Drove non stop my first trip to WY. 36 hours if I remember correctly. Flew to KS Drove nonstop to IL. 12 hours, 2 in Chicago Flying this Sept to WY for Pronghorn. No answer for all the above...LOL
I usually drive about 12 hours the first day until I reach the elevation I am going to hunt at, camp that night, then drive 4 more hours the next day to the hunting camp, get settled and ready to hunt the next day. Gives me two nights at elevation before hunting.
I prefer to fly west myself..but what a hassle it can be when your bringing back some meat and horns.
I'm a big CHICKEN, as several of the GTG attendees know, and I like to drive as long as I can, pull up for a short nap, and get back after it. I'll be driving to CO in just over 5 wks, and that is just fine as I won't have to worry about losing anything in a baggage, or anything getting broken or abused.
Heading west? I'll fly. Heading ANYWHERE near a Southwest Airlines terminal? I'll fly. Heading to a surrounding state turkey or deer hunting, I'll drive. Flying is great IMO, just expensive unless you utilize free flights. If you kill, freeze the meat solid, and then pack it in coolers 50# total per cooler. Fly your meat back as checked luggage, and ship your gear home. By far the cheapest way to get meat home, and it will stay frozen for well over a day before it even thinks of thawing out. Shipping meat is EXPENSIVE as it has to be expedited or shipped in cooled container trucks, either option being expensive especially for the total weight. So long as your game is deer sized (not sure elk this is a viable option), flying your meat home and shipping the gear will serve you best.
Jeff you should get your mount done at home. Cheaper to ship the cape/horns etc than a finished mount. Plus if something ever happens the guy that did the work is close to home. Just a suggestion!
I normally fly as well. Heck when I get to Colorado I have a vehicle in the airport parking lot. The beauty of coming back is that I will ship my clothes and bow back home via Fed Ex and check my coolers as luggage. Plus I am only just out of town hunting so the I can leave Pittsburgh and be hunting the same evening. This year with going to New Mexico I have a 5 1/2 hour drive and would have to rent a vehicle for 10 days just to leave it sit in the wilderness. Normally I will fly, but this hunt seems to make it somewhat more complicated. GMMAT, most meat lockers will ship the meat, but with overnight costs jumping thru the ceiling, it may be easier to ship gear back via standard ground.
I'm only 13 hours away from Denver and another 3 hours to my spot. We push it straight through. Last time we got to the hunting grounds at 4:30 A.M. and went hunting right away.
Unfortunately I have never traveled more than an hour for hunting...Whitetail and Turkey are all I know currently, driving any further would be taking be away from prime hunting CO 2010 Elk I will be driving...I'm about 12 hours from Denver, another 2 hours after that...I will push that straight with about 3 quick stops... Anything over about 16 hours...I'd have to look at flying as I would not want to waste any more of my vacation time driving...I sure would prefer to drive to have my own vehicle and luxury of packing everything I might need.
Last time I went to Illinois I flew. This fall we'll be driving to NW Illiniois. It looks like its gonna be about a 16 hour drive.
