Bringing moose home.
Contributors to this thread:Moose
From: Babysaph
18-Dec-24
How do you guys get a moose or elk home. I’m driving to my hunt across country and into Canada. I want to bring my meat back. Do you guys use Ice and coolers or a freezer and generator?
From: Quinn @work
18-Dec-24
If you can get the meat frozen before you leave do it. Put block ice on the bottom of the coolers, cardboard over the ice and meat on top. Put dry ice in cooler too but leave lid cracked open so gas can escape. Leave the drain open so water can drain or drain frequently along the trip. If it's warm wrap coolers in old sleeping bags. Your meat will be fine.
From: Babysaph
18-Dec-24
Thanks so much
From: Kurt
18-Dec-24
12 CF chest freezer and Honda EU1000i generator for me. I cut and vacuum seal it in camp. Grind the burger meat at home. But freeze it in gallon ziplocks for the trip home.
From: Fuzz
18-Dec-24
I'd also suggest laying down a 1" sheet of polystyrene insulation to pickup bed before you go. I don't think people realize how much engine/exhaust heat comes up through the floor of bed and the space lost is negligible.
From: Pyrannah
18-Dec-24
How many coolers?
From: Mo/Ark
18-Dec-24
"How many coolers"
Our outfitter recommended 2 150 qt coolers. It fit an Alberta moose just about perfect.
From: DEMO-Bowhunter
18-Dec-24
I put a processed and frozen Colorado Shiras in a 170 qt cooler and drove home to Michigan. It was still frozen when I returned. Put the cape in a small cheap 50ish qt cooler and froze it while waiting on my meat to get processed. It was also frozen when I returned home.
From: Pyrannah
18-Dec-24
thanks!
From: longsprings
18-Dec-24
Outfitter took it to local butcher , had option to vac and freeze , almost 400 lb of meat. Issue is does butcher have time to do it depending on kill date. And is their local butcher to handle it. It was nice because burger was ground and vaced and had to fly to Pa. It was not ready so huge conundrum
My buddy left there to go furthur north on another hunt so he picked up on his way home and shipped ups Not cheap but hey its moose meat
From: Bentstick54
18-Dec-24
I used 10 or 12cf chest freezer, packed frozen meat in. Carried extension cord to plug in at hotel at night. Freezer will keep meat frozen during the day while driving. Worked great.
From: cnelk
18-Dec-24
A couple of coolers and some dry ice - get rolling on down the road
From: arlone
18-Dec-24
Fuzz has a good idea about the heat in bottom of truck box.
From: Mathewsshooter
18-Dec-24
2 of us hunted Buffalo in BC .we drove from Colorado to pink mts Bc we killed two buffalo we had taken a chest freezer that fit in the back of the truck loaded all the meat in it heads and capes we put them loss in the back of the truck we drove straight thru 32 hrs no problems
From: Jimmyjumpup
18-Dec-24
I am thinking about quartering the meat and putting it in coolers and then cutting it up when I get back. 30 hour drive. I have a walk in cooler at home to put it in when I get home
From: Buskill
18-Dec-24
For a Newfoundland bull I used 2 150 quart coolers for meat and a 100 quart cooler for the hide. It was already frozen. For an Alaska bull I built a cooler in the back of my truck out of 2x4’s, osb and 1” foam sheets. It was also frozen prior to departure
From: Buskill
18-Dec-24
For a Newfoundland bull I used 2 150 quart coolers for meat and a 100 quart cooler for the hide. It was already frozen. For an Alaska bull I built a cooler in the back of my truck out of 2x4’s, osb and 1” foam sheets. It was also frozen prior to departure
From: Hunter's Granddad
19-Dec-24
My brother and I both killed a moose. He killed his early, so we had it processed. We cut mine up and put it in gallon bags. We tried to buy dry ice in Canada, but couldn't find any. We covered the meat with ice. We found dry ice in Minot, ND at a welding supply business. We finish processing my moose, when we got home. We were about 2.5 hours NE of Edmonton and drove back to NE Oklahoma. I like Fuzz's idea and will do that next time.
From: Ryan Rothhaar
19-Dec-24
Hey Doc, NF or farther west? I drove a couple moose home from BC once, did the build a cooler from lumber and foam board on the back of the pickup deal. I think I used 2 inch foam board. Meat was cooled but not frozen in camp, weather was freezing at night, 40-50 in the day up there.
Weather was cool to cold on the drive home. I don’t recall putting any ice or dry ice on the meat at all and it was cold when we got home.
I’d pick up some dry ice if I could find it, but if you get those huge hunks of meat cold ahead of time and put them in an insulated box they stay cold a long time.
R
From: Babysaph
19-Dec-24
Will be hunting in Alberta. Killed one in NF years ago and brought some meat home on the plane and left the rest for my guide and his family. I am driving this time so I can bring home the meat if I get one. 30 hour drive. I need my head examined.
From: Ryan Rothhaar
19-Dec-24
Ha Doc! My buddy and I are driving to Alberta too, this Spring for bears. I want to take my Subaru to save gas money.
:)
R
From: Mike Ukrainetz
19-Dec-24
Our average Alberta bull will require about 350 quarts of cooler space or about 400-450 lbs of cut, wrapped, frozen meat. If it was put in the cooler unfrozen, fits together tighter, then a bit less space is needed, same weight of course. A yearling bull would be 100 lbs less and a 5+ yr old bull, 100-200 lbs more.
Buying a used chest freezer is the cheapest route. Even if it quits working the insulation will keep the meat frozen. You can resell it or throw it out at the end of the hunt.
From: DonVathome
19-Dec-24
Definitely 1" foam on truck bed if coolers. If you can bring a chest freezer and plug it then you are all set. Good point on butchers being busy. I always butcher myself for this reason. Albertsso you have a guide so meat will be "good" from field. A few hours trimming and cutting in camp later - to make room if needed and for easier cooling down. If weather permits outside is a good option. I always bring 20# or more home fresh and have cookouts and give some away. Fresh meat is significantly better then frozen.
I have cut steaks in half, froze 1 side over night and thawed then cooked both. Fresh is a lot better.
From: ki-ke
19-Dec-24
Drove from NJ to NF early this past September. Killed a bull mid week and processed him myself. Brought my grinder and big vac sealer. I pulled my enclosed 14' trailer with a 15 CF freezer inside, powered by a Honda generator from the back of the pickup. Worked perfectly, with zero worries about spoilage.
From: Rgiesey
19-Dec-24
Elk in coolers with ice. Brought caribou home in foam box
From: HunterJoe
19-Dec-24
Shot this bull with Mikes Outfitting in 2023. I had it butchered up there. I took a 7 cubic foot freezer and 120 quart cooler. It was not enough. Butcher just kept bringing meat out on pallets. I loaded as much as I could fit in the freezer and cooler and then put the frozen packages on the back seat of my truck and covered it with a couple coats . I headed south and stopped at Home Depot and bought a 5 cubic foot freezer. I had to unload and repack everything in the parking lot. An inverter in my truck powered it just fine and I was able to hunt Elk in Colorado for seven days before heading on home to Michigan.
From: Babysaph
09-Jan-25
Will be hunting in Alberta. Killed one in NF years ago and brought some meat home on the plane and left the rest for my guide and his family. I am driving this time so I can bring home the meat if I get one. 30 hour drive. I need my head examined.
From: Buckdeer
09-Jan-25
We are going to Alberta in Oct so trying to figure out how to get moose home. Was planning on flying instead of 34 hour drive.Ideas as United said I can check meat as luggage but if they find and thawing at checkin it won't be allowed to fly
From: APauls
09-Jan-25
I'd for sure buy biggest chest freezer you can fit in truck. If you can get it frozen it would easily stay frozen in there for a few days, but even if you start "warm" you can plug it in and cool the stuff down. Sell it when done and if you buy used and sell used it likely doesn't cost you a dime. A freezer is essentially an oversized cooler with its insulation anyways.
From: WhattheFOC
09-Jan-25
Ya APauls- we’ve done the same with fish. Chest freezer, filled with cold/semi-frozen meat. Plug the freezer in overnight at the motel - no generator reqd.
From: Buckdeer
10-Jan-25
We are flying so it's tougher
From: Double Creek
10-Jan-25
Killed one in Montana and drove it home 3 days to the gulf coast. Frozen before I left but it completely filled two 150qt coolers with very little room for ice. Meat was unthawed by the time I got home but was fine. Took years to eat all of of it.
