Thinking back over the years, I can't remember anyone relating how they got their full-size euro skull/antlers on the plane home with them. Antlers alone...yes. That big juicy unbleached skull is another matter entirely. I've thought about cutting the antlers from the skull and packaging the skull (by itself) for the flight home along with antlers. I'd still have to pay to fly it all home, and then have a taxidermist do the skull bleaching and then the antler reattachment and then the...whew. It's just easier to get the work done in AK and then have it crated or boxed and shipped. I'm sure a guy could save himself some money by doing it all the harder and more complicated way. The questions are how much savings and how much work?
I can relate one adventure. A friend killed a fine bull and decided to ship the skull/antlers home himself via USPS. He knew the regs and how to do it. I don't recall for sure, but he either took one or both antlers off at the pedicle. He boxed it well and the post office accepted it for a normal parcel post shipment. Unfortunately that's the slow boat from AK to Seattle and then by truck to the east coast. 3-4 weeks in transit is typical and 6 isn't uncommon. Things must have gotten pretty ripe. He didn't get the package until WAY later (months) and I recall some discussion about whether he would ever see it.