Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Coolers?

So, there are three of us going to CO for 1st rifle this fall; me, RWE, and NH K9.

The latter two have never been. This is my second trip.

Either sex tags will be in hand for each of us.

Knowing that bulls are a possibility, but cows are as well (and they eat better), what size and number cooler recommendations are there from those with more experience?

The drive back will be two days for me, and three for each of them (leaving from my place, with NH and RWE going home afterward from there). It could be done in one here and two there, but I think we'll probably each want/need a shower in a very, very bad way after up to 10 days in the field.

De boned a cow/ small bull will fit in a 120-qt.

I always figured if I was going to do something like that, I'd build a wooden box the size of a pallet and line it with blue board. If I could fill that up with meat, I'd say I was doing OK. The only other thing I know about cooler space, is that it's darn hard to have too much!

Up in Newfoundland last year for moose it was very common to see those homemade wood framed and pink/blue foam insulation coolers in the back of a truck. The other thing you saw a lot was a freezer in a pickup truck with a generator in the back or on a "bumper buddy" for the SUV's so you just ran a freezer on the way home.

Three guys; three tags. Freezer and generator not an option (on this trip).

That depends, how good are you guys at elk hunting?

I think Hunting1 has it right, but 120's are not very good for storing food/ice/beer, too much space in there. If you had three of those and another one or two regular-sized coolers for food/beer/ice you'd be good to go. You can always use those for overflow if you get a big bull or two. I normally store gear in my 120 when it's empty to save space in the truck, and bring a big duffel to put the gear in when I fill it.

Good thoughts, smokepole.

No beer. Packing in; spike camp for the length of the trip; pack out. Any changes to that mean one of us got an elk and needed to pack it out and go get ice (and beer and burgers from town).

No beer? What will you drink back at the truck, sitting in your lawn chair, after you just packed out a load of meat?

Planning is everything.

smokepole has killed more elk than I have but I've probably drank more beer

take his (and hunting1's) excellent advice
you will want that beer after packing meat

We'll need to go to town for ice anyway. I know where there is very good beer and very good burgers to be had where we will find the needed ice.

Take three 120 to 150 qt coolers. You might get lucky, but chances are extremely high not all of you will get elk. If that happens buy another chest and a couple of lottery tickets!

I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss the freezer idea. I've got two in the garage that are 48 long by 36 deep by 28 wide. It'll hold two plus cut wrapped and frozen elk easy. With good packing you could get 3 in. It would still leave room in the bed for gear. Even in a six foot bed.

TXhunter has it.If you debone,meat will be tougher unless you at least let it hang thru rigor and then relax.
Using the no gut method three big coolers will do the job if you trim the legs off short and will fit ice.Two if you debone.

You willing to leave a cooler and generator along an access road several miles away from your campsite for several days (up to 10)? I'm not.

Don't get me wrong, it's a helluva great idea, but I don't see the logistics working for it on this trip.

What TXhunter and Saddlesore said.

I wouldn't bother with a freezer, for the reason you stated, plus it's not really needed. Have hauled half the meat from a big bull moose and 6-point elk back from northern BC (2-1/2 day trip) in mid-September, using coolers. They work well even in warm weather, as long as you keep ice in 'em. Probably won't be as warm for your hunt.

Yes 4ager I would leave the freezer and genny. But I'd chain the freezer into the truck and put the genny in the cab and lock it. It seems like a moot point. People with more experience than me say it isn't necessary to go the freezer route so I'll take their word for it. I'm lucky in that it's usually only a couple of hours from gutted to processor for me. Last year i was able to hang my cow for a week in the barn before I cut her up. Never got below 25 and never got above 35 deg. Perfect hanging weather.

I do a similar hunt every other year driving from Virginia. If someone gets an elk with enough time to get it cut up and frozen, we do that and split the cost. One packaged and frozen elk divided into two 100 quart coolers packed with ice stays frozen until we get home.

I'd plan on one elk, hope for two, and dream about three.

Here's hoping you have to buy more cooler space to get home.

Any chance you can pull a trailer out there?

Home-made cooler shines then,

Also if you put the word out on the unit you're hunting, Lot's of idea's could follow.

My brother and I used two 120qt coolers to transport two bull elk home from WY. We had the elk processed, frozen and dry ice on top. They stayed frozen solid for the two day trip home. We could not fit all the meat in these coolers so we donated 50-60 pounds to the local food bank.

Just bring three coolers and leave some time at the end to get the meat processed. You can always buy another cooler if needed.

Dry ice is the ticket.. Lots of supermarkets will have it during hunting season.