Processing in Anchorage?

[brown4christ]

The unit we're moose hunting in Alaska this year requires you to leave the bone on the meat. We want to bone it out freeze it and ship to the states ourselves. I want to process my own when I get back home.
I am a known shipper with Alaska Air Cargo so that will save money. If I could get any info on where I can personally bone my meat and box it for shipping in Anchorage, I would appreciate it. I researched the local processors and they're reasonable for processing the meat but expensive for boxing and shipping! Thanks!

 

[AKMAN]

The unit we're moose hunting in Alaska this year requires you to leave the bone on the meat. We want to bone it out freeze it and ship to the states ourselves. I want to process my own when I get back home.
I am a known shipper with Alaska Air Cargo so that will save money. If I could get any info on where I can personally bone my meat and box it for shipping in Anchorage, I would appreciate it. I researched the local processors and they're reasonable for processing the meat but expensive for boxing and shipping! Thanks!

They're also not going to turn it around in a timeline that will likely work with your travel schedule.
Indian Valley does good work. Mat Valley Meats does too.
5/1 neither of them are going to have your order done inside of 4 weeks during September.

 

[cocky84]

where are you from brown4christ?

 

[brown4christ]

where are you from brown4christ?

I'm from Eastern Washington. I wanted to know if there is a location where I could debone the meat and have it frozen/flash frozen before I leave so I could then ship it with me via Alaska air cargo. I'm able to debone it myself. I just didn't want to lay a tarp in a motel room and debone my meat!

 

[Kimbersig]

I'm from Eastern Washington. I wanted to know if there is a location where I could debone the meat and have it frozen/flash frozen before I leave so I could then ship it with me via Alaska air cargo. I'm able to debone it myself. I just didn't want to lay a tarp in a motel room and debone my meat!

Why not? thats a decent option. most alaskan's are used to things like that. we prepped our meat and horns in the parking lot of our B&B in Kodiak.

 

[brown4christ]

Why not? thats a decent option. most alaskan's are used to things like that. we prepped our meat and horns in the parking lot of our B&B in Kodiak.

I don't have a problem with it. It's either the room or parking lot!
I just didn't know(because it is Alaska and so many hunters pass through) if there was a place that you could do it yourself.

 

[Kimbersig]

I don't have a problem with it. It's either the room or parking lot!
I just didn't know(because it is Alaska and so many hunters pass through) if there was a place that you could do it yourself.

LOL many animals are finish caped and meat boned in parking lots up there. hell i've seen them do it in the walmart parking lot since thats where they bought the fish boxes to take the meat back in. i'd be as discreet and respectful as possible and you should be fine. parking lot of sportsmans or cabelas/bass pro would get lots of admirers!

 

[Ray]

Not to my knowledge is there a DIY place in town. There is a need for one, but nobody is stepping up to make it happen. For good reason considering how horrific fishermen leave town each summer dumping their fish waste in neighborhood ditches, etc. I can imagine what a place would look like with bone piles and trimmings left behind.

It would take a few days to freeze a moose using a traditional freezer.

I am told that 10th and M Seafood downtown location (not the one on Muldoon) rents fish box space and they may be cold enough freeze a moose enough in one day.

There is a baggage freezer at the airport operated by one of the airlines.

 

[AKMAN]

I am told that 10th and M Seafood downtown location (not the one on Muldoon) rents fish box space and they may be cold enough freeze a moose enough in one day.

There is a baggage freezer at the airport operated by one of the airlines.

Both very good ideas! I agree though, the meat might not be solid by the time you fly, but it's 5 hours to Spoklahoma so you ought to be ok.

 

[KJH]

I've deboned meat in a tent with table, in someone I didn't knows garage (was happy to take $20 a person), and under an overhang at the airport right next to the tarmac. As long as you can get a table, overhead cover, and some lights anything works. Running water is a nice to have too. Just clean up any mess like you would if it was your place, and it should work out.

I've also used the cargo storage freezer at the Anchorage airport to store the wax boxes until you're ready to leave. Well worth the money.

 

[Kimbersig]

the freezer at the airport is quite expensive just FYI. $13/box/day....that's a lot of boxes for a moose!

 

[brown4christ]

I did read about the airport freezer. The hotel we're staying in has 3 large box freezers they said we could use as well. Looks like we'll just find a "discreet" location as Kimbersig mentioned. We're going to stay an extra couple days when we get back into Anchorage to insure the meat freezes. Thanks for the info!

 

[Huntfun]

I too will be passing through Anchorage on the way in and out of the village I fly into the bush from on my Moose/Caribou hunt. I have become a Known Shipper with Alaskan Air Cargo so it is an option to use to get meat back to MI. Northern Air Cargo will backhaul meat out of many of the villages and they may have a freezer at their airport facility. I need to look into that.

Brown4Christ...
What unit are you hunting if you don't mind sharing?
At what point can you start to bone out your meat?
How many lbs per box do you do with AAC?

I'd be interested to learn what you learn if you will share.

 

[Ray]

At what point can you start to bone out your meat?

You have to read the regulations to see if there is a specific rule for the species being taken. Most units state all the bones including ribs have to come out. Due to how I cut up the rear, I have left the pelvis in the field on some caribou as there was nothing attached to it once I was done.

The regs require you to be out of the field, so once you are back in a village, or back in town you can start to bone out the meat.

For those of you planning on butchering in Anchorage, please be sure to get your waste into a dumpster. Many are locked, but there are quite a few that are not. Check with your hotel if you can put the waste in their cans.

 

[Antlers]

Not aware of a place in ANC, but there may be a business like this in some villages. Also, check with your air taxi (if using one); they sometimes have space and allow this to be done.

Oh, may I suggest not doing this in a hotel room...