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The new normal. Icing your elk in camp.

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The new normal. Icing your elk in camp.

Postby Jhg » 05 15, 2023 •  [Post 1]

Maybe this will help the newer elk hunters plan for and enjoy a successful hunt.

It is not a stretch to say we have all been seeing a change in the temperatures from years gone by during archery elk. For example, historically where I hunt there could be warm days but the nights consistently cooled way down and most mornings the meadows would have a deep frost on the grasses. Usually, I would be wearing light long johns every day after the first week.

Not anymore!

Having ample cooler capacity and the ice to fill 1/3-1/2 of it is now an absolute must if you want to guarantee an elk harvested will not be wasted.
No longer can we be certain night temps will buy us a day or two. We cannot count on day temps to be below the '70's and are often much higher. Add bright sun you have a recipe for anxiety when an elk is down. Getting that meat on ice is more important than ever.

The last elk I killed took me solo 24hrs to get onto ice. That was 2 miles one way same elevation. Having ice waiting and ready at the end of each trip took a lot of the worry from my shoulders. I knew the meat was cooling over night temps in the high '40's. But daytime temps were in the mid- '70's and rising fast toward the '80's. I would hate to think what it would have been like without clouds and a brief rain event cooling things down.

I was able to leave one cooler unopened fro three days. Checking it the meat inside was cold to the touch and there was plenty of ice left. It allowed me to attend to other things that needed doing, while lifting the worry away so I could fully enjoy the satisfaction of a successful hunt.

Two of these held one big boned out bull elk
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Re: The new normal. Icing your elk in camp.

Postby Swede » 05 15, 2023 •  [Post 2]

Nice bull Jhg. Last September I killed a good bull in the evening but did not find it until about 10:00 PM. I got my brother to come help me butcher it. When he saw where it was and the difficulty it presented getting it skinned and butchered he suggested we wait until the morning. I advised him it may not be worth coming back to by that time. Elk meat spoils quickly if it is not cooled down. We did not get the meat into coolers that evening, but had it skinned and in game bags. Elk die in some awful locations, but regardless of that situation you need to butcher it right away. Getting it on ice or in a cooler as soon as possible ensures you will have good meat for the off season ahead.
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Re: The new normal. Icing your elk in camp.

Postby six » 05 15, 2023 •  [Post 3]

Don’t forget to enlist the help of a creek.  Our last elk was a big healthy cow.  My buddy shot her right and dusk.  We boned her out and hung two bags in a tree well up the mountain.  We each took a bag back to camp with us and hung them next to the river.  The next morning we went back for the two bags on the mountain and they felt warmer than I would have liked.  Bees were trying to get in the bags but couldn’t due to having good quality game bags.  When we got back to camp the bags next to the river felt like they had been in a refrigerator.   

We have also laid a game bag on a rock sticking out of the river and it takes the heat out quickly. 
Elk are where you find em...
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Re: The new normal. Icing your elk in camp.

Postby saddlesore » 05 15, 2023 •  [Post 4]

Several years ago,I lost about 1/2 an elk, even though I had it on ice the same day. Now, no worries,I have a walk in cooler available to me close to where I camp. It pays to treat outfitters well.
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Re: The new normal. Icing your elk in camp.

Postby Lefty » 05 15, 2023 •  [Post 5]

Two years back fro September elk andrew filled a Yeti 65 with ice and 10lb of dry ice. After 23 days there was still Ice. Sadly I saw dry ice last week is 2.98 a lb.


We now have an electrical hook-up 10 miles from camp.. We will take a freezer up this year for September

We try to get the meat out as soon as possible, pile the ice in and around the meat then get home for a meat packaging marathon. dead to freezer less than 24 hours.

We do have access to a meat locker cooler just down the road from us

If the weather is cooler its not as important!

Meat can spend a bit of time i\f bagged and kept in the shade in the mountains



Antelope can be iced up and cooled down by the time we get home
Desert antelop and elk hunts a lot of ice came along
2012-09-01 13-51-21.JPG
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Re: The new normal. Icing your elk in camp.

Postby Swede » 05 15, 2023 •  [Post 6]

Where you hunt needs to be withing your range for packing out all the meat and head if you want/must from any kill you make.
Weather and the length of time it will take you to carry your elk out is just one factor to consider.
Your physical condition. You need to be realistic here and not overextend yourself.
How many trips will it take to get everything out? I usually figure it will be at least five round trips. I do not carry all of my butchering equipment with me while hunting so I need to add an extra trip just for that. Now I have made it six trips. I usually pack out everything myself.
Six thinks about cooling meat in a stream. It has been a long time since I killed an elk near a stream. I am not packing meat 1/2 mile down the mountain when the road is uphill. If the road is downhill, I don't need a stream. It has been a long time since I got one to die near an open road too.
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Re: The new normal. Icing your elk in camp.

Postby saddlesore » 05 15, 2023 •  [Post 7]

Swede wrote:Where you hunt needs to be withing your range for packing out all the meat and head if you want/must from any kill you make.
Weather and the length of time it will take you to carry your elk out is just one factor to consider.
Your physical condition. You need to be realistic here and not overextend yourself.
How many trips will it take to get everything out? I usually figure it will be at least five round trips. I do not carry all of my butchering equipment with me while hunting so I need to add an extra trip just for that. Now I have made it six trips. I usually pack out everything myself.
Six thinks about cooling meat in a stream. It has been a long time since I killed an elk near a stream. I am not packing meat 1/2 mile down the mountain when the road is uphill. If the road is downhill, I don't need a stream. It has been a long time since I got one to die near an open road too.


I pack all my processing gear with me on the pack mule.I usually packed and elk out in two trips if I was only dragging one pack my mule. One trip when I had two. Still I watched where I killed them. If it was cold enough, I packed 1/2 out the day of the kill, and the other half the next day. My physical condition is pretty poor. I had to cut it up in smaller pieces to be able to lift it on the mule. Now, my very good friend the outfitter will send two of her packer gals to pack it out for me and put it in her cooler.

This coming year, barring another health problem she asked me to camp at her base camp and take all my meals with her and her staff. I think I am good enough shape for that. :lol:
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Re: The new normal. Icing your elk in camp.

Postby Jhg » 05 16, 2023 •  [Post 8]

saddlesore wrote:... my very good friend the outfitter will send two of her packer gals to pack it out for me ... :lol:


Packer gals?
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Re: The new normal. Icing your elk in camp.

Postby Pop-r » 05 16, 2023 •  [Post 9]

I quit fighting ice and a cooler years ago. No telling how much money has been spent "going after ice" by people through the years. It's crazy & I'm guilty of it myself. That being said I keep a cooler of ice at all times that I made in my deep freeze. It's like having a walk in cooler on the mountain in my mind and there's no better way to do it that I've found. All of my frozen food is in there and i have an unlmited supply of ice and can cool an elk down in a jiffy and run it as needed to keep it any temp you want for as long as you want.
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Re: The new normal. Icing your elk in camp.

Postby saddlesore » 05 16, 2023 •  [Post 10]

Jhg wrote: Packer gals?


Yep, she hires 2-3 every year. Darn good packers and they get bigger tips than the guys. Hunters like to see young, good looking gals ride into camp to pack them and their elk out after looking at their grungy smelly hunting partners all week.
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Re: The new normal. Icing your elk in camp.

Postby Lefty » 05 16, 2023 •  [Post 11]

saddlesore wrote:
Jhg wrote: Packer gals?


Yep, she hires 2-3 every year. Darn good packers and they get bigger tips than the guys. Hunters like to see young, good looking gals ride into camp to pack them and their elk out after looking at their grungy smelly hunting partners all week.

Smart move.




My daughter sold their 5 pack goats today. Yesterday the one goat got into the yards and ate all the new trees,,,, :lol:
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Re: The new normal. Icing your elk in camp.

Postby Jhg » 05 17, 2023 •  [Post 12]

Yep. Whatever it takes.
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Re: The new normal. Icing your elk in camp.

Postby Jhg » 05 17, 2023 •  [Post 13]

Pop-r wrote:I quit fighting ice and a cooler years ago. No telling how much money has been spent "going after ice" by people through the years. It's crazy & I'm guilty of it myself. That being said I keep a cooler of ice at all times that I made in my deep freeze. It's like having a walk in cooler on the mountain in my mind and there's no better way to do it that I've found. All of my frozen food is in there and i have an unlmited supply of ice and can cool an elk down in a jiffy and run it as needed to keep it any temp you want for as long as you want.


I have been waffling about going chest freezer and self block ice. When you make your own block its WAY better than what you buy. Much denser.

MY problem is I hunt from a truck camper and there is going to be no chest freezer option unless I start pulling a trailer.
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