1st year Elk hunt, cooler size?

[LCguy]

Just wanted to add, if you live in a state with legal weed, the dispensaries will often be selling big coolers on Facebook Marketplace for screaming deals. I got two of the 120-qt igloos from a dispensary for $40. I did have to let them air out for a week in the back yard, but other than that, they work just fine.

 

[velvet muley]

There is only one good answer for this question.

Trade in the SUV for a truck.

 

[midwestcowboy]

Depending on the weather and how far of a drive home you’ve got, you might not need a cooler. Please read the below before calling me crazy and suggesting this guy needs a Yeti 210 lol.

A few years ago my buddy got an Idaho Bull in 45 degree weather with about a 4hr trip home. We had the elk meat hanging for a full 2 days in the shade and with a breeze while we continued to look for deer.

He didn’t have a big enough cooler - for the trip home he ended up just using a couple BIG plastic totes like you could buy at Walmart that he used to haul in firewood. Dumped the rest of his ice in there and got it home just fine. Elk meat tasted great.

If it’s September that probably isn’t gonna work. This was the middle of October.

There’s ways to go about it without going out and dropping a shitload of money on coolers.

 

[hunthikecamp]

Depending on the weather and how far of a drive home you’ve got, you might not need a cooler. Please read the below before calling me crazy and suggesting this guy needs a Yeti 210 lol.

A few years ago my buddy got an Idaho Bull in 45 degree weather with about a 4hr trip home. We had the elk meat hanging for a full 2 days in the shade and with a breeze while we continued to look for deer.

He didn’t have a big enough cooler - for the trip home he ended up just using a couple BIG plastic totes like you could buy at Walmart that he used to haul in firewood. Dumped the rest of his ice in there and got it home just fine. Elk meat tasted great.

If it’s September that probably isn’t gonna work. This was the middle of October.

There’s ways to go about it without going out and dropping a shitload of money on coolers.

This worked late Sept in CO as well, 5hr drive home last year, we went one step cheaper and just wrapped the meat in a tarp after hanging for a day or so and laid the ice bags on top. It was a night drive so no direct sun but those quarters never saw the inside of a cooler and made it home just fine.

 

[thegrouse]

Lately in the Wasatch at 9k feet daytime temps are in the 70s lows in the high 40s

 

[Cereal Killer]

10 bucks, wow! Time to start crawling marketplace for coolers. This is my plan this year, I've been running shitty small coolers for years and finally got fed up last year after I couldnt even close the lid on a deer quarter...im planning to buy 2 of these for 1 elk, $100 a piece at Sportsmans so theyre not a terrible deal new either.

$10 sounds like a stolen cooler to me

 

[thegrouse]

The exterior had a crack on the bottom

 

[Hnthrdr]

The exterior had a crack on the bottom

Nothing a little caulk can’t fix right? Bet they thought it was broken… lolz

 

[jtevanMT]

I use a 120 qt cooler full of frozen 1 gallon jugs and a 60 qt cooler with food or other supplies.

For anyone planning a hunt in MT, especially areas with high griz numbers…..Forest Service will give a warning and then ticket for any cooler is left outside (even in the back of your truck or open trailer). Coolers must be stored inside camper, covered trailer, under tonneau cover, or in pickup cab when you are not at camp. Some campgrounds are more relaxed, those near the parks (Glacier or Yellowstone) will give tickets. Come prepared if hunting in Griz country.

Not sure if the same rules apply in WY.