Box for 'Bou Antlers

[MBURNS2244]

Going to have a couple days in Anchorage/Wasilla before I head North in search of some Caribou. I wanted to either construct or buy a box for the split antlers I hope to ship back to the Lower 48 as checked baggage. Any advice on purchasing vs. building a box? If purchasing, any known locations where I could pick up a box?

Thanks in advance!

[Bullelkklr]

Split the horns and put them in a bicycle box. Put other stuff in the bicycle box with it for padding (clothes etc). If the points are sharp, you need to pad and duct tape them so they don't poke through the box.

[bkmail]

covering tips

Cut up a garden hose and install the pieces on the tips, tape in place.
BK

[Steveo]

I totally agree with Bullelkklr a bike box works great. Split the antlers and shipped them USPS cost $113 the last time I did it.

Steveo

[JuliW]

Will these be velvet? If they will be in velvet you will want to take them with you or have them preserved up here and shipped to you via USPS, (unless they are REALLY big , then you will have to have them crated/freighted to keep them intact for measuring, if you want to enter them into any record book)

the rubber hose trick is a great way to protect the tips...but if in velvet you will be better off trying to freeze them, wrap them in quilt batting or fabric..I would try to stay away from wrapping unpreserved velvet antlers in bubblewrap or anything plastic.

Good luck on your hunt!

[Gary]

Pick up a LARGE box at one of the furniture retailers. Recliner chairs are typically shipped in a box that is somewhere between 3'-4' on a side.
Warning - such a box will be expensive to ship.

[MBURNS2244]

JuliW,

The antlers should be shed of velvet by the time I am up there. (Will be hunting 29 August-Sept 5) If, and its a big if, we are fortunate enough to harvest an animal that requires scoring, I have a buddy who lives in Wasilla. I will leave the horns with him during the 60 day drying period and then have them split and shipped after.

I have heard of the bicycle box method and using a garden hose to protect the tips. I believe I will use this method. Tips on where to acquire a bicycle box or two in Anchorage or Wasilla?

The last time I was up we found a large cardboard box and used some ingenuity to manipulate it so it would work. I was hoping to find a box that was better suited this time.

[delong1301]

We went to U-Haul and bought a large box from them. We were able to fit, with a little bit of jostling, four sets of split antlers. One of our guys is Platinum on Delta and they didn't charge us for them on the flight home. They arrived in good shape with no problems.

[Steveo]

Just go to your local bike shop, they throw away the boxes anyway. Just break it down and flatten it out. Place in the bottom of your duffle bag your bringing along and take some boxing tape to put it all back together later. Works great