Returning Home With Elk Meat

[Latebloomer]

I use cable locks, pad locks and the yeti lock bar. I usually burn hotel points so I stay at Holiday Inn express, Hampton Inn never any issues.

Yep I might burn some Hyatt points…

 

[2rocky]

Meat Shipping from a processor, while more money up front, saves you oversize and baggage fees on coolers. You have time to get a freight quote from processors in your hunting area. I usually figure 200-250 pounds of cut & wrapped meat (boneless) from an elk. If you are solo and wanting to fly this will reduce your headache and save you days. An extra bag on an airline flight (under 50# and under 62 inches L+W+H) is going to run you up to $100 each after you check your Rifle or bow , duffle bag, and carry on your backpack with optics. https://www.tripadvisor.com/AirlineFees

If you are going with a group of people, then coolers and having a vehicle is much more cost effective. My Elk this year cut and wrapped fit in my 120 qt Igloo with 210 pounds of C&W packages solid frozen, no Ice. (1.5 day drive) A boned out elk might take 1.5-2 of these to allow room for dry ice.
I'd locate a Walmart near your hunting destination and buy extra coolers for $60 a pop if needed for the trip back. The only cooler I'd take wouldbe two. One has frozen meals in it for camp. the second would have Cool unfrozen items, like drinks, snacks and be where frozen dinners thaw. Boxed dinners, dried and canned foods go in a hardside footlocker.

 

[Latebloomer]

Airline baggage has gotten expensive. I’m a higher tiered flyer with one company, get multiple free bags. I just flew home in November with an elk, it was around $900, and that was with my two free bags. I would fly out and then one way rental back, almost all rental companies offer this service. A more economical option would be one way uhaul. You don’t have to buy big/expensive coolers on the way back. Buy plastic totes at Walmart, dry ice from welding supply place. Lots of options.

Good information. Thank you.

 

[TracksWapiti]

I came from TN as well to hunt OTC elk in CO for 2nd rifle. Spent the coin on Grizzly coolers for the long haul and a topper for my truck to keep gear/meat/antlers secure. My hunting partner and I drove straight thru on the way to CO and limped home on the way back (made one overnight stop due to weather before we could get out of the mountains and then another overnight stop at the state line to bone out meat before crossing it).

Great peace of mind with this setup logistically/security/meat care. Will definitely do it the same way going forward.

 

[Latebloomer]

I came from TN as well to hunt OTC elk in CO for 2nd rifle. Spent the coin on Grizzly coolers for the long haul and a topper for my truck to keep gear/meat/antlers secure. My hunting partner and I drove straight thru on the way to CO and limped home on the way back (made one overnight stop due to weather before we could get out of the mountains and then another overnight stop at the state line to bone out meat before crossing it).

Great peace of mind with this setup logistically/security/meat care. Will definitely do it the same way going forward.

Thought about getting a camper shell too. Great excuse to tell the wife. Lol

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Yep I might burn some Hyatt points…

To be honest rental 4wds usually suck...I had to pull him out twice when got snow, most rentals have street tires, this one had bald st tires and a no power V6..He also couldnt extend the rental because it was being sold the day after he was scheduled to return it. No thanks I having a locker, 35" AT tires, 7.3 V8 and winch. Tow straps, tire patch kit, jumper box, spare fuses, tire chains, and tools are nice to have as well.

I also have a hard lockable bed cover too.

 

[TheViking]

My hunting partner and I bring a chest freezer and a small generator. That freezer is 10x any $600 will ever be. Toss your meat in there, run the generator overnight, and you're good. It doesn't full freeze, but makes it damn cold. When you stop at a hotel, run an extension cord into the bed of your truck for as long as you want. We both have toppers on our trucks, I wouldn't do it with an open bed.

Take the horns inside your hotel room with you, or lock them in the cab and toss a sleeping bag over them so they aren't visible.

 

[Sportsman247]

What’s your drive? How many days you take of

Got it. So the ice chest in the back/outside and no one gets your stuff at night? I’d be burnt if my meat was stolen!

To date, no one has ever bothered my stuff in the truck.

 

[prm]

Not an elk hunt, but I've driven straight from DC to Denver before. Took something like 28 hours (two drivers) but we did it in one shot. It's not fun, but it's an option.

…..

That’s rough! We did make it to Effingham, IL the first day on the way home this year after a short detour in CO to pick up my deer from a processor. Reasonably easy trip on day 2. I did drive solo straight through from Austin TX towing my motorcycle trailer. 24 hours on the nose. ugh.

To me, one extra day to drive vs. flying is a no brainer. Listen to podcasts, tunes, or books and enjoy the scenery. And I normally enjoy flying for travel! With all the hunting stuff though, I found it to be rather stressful.
Driving from TN will be a little closer. Though TN challenges KS as the longest state to drive through! Depending on where you (the OP) are you might be quite a bit closer.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

If you're the type to have it processed then you may as well fly, have it processed in Denver (as well as any taxidermy work) and have them ship you the meat or make a fishing trip out there to pick it all up later.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

I bone mine out and cold age it in 150 qt ice chest for up to 14 days. the secret is to keep meat covered in ice the entire time. As soon as we have it boned in the cheat it goes. We have a 875 mile drive home and stop and get a room the first night of travel just over half way home. My friends truck has a shell and when we take my Yukon XL the ice chest are safe in the truck. This year the temp never got above 55 during the day so the ice melted real slow. Just remember to drain it every so often. I put a wire rack in the bottom of the chest to keep meat out of any water which may accumulate. I have done this several times now with no problems. Meat ages real nice.

 

[nam1975]

I flew into Denver and drove a rental home.
National Car Rental seems to be about the only car rental that doesn’t charge An extra grand for 1 way. They have 4x4 Frontiers and Colorados in the aisle.
Bought cheap Walmart coolers and sold them when I got home. They keep meat fine for a few days.

My cousin just went tuna fishing out of San Diego and had like 125 lbs to get home. They put them on a commercial airline at cargo rates, got a call to pickup at the airport same day. Easy pickup. Like a buck pound!

 

[Latebloomer]

I flew into Denver and drove a rental home.
National Car Rental seems to be about the only car rental that doesn’t charge An extra grand for 1 way. They have 4x4 Frontiers and Colorados in the aisle.
Bought cheap Walmart coolers and sold them when I got home. They keep meat fine for a few days.

My cousin just went tuna fishing out of San Diego and had like 125 lbs to get home. They put them on a commercial airline at cargo rates, got a call to pickup at the airport same day. Easy pickup. Like a buck pound!

How much was your rental for the hunt/drive home?

 

[Travis907]

Always drive the 24-36 hours depending on where I’m lucky enough to hunt. Like most have said it’s nice to have all your gear in the truck and not worry about the hassle of airports and worrying that your gear will arrive! Transporting meat in your truck is easy if you have enough cooler space and dry ice! Good luck

 

[rayporter]

i am a dry ice fan. no genny to mess with or worry about.

i have bought Styrofoam sheets and built a cooler by laying a sheet down and made 2 walls in the corner of a trailer and covered the meat with sleeping pads. alternatively i have done the same with sleeping pads and covered meat with gear.

we did take a small chest freezer once and put dry ice in to freeze the meat.

also bought extra coolers once.

driving to ohio the meat was always solid by the time i got home.

same with driving to Arkansas. by ok city the meat is cold and nearly solid.


flying from Alaska we used cardboard fish boxes and froze the meat in the box to fly with.
if cardboard works that well it would be easy to use to drive with.

i also have a plastic tool box that is 4 ft by 18 in x 18 in. that i have lined with sleeping pads and added ice to to haul 4 deer.

lots of ways to get the job done after the most important job of securing you animal. if you are going to make something buy some plastic painters drop cloths for a buck and use them to contain any leakage.

to make elk stew.

step one= obtain an elk. good luck.

 

[nam1975]

How much was your rental for the hunt/drive home?

Like 550. But I have a corporate account and it as in fall of 2020

 

[Tnjones1247]

Drove from mid tn this year. Flew last year. Driving is much cheaper. As long as you have the days before and after season. We took 4 coolers. Camper top for the win. We were able to lock everything and not worry about our stuff getting stolen.

 

[Latebloomer]

Drove from mid tn this year. Flew last year. Driving is much cheaper. As long as you have the days before and after season. We took 4 coolers. Camper top for the win. We were able to lock everything and not worry about our stuff getting stolen.

Yeah I’ve been looking at a leer camper. Appreciate the feedback.

 

[tbarile]

I shot a bull this past year in NM. My plan was to get a rental truck to drive everything the 26 hours home but nothing was available. I ended up using Wild game transportation to ship my 250lbs of meat, antlers, and cape back. That cost me $1,500.

Next year I’ll be reserving my rental truck early so I do t get stuck in that again. I’ll just return it and fly home if I get skunked.

 

[Earlierbird]

I used a company called big game transport to get my meat home. Picked up at the butcher ,500$ to cut and wrap
from Utah to Pennsylvania, was around 650$ Delivered
not inexpensive