Gettin' the meat back home...need ideas

[7mmpredator]

I'm trying to come up with the most cost effective and least inconvenient way to bring back an elk from Wyoming to NY. The butcher that cut up my antelope last season said he shipped an elk (300 lbs) back to NY Fedex overnite with dry ice at a cost of just over 900. rappazoolas. Not to mention the $285. to cut it up and box it.

Anyone have ideas to share? (I wont shoot an elk in the Bronx Zoo!)

 

[jimbires]

if you are driving pack it in a cooler with some dry ice . last year I brought an elk home from Co. in a 150 quart cooler . the dry ice lasted the whole trip home .it was no problem at all . Jim

 

[7mmpredator]

I'm gonna be flying so it won't be that easy. A woman at the processing plant said I should check three boxes of 100 lbs. each in as excess baggage and pay the $100 or so each. Even that is cheaper than Fedex. I'll just need an entourage at the baggage claim!

 

[7STDUBBERU]

I will be driving out to Colorado (area 131) next year for the second season. Let me know if when and where you will be, maybe I can drive it back for you.... PM me your phone number if you want to talk

 

[7mmpredator]

Good looking out. I'll be in the Grey's River area of western Wy. south of Jackson. Appreciate the offer. gun)

 

[davewilson]

i'm going to be south of Cody for an Oct 1 elk hunt. my plan is to fly out, then rent a little great gas milage car, and drive back with the meat. and of course the absolutely HUGE horns! i know a guy that shipped his meat back on the plane. didn't show up for 2 days, had been opened, had to throw it all away.

 

[7mmpredator]

I'm not sure of the dates yet but I will be hunting about 1 and a half hours south of Jackson in the Greys River/Deadman area. Once the drawing results are out on the 28th I can arrange a set of dates and start planning.

Thats the other thing...the rack! Last years antelope is with Deadman Creek Taxidermy and won't be a big to do. But an elk shoulder mount will have to be crated and shipped freight no doubt.

I won't stress over it...you only live once!

 

[esshup]

Outfitted or on your own? We hunted about 40 minutes East of Apline, Wy right off of the Grey's River for Mulies last year. Opener was the 15th of Sept. The Elk were bugling every night around camp, but the heat of the day shut them down. We stayed in Moose Flat campground, Bridger National Forest. 2 of 5 got their deer, 2 of the group were holding out for a 30" or better. We did see a moose that was taken in the area as well. The couple that shot it came thru for water. Pretty country! We won't be able to make the trip out there this year for Elk, but we've been buying preference points so when we can go we should have a good shot at getting the tag that we want.

We did see a Rav 4 on the way home that had NY plates on it with 4 guys jammed in it and packed FULL of gear. The 4 sets of antlers (elk) that were on the roof made a pile that looked as big as the vehicle itself! They had all the points protected with pipe insulation foam. I'd hate to be the one cleaning all the bugs off the rest of the horns tho.....

I'm guessing that they went on an outfitted trip because we had a Tahoe packed to the gills, plus a roof carrier pulling a trailer with the coolers and 4-wheeler - there was only 2 of us!

 

[7mmpredator]

esshup,

That is funny. Crazy horns on top of the car reminds me years ago I shot a small four pointer late in the season. A friend that was in camp attached a set of massive bleached white Canadian 10pt sheds to my four pointer with baling wire. That was the most hilarious 2 hour drive I've we've ever had. People were videoing and jockeying for position to take snap shops from both sides of the truck, horns blaring, giving the thumbs up. At a check station the G&F guy almost dropped his clipboard when he saw us pull in. From thirty yards out I could see him mouth the words " holy spit" or something to that effect! When he got close to the truck and saw the wire I could hear him thru the window saying "you're full of sh#$".

I'm hunting with Rob Wiley of Non-Typical Outfitters. He's out of Alpine. Camp is about 50 minutes south of Alpine. We went out Sept 10 last year and took a nice antelope within a few hours so I spent the next couple of days with Rob and his guides on horseback scouting mulies and did some fishing. Rob has band his crew are a class act got quite a following in these parts. I'm already booked with him for deer for 2010. Take a look at his website if you get a chance.

 

[esshup]

Good story. I'll check out the site, thanks!

 

[Buffalobob]

What cooler you use is important. The 5 and or 6 day Extreme coolers are very good and will keep the meat frozen for the trip back.

 

[esshup]

Those extreme coolers work amazing well, but we didn't have enough for our trip.. We used 120 qt. white "marine" coolers. We had the meat in cotton cloth sacks, ice on bottom, and left the drain open on the coolers (they were on the trailer). It was in the 80's - 90's on the drive home. We stopped half way home and put more ice in the coolers. The meat wasn't frozen when we left and it arrived in fine shape. Our trip was only 20 hrs. tho.

 

[KY Gun Geek]

How many of what size cooler is typically enough space?

 

[esshup]

Two 120 qt marine coolers were large enough to fit 2 antelope and 1 mule deer all deboned and packed into cotton sacks. 2 hindquarters (2 legs total ) bone-in with the shank removed were left whole to be smoked. It took 2 more 60 qt (tall and narrow, not short and wide) coolers to fit each goat head/cape for the taxidermist.

We couldn't fit 1 mulie and 1 antelope into one 120 qt cooler...