# How much room does an elk take up in a freezer?



## LPichan (Dec 30, 2007)

Three of us are heading to New Mexico for an upcoming elk hunt. Since we will be pulling a trailer, I was thinking of getting a chest freezer for transporting the meat for the long ride home, if we are successful. Has anyone does this as I'm trying to determine how big of a freezer would be needed?

thanks!


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## Buckbaker (Aug 3, 2015)

Mine filled a 7.5 cubic foot freezer. That was with my nephew taking a few steaks in payment for hauling the freezer home. My wife shot a small bull and a 5 cf freezer held hers.


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## Forest Meister (Mar 7, 2010)

If you get the meat processed and frozen before you head home coolers should work just fine. Put a couple inches of Styrofoam insulation under the coolers and pack your gear around them and the meat will stay solid for quite some time. Doing it that way has brought moose back from Newfoundland, elk from Colorado, and last fall deer and antelope back from Wyoming in temperatures that never got below 75* the entire trip and reached 90* in South Dakota.

Coolers are lighter than a freezer and lighter usually means better gas mileage. Hope you bring home three! FM


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## kbb3358 (Feb 24, 2005)

If we get a good freeze on processed meat. We place meat in Rubbermaid containers and cover them with sleeping bags. The meat is still frozen solid after 22 hours driving home from Colorado even in 90's temps. Antlers are the hard part to get home. Take up so much room.


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## spendit (Dec 19, 2002)

LPichan said:


> Three of us are heading to New Mexico for an upcoming elk hunt. Since we will be pulling a trailer, I was thinking of getting a chest freezer for transporting the meat for the long ride home, if we are successful. Has anyone does this as I'm trying to determine how big of a freezer would be needed?
> 
> thanks!


We brought home two bulls from Chama NM inside 4 large coolers (white fish type) per truck w/toppers - some of the meat was froze at processor (early tag-outs). We packed the meat in tight and placed some dry ice on the top before we shut them up, taped the lids shut (around the perimeter). Solid as a rock after the two day trip home


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## buckykm1 (Dec 19, 2011)

if it is deboned, a 11 or 12 cu. ft. should work for the meat. but if you plan on bring capes back too ? you will need something bigger.

Kevin


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## Nostromo (Feb 14, 2012)

Freezers are not that heavy, so don't let that be a consideration. If there is vehicle trouble or you decide to stop and fish or hit a casino you can always plug them in.

Good luck!


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## QDMAMAN (Dec 8, 2004)

The bull I killed last year was processed and frozen before the trip home.
The processor wasn't open on Saturday so my nephew picked it up on Friday afternoon so we could hunt on Saturday (last day). Ileft my125 qt. cooler when I dropped it off, also left the cape there as well in their walk in freezer.
The 125 qt held all 200# of boneless meat AND the cape, and it was FULL. We headed for home on Sunday morning (27 hr. drive) and when we were coming across NE temps were in the 80s and the cooler was on a bumper rack. Everything was still frozen solid when we arrived home on Monday afternoon (3 days in the Icey Tek cooler).
View attachment 224215


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## buckykm1 (Dec 19, 2011)

QDMAMAN said:


> The bull I killed last year was processed and frozen before the trip home.
> The processor wasn't open on Saturday so my nephew picked it up on Friday afternoon so we could hunt on Saturday (last day). Ileft my125 qt. cooler when I dropped it off, also left the cape there as well in their walk in freezer.
> The 125 qt held all 200# of boneless meat AND the cape, and it was FULL. We headed for home on Sunday morning (27 hr. drive) and when we were coming across NE temps were in the 80s and the cooler was on a bumper rack. Everything was still frozen solid when we arrived home on Monday afternoon (3 days in the Icey Tek cooler).
> View attachment 224215



You must shoot Baby Bulls. lol

Kevin


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## QDMAMAN (Dec 8, 2004)

buckykm1 said:


> You must shoot Baby Bulls. lol
> 
> Kevin


OUCH!


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## buckykm1 (Dec 19, 2011)

QDMAMAN said:


> OUCH!



Lol, just teasing. maybe they run smaller in Idaho ?. I know my last Bull there is no way that it would have fit in a 120 QT cooler, without the cape being in there.

Kevin


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## QDMAMAN (Dec 8, 2004)

buckykm1 said:


> Lol, just teasing. maybe they run smaller in Idaho ?. I know my last Bull there is no way that it would have fit in a 120 QT cooler, without the cape being in there.
> 
> Kevin


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## Steiny (May 30, 2011)

We hauled home (3) processed, frozen bull elk in (3) 150 quart coleman coolers last year.
No problem with thawing after about three days transportation in coolers. We did throw a couple pieces of dry ice in each.


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## LPichan (Dec 30, 2007)

Hey thanks everyone for the good input! Now we just have to go out and get the job done. I'll let you know the results.


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## deerhuntermike (Mar 13, 2009)

LPichan said:


> Three of us are heading to New Mexico for an upcoming elk hunt. Since we will be pulling a trailer, I was thinking of getting a chest freezer for transporting the meat for the long ride home, if we are successful. Has anyone does this as I'm trying to determine how big of a freezer would be needed?
> 
> thanks!


We put a small chest freezer in the back of the truck or enclosed trailer and run it off an inverter. We have used this method for the past 10 years or so. we process our own elk, deer and antelope. The only problem is if you need to bring back the cape, it takes up a lot of room.


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