Been doing it for many years now. When I get home, the dry ice is nearly gone, but the quarters on top are cold, and the ones on the bottom are nearly frozen. I have had no spoilage in over 15 years.
Best of Luck, Jeff
I do this for 7-10 days and have done in 4-5 times. The meat, if cleaned of all grass/dirt, will last just fine in a cooler on ice.
Consider taking it to a drive in car wash and hosing it off with the high pressure washer, then hanging it in the shade for an hour to fry before putting it back on ice.
Mike
Several days, I've gone up to two weeks.
Chances are you'll have to add more ice a time or two, though. The first chunks will melt fairly quickly. Once the meat has chilled it may last a few days. Keeping the stopper open, and water out of the cooler helps.
So does trying to keep the coolers out of the shade as much as possible.
Have fun!
Don't take the meat to a car wash to pressure wash it either. If the meat is dirty then rinse with bottles of water when it's still fresh. If you can't do this then leave the dirt, grass, sticks on it. Trim that stuff off when it's processed. Spraying it with high pressure water will spread that stuff everywhere!
If it's really warm outside get it in as soon as possible.
We've killed and eaten hundreds of animals. Never have had a bad one rushing to get it on ice.
You can also use dry ice but it's a bit of a pain if you haven't already butchered. You have to thaw once you get home and then butcher. Not a big deal but just an extra step that takes time. Obviously if you are flying this is the only way to go.
Good luck!
Using dry ice to freeze the meat do the following: Place the cooled-down meat in the cooler and place dry ice, (rapped up in a paper bag), on top of the meat. This action will freeze the meat.
Using dry ice to just keep the meat very cool: Place bagged up dry ice in the bottom of the cooler and cover it completely with normal ice. The dry ice will keep the normal ice frozen. Then place the meat on top of the layer of normal ice. The meat will not freeze but will remain very cool.
My best, Paul
But I do hope to kill a raghorn or a cow. For bone-in quarters, how big of a cooler do I need?
But I do hope to kill a raghorn or a cow. For bone-in quarters, how big of a cooler do I need?
A 175-200 qt for one larger if boned out and not "bone-in" as you stated. plus ice
A 200 qt cool might be able to handle a bone in elk meat and quarters. with ice
Or two coolers might also work.
Other's experiences????????????????
My best, Paul
So a 150 quart cooler should hold 300lbs. A large bull will yield about 250lbs. But that's the trimmed up and packaged weight and doesn't include ice. A 150 quart cooler would be the absolute minimum that you can get to work for an adult elk.
I build my own cooler to fit in the back of my pickup box. I leave the panels disassembled and put them together as needed. (When I kill). I put the meat in an old sleeping bag inside the cooler w/dry ice and I travel home. Last bull I killed, when I opened my cooler, it was comparable to opening a chest freezer.
I cut 2" foam panels that I pick up at Lowes or Menards and cut it on my table saw.
Here are a few pics.
I use gas station bag ice in the cooler. The inside temp will stabilize after two days and the ice will remain for a good while at that point. I leave the quarters in the cooler till I cut up the meat. There are a bazillion different ways to go about it. Over time you'll decide on a favorite.
Maybe in Southern California...
You honestly think that small mountain communities use recycled water at a DIY car wash in the Rockies? With all the extra street plumbing required?
And then not post that it's recycled water?
I seriously doubt it.
But 5 coolers for $119 is the way to go IMO
The meat gets pretty cold from hanging in the high mtn shade- then covered with a sleeping bag or even just a tarp in the daytime.
We use dry ice on the way home and it doesn't take much since we put the already cold meat in the cooler.....you don't want the meat sitting in water from regular ice, IMO.
Of course if you look up in front of you and see a White Tacoma with Kansas plates and two coolers on the back of the tail gate you'll know why the water droplets on your windshield look a little pink. :)
I make my own ice blocks by freezing mutiple 1 gallon and 1/2 gallon gatorade and juice jugs filled with water. Sometimes I also make a huge block of ice by freezing a 5-gallon jug of water.
I pack the 150 quart cooler with as many frozen jugs as I can fit and then buy cubed ice and pour into the cooler to fill all the air voids. I then put a nylon strap around the cooler to make sure it stays shut and I don't open it until I get meat.
The 120 qt. cooler is used for dry storage.
When I get an elk, I divide the meat and ice between the 2 coolers. Ice has kept for 2-weeks when I do it this way.
I bring all of the supplies needed. They don't take up much room. A couple of pointers. Bring a camp chair. (You need to get off of your feet, but you likely have one of those already. Set up in the shade and you will minimize flies and it is cooler to process meat. (On the elk in the pics, I would move at least twice a day)
I hang the meat overnight. Once the sun starts heating up, I drop the meat and cover with old sleeping bag. (To retain overnight cooling). If I am not done by the end of day, I will hang the remaining meat again overnight to cool again. (I had frost one morning)
It takes at least a day to break one down. But if I am solo, I have nothing but time! (Why would I want to rush home and leave elk country so soon!) I will bag up the trim meat in gallon freezer bags, as grinding and sausage making is a winter time project.
I do bring a small cooler along (68 Quart) which I use for dry storage and I can also store ice jugs in it.
Keep in mind with my meat cooler, I leave the panels disassembled and assemble them when needed (kill/meat). If I do not kill, they stay flat in the back of the truck.
Anytime I have actually frozen unprocessed meat on the way home, it ends up being "mushy" in texture when I eat it, so I try and keep just above freezing. If I use dry ice I insulate the meat from it to keep it from freezing.
