A deboned moose.. how many coolers full?

[Salty]

I have little experience with moose hunting and none deboning one. Hard question to answer I know but looking for experience out there, and everyone is familiar with a large igloo so how many would it take to contain the meat of a mid sized deboned bull? Or if your experience is with a different sized bull and different containers let's hear how that went if you would. thanks :)

[1980skywalker]

Lots of variables there, how much ice are you planning on using, I guess that would depend on your time to get it home? Moose also come in many sizes, I would say plan for 3 coolers full with room for ice, you could probably fit in two but might risk it getting too warm. ???

[Ohwildwon]

I have no idea, but ill take a guess, 10?

10 X $400 yeti cooler = $4000.00

How do you like them apples?

Just havin fun...:lol:

[guest]

Just a guess Salty but we're leaving all rib and spine bones for many years behind ....... At times we remove the main leg bones but guessing an average large bull from northern BC deboned would likely almost fill 2 of them big Igloo fish coolers ..... I take mine when headed north for elk and moose too. Drain cap off to be rid of melted ice water its a great way to bring back meat. Even take it on early sheep goat and buck hunts. Ice on the bottom, meat racked to circulate air when traveling home lid partailly open ....... Can save your bacon on early hunt.

[Salty]

Thanks skywalker sort of what I was thinking. The plan would be taking an apartment sized deep freeze and a generator plus coolers. Have ice in the freezer running the genny once in a while to keep, get a moose and spread out the meat in the little freezer and coolers.

[Salty]

10-4 on the circulation curly... makes a big difference.

[Fred1]

Bank on three of those coolers. If you can, get/use dry ice. Make sure the meat is fully cooled before you pile it in the cooler!! Cover the coolers - keep them out of the sun.
Salty - you freezer and ice plan is sound!

[Fisher-Dude]

You have to subtract the amount of meat that you must give to non-residents in your calculation.

That'll save on your ice costs.

[300rum700]

Last one I packed out one rear quarter no bone, took up about 5500-6000 ci of pack space. You should be able to do some calls from there and it was as big as they get. Where as the last interior moose I packed I was able to take half the meat from a deboned moose in one pack. They are big up north!

[250 sav]

three or four coolers depending on moose size

[Salty]

Thanks all gives me a good idea.

[Boner]

4 laundry baskets full to level. Sorry, that's how we measure when we butcher!

[azzi]

First of all apt. size deep freeze will do. get c. o to sign off meat first before you cut it Bring freezer wrap.We have 7.5 cubic

...

[Gateholio]

I made a pretty decent cooler out of plywood and thick styrofoam with spray foam at the joints in the interior. If you put the freezer in your truck you can custom make the cooler to take the rest of the space. For the top I just put styro on the top and screwed down the plywood. This kept frozen meat frozen solid for 24 hours, without ice. ( We use it to transport our butchered lambs sometimes)

You definitely want your freezer to be at the maximum cold temperature BEFORE adding any non frozen meat to it. A freezer really needs to be going -empty- for almost 24 hours before introducing warm items into it. Otherwise you are basically making a fridge that will work very hard for a long time.

Also, if you want to have ice in your freeezer and run the genny, use small buckets of water, freeze them and keep them frozen. This way if anything melts, you still have the water in buckets and not sloshing around. A large chunk of ice will stay frozen much longer than cubes, obviously.

[dabber]

Salty,by the looks of your new hunting trailer you have enough room to bring back the bones for your dogs. Don't forget the head mount??

[walks with deer]

I deboned a calf elk (bracket one large deer)(equaled one jumbo cooler bought us enough time to get second elk.

[walks with deer]

We had 3 more coolers ready

[BearStump]

I brought back 2 cow elk on 35 deg temps a few years back. on a 10 hr drive.
we had a small deep freeze in the back of the truck with a genny. while on the trip we ground and bagged the neck, rib, and scrap meat. froze that solid. so we had about 8 inches of solid frozen meat on the bottom of the freezer. then we put the 8 quarters standing on end on top of that which kept the door cracked open about 2 inches. worked really good. If I did it again I would put a small fan in the freezer too to circulate more air.

[untilthelastbeat]

Ya good size interior moose took one big igloo 2 normal camping size coolers and the fridge in our camper. All cut and wrapped

[panhead]

Don't know if this will help you ... when I go fishing I freeze water in my cooler so it forms one solid block. This only works if you freeze about an inch of water at a time otherwise it expands and splits your cooler. Of course you have to have enough room in your freezer to fit the cooler. Tried dry ice once but melted fast, don't know why.
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[M.Dean]

Can a guy get a front and rear quarter off a average sized moose in a big Igloo I wonder? I've got a big Igloo, and just guessing, I bet a guy could. But, if you've got a inch or two of ice in the bottom, and the quarters are warmer than the ice, you'll have a cooler full of red water in no time. But, hopefully you'll have a day or two so you can get the meat to just above freezing in the freezer. I'd say two big Igloo coolers will hold a bull moose with no bones, but I'd take three Igloo coolers to be safe! Good Luck!

[Salty]

Always good to hear a lot of different ways to go you guys have some great ideas. Gate I have definitely thought about making a small well insulated meat locker but I don't think I'll get to it this year. Just going with the freezer and coolers for now. I'm saving up 2 litre bottles and I'll fill them with water and freeze them and keep them in the df. Won't have to worry about melt water that way. If there's room maybe buy a few blocks of ice for good measure too.

dabber I'm putting sides on the trailer next instead of driving by and admiring it next time grab a paint brush and make yourself useful. You guys are on early shift now so lots of day light to work with, should leave you with time for an hour or two of sleep before the alarm goes off :tongue:

[dakoda62]

We put 2 beboned bulls in a 15 cuft freezer. fit nice with even room left. One bull weighed 340 the other 380.

[srupp]

Hmmm cariboo bull moose 700...900 pounds on hoof..alaska species add 300...400 pounds..
I have filled 3 x120 guart coolers with cariboo bulls..
I make a slurry of lots of salt..water and ice..mix well..drain off some water keep meat above that level..amazing how cold that slurry gets..unfotunatly the ice steals room in the cooler but provides the cooling.
Cheers
Steven

[Brno22F]

a few years back, my brother came up from Delta to hunt with me. He got a nice moose. All 4 quarters on the hook at the Sausage factory in Smithers weighed 625 pounds, bone in. I shipped it to him after it was cut, wrapped and frozen and all the various sausage was made as ordered. All meat was deboned during butchering.

I shipped 8 coolers, standard Coleman type about 1 ft. x 1ft. x2 ft size. You might get by with a few less for fresh unfrozen meat but you will want 1/2 inch rope handles on the coolers because the plastic ones won't handle the weight.

[swampthing]

I will go with 3 coolers as a guess. Seems like every moose I have shot had to be carried out on my back. 4 backpack loads for an immy and 6-8 for bigger bulls.

[BCHoyt]

A little off the OP's question but a variable of it.. Say a medium sized bull moose is done at the butchers. would all the wrapped and packed meat fit in a apartment size freezer?