What's your cutoff point to drive or fly to a hunt? I'm going to Manitoba in the spring for a Black Bear hunt and on the fence to fly or drive. Google maps show 23 hours to drive. The guide has heated wall tents with cots, does not provide meals but has everything for meal prep. Flying would make an easier trip of course but would only be able to take minimal amount of stuff. Then have to figure out how to get hides, meat and anything else back home. If driving take coolers and everything we need and then bring it all back with us. What have you done or what would you do?
Drive or Fly to a hunt
- Thread starter kriggs
- Start date
CalebConn16
8 pointer
- May 27, 2016
- 692
Guy I know flys out west a lot to hunt if it’s just him or him and another person. Drives if it’s more and they can split up the driving. Flying is obviously way quicker and not as complicated on the trip out as long as you plan ahead almost every airline has sections about meat and hides and such to give ideas. Haven’t been out myself, but if this was a once in a lifetime I would drive personally. That way I know everything is making it there and back and I won’t be missing anything. If I have a plan of attack and this wasn’t my first or last rodeo I’d fly. Buddy is still trying to get his pack and stuff back from airline. He ended up in Kentucky and it’s in Chicago.
theprofessor
8 pointer
1. Depends a great deal on where gas prices and ticket prices will be, here and in Canada, in the spring.
2. If I was going with anybody else, I would drive, for sure:
a. Road Trip.
b. Same tank of gas costs the same to drive 2 guys, but every plane ticket is another $600.
c. The trip there is half the fun, especially if it's with friends or family.
3. Black bear could go 200 or 300 lbs of meat, easy, and I'm always in it for the meat. I'd want to drive it home, for sure. I also don't want to worry about how much gear I can or can't bring.
All that said, I really don't even like to leave my county to hunt, so this is all conjecture.
All this also leaves aside the question of taking a weapon on an international flight, which is possible, but also a potential headache.
2. If I was going with anybody else, I would drive, for sure:
a. Road Trip.
b. Same tank of gas costs the same to drive 2 guys, but every plane ticket is another $600.
c. The trip there is half the fun, especially if it's with friends or family.
3. Black bear could go 200 or 300 lbs of meat, easy, and I'm always in it for the meat. I'd want to drive it home, for sure. I also don't want to worry about how much gear I can or can't bring.
All that said, I really don't even like to leave my county to hunt, so this is all conjecture.
All this also leaves aside the question of taking a weapon on an international flight, which is possible, but also a potential headache.
1wildcatfan
12 pointer
How much time do you have dictates it for me. Before retirement, i flew. No way to spend two days driving one way, then 6 day hunt, for one week of vacation. Now i drive cross country and take my time. Leaving next week for 3 1/2 week trip. Probably be close to 5,000 mile trip.
keeruss8
8 pointer
I'd drive it if you have the time. We always drive for deer or bear hunts, that's half the fun to me. I've flown once for a hunt but that was to Alaska. I can't remember with my stuff and 2 extra coolers full of meat and hide what it cost to get back but it was pricey. I enjoy driving and seeing different parts of the country
Little FR
12 pointer
I have driven to Eastern KY to hunt with friends, 7hrs or so. I hate traveling with a passion that burns like the sun.
If I could afford it or I was tagging along, I guess I’d try anything twice, second times to make darn sure I didn’t like it the first.
If I could afford it or I was tagging along, I guess I’d try anything twice, second times to make darn sure I didn’t like it the first.
I go to Manitoba (West Central) for Waterfowl most every year. I drive to Rogers, MN first day, get a room there. Next day finish the drive. I can bring back my possession limits of birds without any worry. If you fly, your limited on luggage and now you are paying for every bag from what my buddy was told. I'm fortunate as I keep a rig with my buddy up there. But I still have the dog, my gear, buddies gear, coolers etc. To fly you have to rent a vehicle, pay extra baggage for the dog and gear, etc etc. And coming back your gonna have meat, hide, your gonna get hammered on baggage fees. Your gonna have to buy a cooler or 2. If you can afford the time, I'd drive.
I ve hunted ducks, turkeys, upland birds all over US and Canada for decades. Back in the day For far west or northern canada it was cheap to fly gear and dogs and yourself about anywhere . today is is priced out of all reason for flying dogs especially. One dog on most airlines is $500-+ per crate EACH way now because you have to ship them freight . I kept used truck in the west with a friend there, and he left it at airport for me to pick up to hunt and fish from. That was great set up. Used it for 20 year-end friend used it sparingly to keep it running when I wasn' t using it. Sold the truck for more than I paid for it after 20 years.
In the 70s I flew two dozen magnum goose decoys, two dozen duck decoys, a hundred pound lab, two 50 pound gear bags, and a small outboard motor to northern canada for one extra baggage fee of $25 plus my plane ticket on Northwest Ailineas. Did that trip many years .
But IMO If you are just taking yourself and limited gear and going more than 2000 miles then a plane tickets is the way to go due to high cost of gasoline and wear on your body in driving such a distance by yourself.
In the 70s I flew two dozen magnum goose decoys, two dozen duck decoys, a hundred pound lab, two 50 pound gear bags, and a small outboard motor to northern canada for one extra baggage fee of $25 plus my plane ticket on Northwest Ailineas. Did that trip many years .
But IMO If you are just taking yourself and limited gear and going more than 2000 miles then a plane tickets is the way to go due to high cost of gasoline and wear on your body in driving such a distance by yourself.
Sounds close to where we're going. Western Manitoba, Swan River, close to duck mountain area. Three of us going, I'm leaning towards driving, the other two not so much. I'll have plenty of vacation time and like the flexibility to take and bring back what we want.
grouseguy
12 pointer
With 3 of you … no brainer … I’d drive every time. Makes things so much easier over the whole trip.
Capttrae
12 pointer
- Apr 2, 2012
- 4,609
If you’ve got the time to drive, I’d drive it and enjoy seeing the country. If you have a time crunch fly out
DH13
12 pointer
We always drive when we go to Canada to duck hunt. 4 of us and we take turns. We leave Frankfort around 6 in the morning. Get to Fargo. N.D. around midnight. Stay there. Second day start out again around 6. Once across border another 12 hour drive to our hunting place. 10 days of hunting we head home. But break it down for a 3 day drive back. Driving is the way to go if you got 3 or more going.
