Coolers for meat?

[ranjo]

Having never had an elk to deal with I am wondering if we have enough cooler space for 1 hopefully 2 elk. Last year my buddy and I had 3 coolers, 1 was 150qt and 2-75qt, so 300qts of cooler space. We packed them to the top with ice, duct taped them shut and wrapped them with sleeping bags. We still had all the ice totally frozen when we got back to Iowa 10 days later. I'm sure we have room for 1 elk, but 2? wishful thinking I guess, just wondered what all you elk veterans do. Thanks Randy

[Trophyhill]

I have 1 120qt and 1 150 qt and it works although I am going to replace the 120 with a 150. If you debone I think you'll be ok but I'd take at least 1 more.

[Lefty]

Meat doesn't take up much space if boned

I hunt the deserts of Idaho for deer elk and antelope. Generally I hunt with 100-200 lbs of ice, 5 gallon blocks, 1 gallon milk jugs and 2 1/2 gallon water containers
If I have help, I bone everything, I try to keep my meat dry; so not at the bottom of the cooler. There is a 24 hour small town grocery store that sells dry ice I can stop and pick up if I need. Also I have a good wife, If I need the sleep and am driving home she makes sure there is ice as soon as I get home.
Nothing is quite right; skinning a too cold for my finger game animal in 90 plus temperatures

Years back a neighbor and his buddy built a trailer 4' of foam, about 4"x 6x'x 30 inches for capes and meat and where ever the hunt took them, Alaska to Mexico, BC and the Yukon. Ice and dry ice for a 3-4 day drive
Adding dry ice to ice can work great

If I didn't live under 3 hours from my hunt locations I would consider gas motor on the freezer easier than managing all the extra weight of ice and bulk of coolers
or a freezer with a generator

At one time I often fur trapped long distances from home. I had a narrow 7.5 cubic foot freezer so it would fit in motel room doors and an extension cord
Depending on nighttime temps I would let the fur spread out at night on a flat surface, or suspend to cool, cold nights I would get up at 2AM and roll l the fur, when I got up for the day I would place the rolls in the freezer

[elkmtngear]

Double sleeping bag in the back of the truck...quarters wrapped like a burrito with dry ice on top.

Good for two days...been doing it for 15 years without spoilage, some years with a single elk, some with 2.

[nuevo_eph]

So the elk (option 1) is wrapped in the double sleeping bag with the dry ice on top of the bag burrito? Or are you saying it is wrapped up in something else, (option 2) with dry ice on top, and THEN put in a double sleeping bag?

Interesting, NM can be warm depending on the season and this would handy to know.

Thanks, NEph

[Indian Summer]

In my experience once an elk is cut and wrapped (boneless) it will fill about 3 of the 48 quart coolers. That's to the top with no ice. Obviously they can vary in size and I've had a few clients have to leave a little bit behind. We have it all vac sealed and frozen solid so ice wasn't necessary. I think 300 quarts of space is enough, or darn close, if you bone it out and use dry ice. I prefer that over water in the bottom anyway.

[Swede]

Based on plenty of experience, I totally agree with Indian Summer. If per chance you got a monster and you needed a little more room, I would take the boned out frozen elk in a box to town, and buy another small cooler. The chances you will need another cooler are so small, I would not think it worth the effort necessary to haul it out to a base camp.

[ST52V]

Last year in Wyoming we met a guy from Minnesota. He said they go to town and buy a garbage can. Put newspaper in the bottom and layer meat and dry ice in it. Then stick it in your sleeping bag.

[ElkNut1]

Two 150 qt coolers for two elk & ice! Put a slim layer of ice on bottom then meat, another thin layer of ice & more meat, etc. until your elk is in the cooler. Duct tape around entire perimeter of cooler opening to seal it tight & keep in shade. Leave spill spout on bottom open so water drains. Open every 2 days to replenish ice & turn meat. Lots of other ideas to keep meat cool but with two coolers this works well. No dry ice!

ElkNut1

[elkmtngear]

So the elk (option 1) is wrapped in the double sleeping bag with the dry ice on top of the bag burrito? Or are you saying it is wrapped up in something else, (option 2) with dry ice on top, and THEN put in a double sleeping bag?

Interesting, NM can be warm depending on the season and this would handy to know.

Thanks, NEph

I usually have them in trash bags and the dry ice blocks are wrapped in Brown paper. Then I just wrap it all up. The cold goes down from the top, so sometimes the bottom quarters are nearly frozen when I get home

This is probably the most space saving option I know of (if you are space limited)

[slim9300]

I take two 165 quart coolers and leave one 100% full of ice. Two boned out elk would probably fit pretty well in one if it was empty, but that would defeat the purpose of the ice.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1397263888.089635.jpg (147.44 KiB) Viewed 10942 times

[BFlatlander]

Elknut, you seem to steer away from dry ice while others seem to prefer it...I'm curious why that is? Can the dry ice damage meat?

[Indian Summer]

Slim I have that exact cooler. In Pa we call them Erie coolers as they have that hatch on top for tossing walleyes in while it is strapped down to the swim platform on the transom of the boat.

BFlatlander. The HUGE advantage of dry ice is no water. Water logging meat turns it grey and just doesn't appeal to me. But when using dry ice you don't want it touching the meat. It will get freezer burned. A couple towels or newspaper between the meat and dry ice so there is no direct contact is the solution to that.

Also... FYI... dry ice is so much colder than regular ice that if you put it on top of unfrozen meat it will actually freeze the top layer for you. I think that's a true testament to how well the stuff works. I love it.

A good point Paul made is to tape all the way around the seam between the cooler and the lid. Makes a big difference.

[slim9300]

I agree. I make sure that my meat doesn't get wet at all. Ever since I killed my first cow with a bow in a 2' deep creek and had to break her down in the middle of the thing, I don't appreciate wet meat. The ice is normally double wrapped in large garbage bags and the meat is laid out in a single layer on top. If possible the meat is rotated every few hours until cold/cool, once cooled it no longer seems to matter.

[bowhunterty]

Great info. I would also recommend to drain the water off each day if hot. Last three years have kept meat in coolers while packaging it. No lost meat.

[spyder24]

I take two 100 qt. Extreme coolers and a 52 qt. extreme cooler. A deboned bull elk will fit in the 100 qt. coolers with ice. The 52 qt. cooler is extra if I need it. I leave the ice in the bags it comes in and put it in non-scented trash bags to minimize the water getting on the meat. I also tape the lids shut and place a blanket over the coolers. I have never used dry ice.

[RichM]

I have an inexpensive cooler question to add to the discussion;
Igloo, Colman or someone else for 150+ quart coolers?
Yeti would be out of my price range but are they worth the $700 price tag for a 160 quart?