Can you fit a bone-in elk quarter in a 100 qt cooler?

[matechakeric]

or much bigger?

 

[Redman]

Cory Jacobson did a video on this. Check out Elk101.

 

[sn.outdoors]

It's not likely that you'll be able to fit it in there without cutting the shanks off.

 

[TheJason]

It's not likely that you'll be able to fit it in there without cutting the shanks off.

This. Take a saw to a hindquarter and I can fit it in a 65.

 

[fishing4sanity]

Until this year I had never de-boned an elk in the field. I'm sure my work wasn't the most impressive, but it sure made getting it in a cooler easier - and the packout sure is better when you leave that big old leg-bone for the coyotes.

 

[EYJONAS!]

I guess I must be outta the loop, why do people need to get coffins to put elk in?

 

[matechakeric]

Cory Jacobson did a video on this. Check out Elk101.

thanks! very useful video

 

[EYJONAS!]

Thanks for the video, now I know.

 

[Bob-WY]

We put a gutless processed one in a 120 q cooler, it was a challenge and I would probably split it across two. This was a cow, not a big bull. The quarters were to big to easily fit with ice jugs in there too

 

[matechakeric]

We put a gutless processed one in a 120 q cooler, it was a challenge and I would probably split it across two. This was a cow, not a big bull. The quarters were to big to easily fit with ice jugs in there too

so you do the Randy Newberg frozen ice jugs method? I'm leaning towards that as opposed to bags of ice but the dilemma is I'd need to keep those jugs frozen for about 2 weeks. Pennsylvania to Colorado/Wyoming/Arizona then 5+ days of hunting then return trip back to PA. I could always supplement it along the way back with bags of ice or dry ice of course

 

[Wildabeest]

so you do the Randy Newberg frozen ice jugs method? I'm leaning towards that as opposed to bags of ice but the dilemma is I'd need to keep those jugs frozen for about 2 weeks. Pennsylvania to Colorado/Wyoming/Arizona then 5+ days of hunting then return trip back to PA. I could always supplement it along the way back with bags of ice or dry ice of course

I use frozen 16 or 20oz water bottles vs. big jugs. Easier to arrange around things such as bone in quarters, and you can pull one and drink it when needed. I usually put a whole case or two of them in the cooler before I leave for the trip. Keeps the cooler preconditioned and provides some drinking water until you get a kill that you need to put in it. It seems that putting them on top vs. on bottom keeps things in the cooler colder since the warmer air will rise causing the cooler air from the frozen bottles to fall through the meat.

 

[Bob-WY]

Yup I save gallon OJ jugs starting about July. Get 6 to 8 of them In The freezer. Swap them every 24 hours. Can keep the meat cooled for upto a week then butcher

 

[matechakeric]

Yup I save gallon OJ jugs starting about July. Get 6 to 8 of them In The freezer. Swap them every 24 hours. Can keep the meat cooled for upto a week then butcher

if you are opening the cooler to swap out jugs each day, won't that release some coolness both from the meat cooler and from the cooler holding the frozen jugs?

 

[Bob-WY]

if you are opening the cooler to swap out jugs each day, won't that release some coolness both from the meat cooler and from the cooler holding the frozen jugs?

I am doing this at my house, so I am taking jugs out of a freezer, rock solid frozen, and putting them in the cooler, taking those now not rock solid frozen jugs, and putting them in the freezer.

The first day the jugs have melted as I put them in with "warm" meat. After the first day the meat is very chilled and the jugs are mostly still frozen after a full day in the cooler. Much depends on the temperature outside the cooler as welll.