Gun and Luggage Options - the traveling hunter

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Jstocks
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Gun and Luggage Options - the traveling hunter

Post by Jstocks »

For those who fly to hunting destinations with a turkey gun, what’s the best way to save on checked bags? Last year, I wore my vest on the plane, wore my lacrosse rubber boots and camo, and brought a decoy bag as my carryon. For my gun and the rest of my stuff, I bought a double sided gun case. I removed the foam from the one side and packed what I could in there. It worked, but I was pressed for room.

This year, I’m contemplating buying a hard shell golf club luggage case with a lock.

Any thoughts?
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Hoobilly
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Re: Gun and Luggage Options - the traveling hunter

Post by Hoobilly »

I haven't had to fly with hunting stuff and a gun yet so..

I imagine the golf club case is pretty roomy?
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Jstocks
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Re: Gun and Luggage Options - the traveling hunter

Post by Jstocks »

Not sure how roomy the golf case is. I’m going to look into it though.
jsh909
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Re: Gun and Luggage Options - the traveling hunter

Post by jsh909 »

I guess it depends on where you are staying. We have shipped our guns to where we would be staying, that has worked great for us. Saves a lot of hassle and space. That said if you are going to a hotel or camping etc.. obviously it won't work
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935
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Re: Gun and Luggage Options - the traveling hunter

Post by 935 »

The only suggestion I have is to use a shorter case and take your shotgun apart. No oversize baggage fee and seeing the gun in 2 pieces seems to ease the minds of TSA agents. Mine is similar to this one: https://www.planomolding.com/hunting/gu ... otgun-case
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Jstocks
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Re: Gun and Luggage Options - the traveling hunter

Post by Jstocks »

935 wrote: February 21st, 2020, 5:59 am The only suggestion I have is to use a shorter case and take your shotgun apart. No oversize baggage fee and seeing the gun in 2 pieces seems to ease the minds of TSA agents. Mine is similar to this one: https://www.planomolding.com/hunting/gu ... otgun-case
935,

Is there room to pack clothes in that one too?
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935
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Re: Gun and Luggage Options - the traveling hunter

Post by 935 »

Jstocks wrote: February 21st, 2020, 8:49 am
935 wrote: February 21st, 2020, 5:59 am The only suggestion I have is to use a shorter case and take your shotgun apart. No oversize baggage fee and seeing the gun in 2 pieces seems to ease the minds of TSA agents. Mine is similar to this one: https://www.planomolding.com/hunting/gu ... otgun-case
935,

Is there room to pack clothes in that one too?
I never thought about removing the foam to make room for clothes, but I'd say yes. 1 drawback might be, depending on your hunting style a soft guncase might come in handy so you don't have to take the gun apart and put it back together before and after every hunt. The last time I went to SD I saved some money by getting a Delta Sky Miles credit card. Free checked bags was 1 of the benefits.
Thank you Lord for creating these wonderful birds and allowing us to chase after them.
misfire
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Re: Gun and Luggage Options - the traveling hunter

Post by misfire »

I only fly Southwest, they have two free checked bags and a carry on policy. One of my checked bags is a gun case, the other has my vest and hunting clothes for that time frame. My carry on is one of those soft sided coolers, I keep my electronics in that and on return trip I put the fans, spurs, beards and meat in it as well.
Burney Mac
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Re: Gun and Luggage Options - the traveling hunter

Post by Burney Mac »

I'm going to assume this is a DIY hunt and you're alone. These are my suggestions and what I've found to work for me. It's a little more than what you asked for but maybe it will help,

Southwest is good, Delta, American and others are gonna nickle and dime you, Remember to keep your checked bag under 50 lbs, otherwise you're gonna lose another $100 bucks

i carry a double gun case without breaking the guns down, i always take two guns. Inside of the case are both guns fully assembled, action open and my shells are in an approved shot shell ( any shot shell manufacturers original box is acceptable ) box that is locked inside of my gun case as well. I don't use TSA locks, i use my own personal lock and I'm the only one with the key. Since i don't use TSA locks i always allow an additional 20-30 minutes for my guns to be checked before moving forward to my pre-flight check in. If there is a problem, issue or they need to get into your gun case you will need to be present to unlock the case for the agents, unless you have TSA locks. The reason i use my own locks is i don't want some idiot opening my gun case without me being there. If they were to mistakenly not place my ammo back in my gun case i would be dead in the water, I can't just go to wal mart and by my shells. I always carry two guns. You don't want to be in the middle of God's country and have a malfunction, It's happened to me twice now and without a back up I would have been screwed.

A lot of guys remove the foam and replace it with clothing, soft items and / or a sleeping bag. Aside from by gun case i carry one large bag that will be my checked bag. Inside of that is m ysleeping bag, vest and whatever clothing articles i think I will need. There is no need to take 4 pairs of pants or shirts. Two sets will be plenty, and most likely you can wear the same thing every day. If you get wet it's nice to have a dry set but there is no need for anymore IMO. I'll usually pack an extra pair of boots in my checked bag as well and wear the other pair, If I'm hunting a place that has a boot dryer one pair will suffice. I don't skrmp on underwear or socks., I enjoy a fresh pair everyday if i can........maybe stretch it to two days, Underwear, get you some moisture wicking drawers of your choice, Socks....i usually use smart wool of some variation, Aside from that you can use gold bond, deodorant and baby wipes if a shower is not readily available, Believe me, Every serious turkey hunter needs baby wipes, They will literally save your butt if you aren't being pimped up in a nice lodge or hotel.

One thing some people may not realize is a woman is allowed to carry her pocket book and a "carry on" bag onto the plane, Well my "pocket book" is my call bag. Inside of it i have all of my calls, binos, hats, phones, chargers and anything else that is of value that i don't want to get crushed. MY "Carry on" is a 20 qt yeti soft sided cooler. This will hopefully be packed to the gills on my return flight, but on departure it's empty. I think it'll hold 10-12 breasts unfrozen with ice pretty good if memory serves me correctly, I peel the foam back in my gun case and place my fans, beards and spurs there for the return flight. Next is your rental, Depending on how big of a fella you are and how long your trip is, i would suggest at a minimum something along the lines of a chevy tahoe or suburban. This will serve as your mobile campsite. Im sure there are other options available that will be fine, i"m just familiar with these two. Always get 4 wd.

Next stop is wal mart. While you''re there, grab a cheap air mattress and a cheap hard sided cooler. I say cheap because at the end you either throw it away or give it away to someone that may could used it. Unless you have a reason to pay the extra fees to bring that cooler home, Keep your food and whatever drinks you like in here for your trip, On long trips i generally just live off of granola bars, cliff bars, and a sammich of some shape or form, If you're going hard all day it really won't matter what you're eating at 9:30 at night, All you're going to want is food and to go to sleep, Hopefully you're finding turkeys and every minute of sleep counts. No sense in wasting time and money driving back and forth to town when you can sleep within ear shot of a bird. At the end of your trip, throw or give the hard sided cooler and air mattress away.

That's basically how i live out of a vehicle traveling around.

Anyway, Hope this helps some.
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