I am heading to Kansas this spring to do some turkey hunt. I will be flying, so I am trying to figure out the best way to ship the turkey fan(s) back to where I live (that is if I kill one). Does anyone have any experience with this or suggestions on good packing techniques to get the fan back to my home town in good shape?
close the fan, salt or borax the base, wrap in newspaper, package it, then take it to the post office and mail it home. Or you could just do like most folks and do all of the things I mentioned then take it with your clothing and other hunting gear.
Here's a previous post from about a month ago http://oldgobbler.com/Forum/index.php/topic,79654.msg773313.html#msg773313
I put it in my carry on luggage . Never had a problem
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Prepare as you would any standard fan (cut of excess tissue, salt it, spread it out), and wear it on your head as a Native American Head-dress... If anyone questions you, simply ask "are you questioning my culture and belief system?" They will back off immediately.
Quote from: Marc on March 26, 2018, 03:03:24 PM
Prepare as you would any standard fan (cut of excess tissue, salt it, spread it out), and wear it on your head as a Native American Head-dress... If anyone questions you, simply ask "are you questioning my culture and belief system?" They will back off immediately.
LOL! :turkey2:
I would salt it and pin it and send it in a flat box to myself. But I have never tried to flatten one back out after drying a bit. I have always done them fresh.
If you are just shipping it home you can either spread it out, pin it and sandwich on cardboard or leave the fan tail feathers bunched up and agian sandwich between cardboard. I have done this for several turkeys with no issues. The cardboard prevents the feathers from getting damaged. Then salt or borax at home.
I have also froze, sandwiched the tail and transported turkeys by air in a plastic bin from walmart. Duck tape the bin closed and insulate with newspaper. Also include tag with name, phone number and address. Airlines have no issues with this mode of transportation.
When transporting a turkey always consider using an Alaska turkey bag to protect feathers. In a pinch a pair of ladys nylons will work. Just be prepared for some strange looks in walmart. Walmart has the biggest and cheapest LOL.
Panty hose does the trick. Put some baking soda on the bare tail bone, insert the closed tail into the panty hose, tie a knot at the end, and keep it in your carry-on. I learned this trick in Texas while hunting Rios and it works for me. Just make sure when you remove the hose that you do not go against the fan. Good luck.
I put all my turkey "parts" in my carry on luggage. I've been questioned, but never had an issue. Once I put it in my checked baggage and I had the little slip of paper in my bag when I got home from the TSA that they had opened my bag up. The feathers were banged up pretty bad in that case, so always in my carry-on luggage for me, or like someone else said, just overnight mail it to yourself.
I just cut it off the best I could folded it up put it in a ziplock and kept it on ice with the breast meat. If you can freeze the breast meat that's even better. I bought a cheap bag cooler from Walmart and flew home with it all in my carry on. If you keep it cold or frozen you can keep it for a while before you prepare it to mount. Bubba