posterboard to write the address on and on the reverse I write my home address so when I return home I just flip the posterboard over, duct tape it and mail it home! Used the same posterboard for years til I gave up flying because of the hassle.

And as for flying versus driving I"ll drive every time, without a seconds hesitation. I drive from central Mass to western Colorado every September usually solo. Takes me two days (35 hours drive time). I sleep at rest areas exclusively whenever I need a rest, sometimes for only a few minutes or even overnight though I much prefer to drive at night. I bring virtually everything I need for any eventuality in the short bed Chevy only loaded to the top of the bed rails. Just need food, ice and enough Becks for the hunt once I reach Co. And I'm about to turn 70 so don't even tell me you can't do it. Good luck.

Mr Drysdale · Feb 13, 2015

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Doe Nob said:
I've driven Houston to SD, CO, NE and NM every year for the last several. If I go solo I stop in hotels on the way and get at least 7 hours sleep. Drive times have been anythere from 15 hours to 27 hours. If we have two people we rotate drivers and try and straight shot it.

I can never sleep in the car though, usually I am drinking coffee or red bull and not eating while I drive, then get out from behind the wheel and can't go to sleep. I think next time we will take a bottle of whiskey just to help knock out whoever isn't driving!

Eating what I kill is a big part of hunting for me, and I always want to bring back as much as I can and I drive whenever I can. Its a big impediment to me going moose hunting, driving 36ish hours to Canada and back sounds rough.

There is always the option to donate the meat locally, drop the head/horns off at a local taxi you have vetted and fly in and out. I have done this once with archery mule deer. Took back one cooler of 50 lbs of boned and finely trimmed frozen meat, left the skull for a euro mount at the taxi. There was not but 20-30 lbs of meat left to donate anyway, mostly neck meat and front shoulders. Boned and trimmed you should be able to get the backstraps, loins and much of the hams back.

That said I still want to bring a lot more gear than one 50 lb bag and my rifle or bow case. Driving you can take everything you want and be prepared for contingencies or leave early as mentioned. We will draw antelope tags in WY this fall, probably get a deer tag to go wtih it. We are taking archery gear and rifle gear and backpacking gear in case we want to spike out for a day or two. There is no way we could bring all this stuff and fly!

If it was a fully guided or outfitted hunt and they would help me expedite gear and meat, I'd think about it and ship gear there and back. Sometimes you just don't have an option - AK, fly in caribou etc etc.

Audio books help chew up the miles.

I could never sleep in a moving vehicle until I started using ear plugs. Now when I've served my time behind the wheel I put the plugs in and go right to sleep. I don't know why it makes a difference, but it does for me. Mississippi to Montana.

Team Kabob · Feb 13, 2015

I see both sides. Will post a story later.

-)---> ¥
Got him!

hoshour · Feb 13, 2015

Like 25Contender, I live in NC and hunt out West, but I prefer to fly out.

I always fly out to see western clients, write off the flight and part of the motel and vehicle and save two whole days of driving, plus I don't have the terrible boredom of super-long drives. I can't sleep in cars or planes, so for me to trade off drivers is to go without sleep for 24-48 hours, a horrible way to start a hunting vacation.

I always fly SW Airlines so I can check two bags free - my gun, backpack and clothes, plus a carryon. If I have to check a third bag because I'm camping out, that's OK.

The main isue is the vehicle when I get there. If I'm hunting Colorado my cousin lets me borrow their 4WD truck. If I meet up with people I ride with them. If I hunt alone in another state, which is the most typical, I rent the best vehicle I can, sometimes AWD, sometimes 4WD and then hike off the road to hunt.

As for meat, I bowhunt here in NC where there is a 6-deer limit. I don't need the meat from a western hunt so I take advantage of hunter donation programs and donate the meat locally.

gonhunting247 · Feb 13, 2015

I would definitely go with driving, if possible. The only time I fly is to AK, but I meet up with relatives there. I've drove from OR to UT, ID, NV, CO, MT, AZ and WY multiple times. (Solo and with friends) and I would much rather have the flexibility of having all your gear options and a rig your use to when the roads get crappy. I also take a small freezer and generator on early season hunts the last few years and this is a great way to protect against meat spoilage, especially if your on a combo hunt or you have a partner and one person tags out real early. We eat multiple deer, elk, bear and misc. other critters each year and I love game meat, so leaving any meat behind would be a last resort for sure. (The meat's the #1 reason I'm there.) In AK we ship all our meat back as luggage in coolers, but we have the luxury of cutting, wrapping and freezing the meat at my relatives before we ship it back.
Another great part of driving, is the places you see and the folks you meet along the way there. Time prepping for the plane and making sure you have everything returned and worrying about getting to the airport on time, seems like kind of a wash for time unless your driving more than 2-3 days each way or you just have super limited time off work. Just my .02 cents!
Have fun and good luck with what ever you decide!

Musket Man · Feb 14, 2015

Normally I would say driving is the best option but in your case of having to drive a 2wd 4Runner I would say fly so you can rent a 4x4! lol

Opinions on Driving Vs Flying costs

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