If you have a small enclosed trailer throw 2 blocks of dry ice on the floor and it will take you along ways. Otherwise I generally throw a deep freeze on the trailer I pull and a small Genny and bring it out that way!
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Getting Meat Home
- Thread starter timmymic
- Start date
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We used to debone but this will probably work on whole quarters. Put meat in cooler before you travel if you can.
We got one of those receiver hitch racks. Big cooler on rack. Put meat in and cover with ice. Pull drain (open) let water drip out. Stop every 500 miles (8 hours) or so and refil ice. Have brought elk meat from Idaho to MA that way. Dozens of deer from ILLINOIS that way. 4-5 deboned deer in cooler. Never ever had any issues or lost an ounce.
Rick Richard
Well-Known Member
Driven three days a few times with elk meat and no problems. I just debone the meat, which most states now require when transporting game, place in a big igloo ice chest or two and cover with a few bags of ice. I also make sure the drain pug is OPEN. I think this is the most critical step in keeping the meat cold. I usually only have to top off with ice one time and when I get home some of the meat is frozen.
Last season I filled my buck and doe tags in central WY. I had one processed and packaged at Pats Meats in Casper. I quartered the other, along with my brothers goat.
Both made the trip back to Texas perfectly fine. I took frozen water bottles (a full 270 QT chest of them) on the trip and added bag ice on top a couple of times to reduce the amount of airspace in the cooler. This worked very well.
If I might make some suggestions:
1. Get the hide off of your antelope immediately and let it cool fast. It makes the difference between great and no bueno. We carried the largest garbage begs we could find. As we quartered the 'lopes in the field, we laid the meat on the bags as we continued cleaning them. After a few minutes we flipped the meat over so the underside would cool fast too. Then when they cooled off we rolled them up in the bags they were laying on and put them on our packs. We double bagged the meat and covered it with bags of ice. When it was cooler temp, we put those double bags in the big chest that had the frozen water bottles in it. As a side note, DISREGARD anyone who says it is ok to let your fresh Pronghorn meat soak in water. It is NOT ok to soak in water...1/3 of Texans do this... and 1/3 of Texans voted for Hillary. It is a debate for another thread, but as wrong as voting for a Clinton.
2. If you are near the Casper area, use Pat's Meat processing. They did a super professional job, had it ready in two days like they said and the frozen, 1lb, water tight packages of meat helped keep the ice for the ride back to Texas. Everything arrived still frozen.
I've heard of people taking their generators and chest freezers. I don't see any reason to pack all of that along. The described method works perfectly but cool you meat before you bag it and before you put it in your ice chest.
Regards,
Erik of Texas
DANIEL ARNDT
Member
Something you might want to consider is proof of sex while transporting.
DANIEL ARNDT
Member
DANIEL ARNDT
Member
Something you might want to consider is proof of sex. Last year my son and I shot buck antelope in CO and took quarters, back straps and tenderloins in the field without proof of sex. When leaving the ranch a warden stopped us and we both got tickets.
Antelope are so small I just bone and vaccum pack them while hunting.Throw in camper freezer,then to larger cooler if I need more space.Not hard for just a few animals.Do the same fishing.My packer runs off lighter plug in
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whirlwindjml
Well-Known Member
Dry ice works well. You can stop and get more. (Fred meyer usually has it) (albertsons also)The froze jugs work well. I would consider the freezer idea because evrything can be refroze. Moisture in the meet is not good. Make sure coolers have a drain.
Id put (2)-4ft 2x12 new boards under coolers or feezer and use them as insulation for truck bed- and then use as a disposable tailgate cutting board. As was mentioned its realy fast to debone antelope and a deer. Or do gutless methode and take leg off @ knees and skin quarters off.
ronstone09
Well-Known Member
I bring meat home from canada to oregon almost every year and put it in game bags and then in a trailer we haul with us ! Meat seems to be just fine !
Tony Formicola
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2017
- Messages
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I plan to do the freezer on the trailer thing someday but have had good luck with the following strategy.
First step is to get the meat cold. You can not expect to put warm meat in a cooler with ice and have it cool down. If it is cold enough outside you can quarter the meat and let it hand overnight to cool. The next morning bone it out and get it in a cooler. You can keep frozen jugs or dry ice in the cooler until you are ready to put your meat in. I prefer dry ice and I stop to check it and add more as needed once I am on the road. I have brought several elk from Colorado to New York like this. Once home I finish trimming cutting and packing. Last elk was shot on Tuesday. Skinned, halved and cooled overnight. Temp was in the 20's. Boned out Wednesday morning and placed in a cooler with No ice. Meet was on the verge of freezing going into cooler. Placed cooler in the shade. Left camp Thursday bought dry ice on the way. Arrived home on Saturday night. Boned elk out on Sunday. Meat was still semi-frozen. This may not be very effective in a warm weather hunt however.
First step is to get the meat cold. You can not expect to put warm meat in a cooler with ice and have it cool down. If it is cold enough outside you can quarter the meat and let it hand overnight to cool. The next morning bone it out and get it in a cooler. You can keep frozen jugs or dry ice in the cooler until you are ready to put your meat in. I prefer dry ice and I stop to check it and add more as needed once I am on the road. I have brought several elk from Colorado to New York like this. Once home I finish trimming cutting and packing. Last elk was shot on Tuesday. Skinned, halved and cooled overnight. Temp was in the 20's. Boned out Wednesday morning and placed in a cooler with No ice. Meet was on the verge of freezing going into cooler. Placed cooler in the shade. Left camp Thursday bought dry ice on the way. Arrived home on Saturday night. Boned elk out on Sunday. Meat was still semi-frozen. This may not be very effective in a warm weather hunt however.
I've brought meat from Wyoming to Wisconsin many times. I bone out everything. A deer and antelope will fit in one large cooler. Most grocery stores and meat markets sell dry ice. 5 to 10lbs of dry ice per cooler will last a couple days. It depends on how cool the meat is when you put it in the cooler.
I put the meat in freezer bags (gallon size).Label bags.
If you go to a meat cutter they can (ask) store the meat till you leave and it should be frozen.
Check laws for proof of sex for state you're in. Keep carcass tag with meat.
An elk and deer take 2 big coolers.
If you go to a meat cutter, the meat takes more space if they shrink wrap it and freeze it. So have more cooler space.
I just have old igloo coolers. I'm sure these new coolers are better. I duct tape the seams to help seal them. It takes me 2 days to drive and I've never had a problem.
I put the meat in freezer bags (gallon size).Label bags.
If you go to a meat cutter they can (ask) store the meat till you leave and it should be frozen.
Check laws for proof of sex for state you're in. Keep carcass tag with meat.
An elk and deer take 2 big coolers.
If you go to a meat cutter, the meat takes more space if they shrink wrap it and freeze it. So have more cooler space.
I just have old igloo coolers. I'm sure these new coolers are better. I duct tape the seams to help seal them. It takes me 2 days to drive and I've never had a problem.
We went on a 10 day hunt in southern NM in Sept. I had 40 lb. block of ice in rectangular bucket that Costco laundry soap comes in. We put a piece of dry ice on top of the ice. We stored the 150 qt. Igloo in the shade, put a 3" thick piece of foam on top and covered it with canvas. My buddy shot his deer the 3rd day, and we boned it, garbage bagged it, and put it in the cooler. The dry ice was gone, but the ice had not started to melt yet. I shot my deer on the 10th day, and we did the same. No problem at all. I like the bucket because it keeps the meat dry. Water on my meat reminds me of how they make pink slime. Be advised, some garbage bags are chemically treated to control smells. I've used the same method on a 5 day hunt for oryx in May when high temps were 95 degrees. It works. Boning the meat is key, because it cools much faster.
