Home-made Cooler for Elk?

[Bowhunter#18]

My buddy and I did a moose/caribou hunt in Alaska in 2019 and used two medium sized chest freezers. We used a inverter from the truck battery with a drop cord the the coolers in the back taking turns swapping the coolers every fill up.It worked great from Alaska to Florida.

 

[fnlights]

My buddy and I did a moose/caribou hunt in Alaska in 2019 and used two medium sized chest freezers. We used a inverter from the truck battery with a drop cord the the coolers in the back taking turns swapping the coolers every fill up.It worked great from Alaska to Florida.

Seems that a chest freezer may be the way to go. Plus you can snag one of them super cheap at an auction or on Facebook marketplace. Best part is when you get home, just have to plug it in . Used the run about the same as 2 coolers would be anyways

 

[Treeslug]

My buddy and I did a moose/caribou hunt in Alaska in 2019 and used two medium sized chest freezers. We used a inverter from the truck battery with a drop cord the the coolers in the back taking turns swapping the coolers every fill up.It worked great from Alaska to Florida.

Oh yeah, and how many oil changes and sets of tires did that little trip cost you? Sounds like it was worth every penny and all the effort.

 

[Bowhunter#18]

It was the trip of a lifetime. We spent a month on the road and in Alaska. It was a 13 day 115 mile float that was to short. We each killed a moose and a caribou with mine being archery and my buddy using his rifle.

 

[Treeslug]

It was the trip of a lifetime. We spent a month on the road and in Alaska. It was a 13 day 115 mile float that was to short. We each killed a moose and a caribou with mine being archery and my buddy using his rifle.

I almost made it to Alaska back in '72. The rear end on my International Scout went out in Vancouver B.C. Canada. For both of you to score on a moose and a caribou is the trip of a lifetime.

 

[Bowhunter#18]

We didn't want to completely freeze the meat so we kept rotating plugging the coolers in and checking the thermometers with a little meat rotation. It worked great with little headaches and no moisture from ice.

 

[jimmybrost]

Lots of votes for a deep freeze and a generator or inverter. Thats good thinking. If you want to DIY, think about a big, solid tote storage box. (Or two or three). A couple sheets of 2" thick foam from home depot, and some liquid nail adhesive. Line the inside of the foam with thin plywood. Preferably marine grade plywood. Seal the plywood with either fiberglass resin, or rubberized bed liner. Finally, add a pvc drain fitting at the bottom and an adhesive weatherstrip for the lid.
Air tightness is your friend, and pre-cool with a block of ice two days before packing if at all possible.

 

[Dean2]

One more vote for the chest freezer. Space versus efficiency, no water to drain, meat not all wet etc., not to mention how expensive ice is, you are way ahead. Have used them for Decades. We debone the meat, put it in cheese cloth, no problem unfreezing it to hang when you get home, then butcher. Truck has a canopy on it, plug the freezer in every night at the motel, it will hold frozen while driving. If you want to marathon drive, put an inverter in tied to the battery. The new trucks all have an inverter outlet in the box already but the barttery won't last long if the truck isn't running so use an outlet at the motel when you stop for the night..

 

[Slick8]

You'll be fine with coolers. I agree with the 150 qt above but use 2 100 qt coolers myself as they're easier to handle.

I was on a cow hunt in the Texas panhandle and was given a white tail buck and half a wildebeest on top of my cow elk. No cooler space and i didn't want to buy another cooler as it was a 120 mile round trip to a Walmart and I have a few too many coolers. We put what wouldn't fit in coolers into heavy trash bags stopping every two hours for ice. That was a 9 hour drive back to Houston and the meat was fine.

I'm going to put my money where my mouth is.

I've been extremely lucky to have drawn a NM elk tag. I'll be taking 2 100 qt coolers to hopefully bring home an elk. I'll take a small cooler for food as well.

My only caveat is I'm not bringing a cape home as I'm doing a horn mount if successful. The cape does take up some space as well.

 

[sp6x6]

You can salt capes and extended time on them

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

Just pick up an used Airline Cooler 4'X4'x 4'. Cheap and meat stays cold for day. Go ahead and make one, but just driving to a center and loading one of these coolers on your trailer or pickup. is by far easier and less expeensive.
Just a thought

 

[MNbogboy]

Funny thing, Minnesota & Wisconsin do not allow boning in the field either. Up until a few years ago the whole deer was required to be registered at a ranger station. Pulling a 200 lb deer a mile through swamp & brush is not fun or easy compared to boned out ones we do put west. In Wyoming & montana the thought is that it helps curtail CWD. BOTH MN & WI ate BED STAYES ALSO. WISH THEY WOULD change those archaic laws. Both states say leaving the bones & carcass in the field is littering. I will be **** if I had to pack out the gutpile!

 

[Treeslug]

Funny thing, Minnesota & Wisconsin do not allow boning in the field either. Up until a few years ago the whole deer was required to be registered at a ranger station. Pulling a 200 lb deer a mile through swamp & brush is not fun or easy compared to boned out ones we do put west. In Wyoming & montana the thought is that it helps curtail CWD. BOTH MN & WI ate BED STAYES ALSO. WISH THEY WOULD change those archaic laws. Both states say leaving the bones & carcass in the field is littering. I will be **** if I had to pack out the gutpile!

You need to gut the animal as soon as possible to save the meat. "Nuff said.

 

[GREATSCOTT!]

We always bring a generator and a chest freezer to elk/deer camp. Easily fits in a pickup.

This