Home-made Cooler for Elk?

[del2les]

Many use a 7 or 9 cu/ft chest freezer and plug it into an inverter. I have seen these loaded into varied trailers with 12v batteries/inverter, back of trucks with same or a cable run from under hood mounted inverter, or other such ways. Some simply fill with ice or dry ice.

 

[Muddyboots]

I picked up one of these Coleman Extreme's on sale couple years back for $49 at Walmart. They are priced at $79 right now. Plus an Igloo 150 I have so I am good to go. The Coleman held ice just as good as the Igloo IMO.
LINK: Walmart Coleman Extreme Cooler

 

[dluehrs]

Has anyone home-made a cooler for elk? My dad and I have a guided elk hunt planned for 2022 and plan on driving out to Colorado (from PA). The issue being getting the meat back.

We are looking at building a few coolers to throw in the bed of the truck to store the meat. But neither of us have ever hunted elk / killed an elk before so we have no idea how much meat we are going to get - so no idea how big these things need to be to hold potentially 2 bull elk.

Any insight on how to make one / pictures of one's you have made would be greatly appreciated! (Including dimensions)

We have no idea how much one will cost, but with the current cost of lumber, might be able to buy 2 yeti's instead .

Made it from Colorado to Michigan last fall with this homemade cooler. Held 2 elk and kept everything frozen for the trip back. Insulated the inside with high density foam insulation. This was an old dock box and mounted on a hitch carrier. It worked well packed with frozen elk and dry ice.

 

[GUNNNN]

Has anyone home-made a cooler for elk? My dad and I have a guided elk hunt planned for 2022 and plan on driving out to Colorado (from PA). The issue being getting the meat back.

We are looking at building a few coolers to throw in the bed of the truck to store the meat. But neither of us have ever hunted elk / killed an elk before so we have no idea how much meat we are going to get - so no idea how big these things need to be to hold potentially 2 bull elk.

Any insight on how to make one / pictures of one's you have made would be greatly appreciated! (Including dimensions)

We have no idea how much one will cost, but with the current cost of lumber, might be able to buy 2 yeti's instead .

I have some friends that go out west every year to Wyoming to mule deer ,and elk they get cow tags but there are 4 or 5 people that go so they pull a trailer with all there gear so they built a plywood box and lined it with 2" styrofoam insulation then they line it with sheet plastic we live in Tennessee and they've had real good success I think they built it 4x8 x4 so there is hardly any waste I know they've brought back several animals quartered and packed in ice

 

[Captain 1959]

Has anyone home-made a cooler for elk? My dad and I have a guided elk hunt planned for 2022 and plan on driving out to Colorado (from PA). The issue being getting the meat back.

We are looking at building a few coolers to throw in the bed of the truck to store the meat. But neither of us have ever hunted elk / killed an elk before so we have no idea how much meat we are going to get - so no idea how big these things need to be to hold potentially 2 bull elk.

Any insight on how to make one / pictures of one's you have made would be greatly appreciated! (Including dimensions)

We have no idea how much one will cost, but with the current cost of lumber, might be able to buy 2 yeti's instead .

I took a medium size freezer and a small generator worked perfect

 

[dm406]

Has anyone home-made a cooler for elk? My dad and I have a guided elk hunt planned for 2022 and plan on driving out to Colorado (from PA). The issue being getting the meat back.

We are looking at building a few coolers to throw in the bed of the truck to store the meat. But neither of us have ever hunted elk / killed an elk before so we have no idea how much meat we are going to get - so no idea how big these things need to be to hold potentially 2 bull elk.

Any insight on how to make one / pictures of one's you have made would be greatly appreciated! (Including dimensions)

We have no idea how much one will cost, but with the current cost of lumber, might be able to buy 2 yeti's instead .

get a small freezer it will act as a cooler for around $200.00,

 

[jimbires]

we use 150 QT coolers , and dry ice . you can fit an elk in one . I have 2 coleman coolers . one has the split lid with a ruler embossed on it , it's more for fishing . the other is the 5 day extreme . both work about the same . be sure the lids stay closed .

 

[elk 1]

Where I used to work they had some scrap 1/8 inch aluminum plate and I built a 3' by 4' by 5' cooler with two inches of foam insulation it works good for carrying your clothes and gear going hunting and then your meat back home . A couple of years ago we had two Elk and four deer quartered and it was about three-quarters full

 

[sp6x6]

My truck box 4'is 150 qrt 2"poly foam held ice for week I take 65 get cooler full ice jugsBetween two I can fit most elk or just bone fronts My mobile elk camp

 

[bigdogone]

Where I used to work they had some scrap 1/8 inch aluminum plate and I built a 3' by 4' by 5' cooler with two inches of foam insulation it works good for carrying your clothes and gear going hunting and then your meat back home . A couple of years ago we had two Elk and four deer quartered and it was about three-quarters full

Man how much did that thing weigh? That's my kinda coolah!

 

[Muddyboots]

One other thing I do with coolers is I place a 2" thick foam pad on top to further insulate and seal the contents under the lid. I also duct tape the cooler lid seam which really helps hold in the cold. Moving blankets on top and below coolers. So far this has worked with just regular ice. Prefer block ice if I can find it.

 

[elk 1]

Man how much did that thing weigh? That's my kinda coolah!

It weighs about 130 pounds. It's been to the mountains probably 12 times and works real good for us.

 

[MNbogboy]

In my 4 door Silverado i removed the left rear seat section and was able to strap in my smll 3.5 cu ft freezer. An extension cord out the door and routed alongside my camper where i plugged it in. Campground power or my honda generator was plenty to keep things cold. When i leave home i start with at least 3 gallons of frozen water. This helps keep things cool on the trip out and is a good start one we start filling the freezer. The vaacumm packer is a must. We butcher and boe everything in the field. Vaacuum packed takes less room and seems to freeze a little faster. We had 5 mule deer packed in that little freezer a few years back. Disadvantage is listening to a generator all night of the kill. Before we start packing out we lighten our loads at camp and fire up the generator and freezer.

 

[Treeslug]

In my 4 door Silverado i removed the left rear seat section and was able to strap in my smll 3.5 cu ft freezer. An extension cord out the door and routed alongside my camper where i plugged it in. Campground power or my honda generator was plenty to keep things cold. When i leave home i start with at least 3 gallons of frozen water. This helps keep things cool on the trip out and is a good start one we start filling the freezer. The vaacumm packer is a must. We butcher and boe everything in the field. Vaacuum packed takes less room and seems to freeze a little faster. We had 5 mule deer packed in that little freezer a few years back. Disadvantage is listening to a generator all night of the kill. Before we start packing out we lighten our loads at camp and fire up the generator and freezer.

I like the sound of the Honda generator at night. In Texas, you are not allowed to bone out and package your kill in the field. Makes it hard for the game warden to know how many deer you have and what deer belongs to who. Same thing with filleting fish on your boat while you are out fishing. I have been guilty of both in my younger days. Even ground up the deer and hogs and made sausage right there at the camp house. I believe that would be illegal today.