Transporting Meat in Cooler

[deerhunt1988]

I've used the phone skope cooler tray and it works well. You do only have the hight of the tray legs to keep the water off so you still have to keep your eye on it.

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Thanks, just ordered two!

 

[Elk_Guapo]

I somehow overlooked it. Its the red cutter episode

Here's a link to the episode:

Ep. 227: Red Cutter | MeatEater Podcasts

Steven Rinella talks with meat scientist Dr. Chris Calkins, Spencer Neuharth, Corinne Schneider, and Phil Taylor.Topics discussed: debunking meat myths; how stress affects the flavor of meat; myoglobin and hemoglobin; why you shouldn't cut into an animal before rigor mortis is complete; muscle is...

www.themeateater.com

I wish I'd been able to listen to this episode before my late season blacktail hunt last year. I didn't let my buck go through rigor mortis before sandwiching him between bags of ice in my coolers for the next few days.

I was confused when the meat (even the backstraps) turned out to be extremely tough, which I later learned was due to cold shortening.

 

[cravingame]

So you guys using frozen jugs/bottles...you're hauling them from home?

 

[Tmac]

Is a roto molded cooler really necessary for transporting meat? Would a coleman or igloo work for 3-5 days?

No.

Yes, if one of the better insulated models, depending on the weather, was the meat cool before going into the cooler, how much ice you have. Etc. Whether roto or regular, you face the same issues. Some regular coolers insulate very well, very close to a good roto moulded cooler.

 

[Tmac]

How many 70-80 qt cooler do people normally take for mule deer/ elk if they plan to de-bone the meat?

The size of the deer or elk factors in too. For a large bodied MD, I‘d bring two 80 qt.ish coolers or one 125 qt. if I had the room. Will probably just need one 80 qt., but one never knows. An real big elk can have a bunch of meat. Maybe 4 80‘s or a couple 125’s is a guess. Assumes boned out already cool meat.

One can take fewer hard coolers, if you bone out the meat, already have it cool, then put meat and ice in separate unscented plastic bags, wrap it up in a sleeping bag or two, making sure not to sit it on a warm surface unless doubly insulated on the bottom. Make your own cool space essentially. I’ve gone to using soft fish kill bags, and bringing ice in a hard sided cooler thats completely full of ice.

If you are going to use the ice for initial cooling, you will need lots and lots of ice and more cooler space so you don’t pack warm meat tightly. Once cold a tight pack is OK with ample ice towards or on top.

 

[amassi]

Is a roto molded cooler really necessary for transporting meat? Would a coleman or igloo work for 3-5 days?

Yes coleman or igloos work fine
You can also improve the cheap coolers by filling amy hollow voids with spray foam. Just drill some holes and shoot full of foam. Really ups their staying power

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[Boarmaster]

I freeze 2 gallon water blocks. I don't care to deal with bloody water. I get the meat as cool as possible before putting it in the cooler. I generally bone out so after its cooled down I put it in two gallon ziplock bags and leave the top of the bags open. I dont crowd the bags or put too much in the bags as this aids in getting the meat really cold after I put it in the cooler. After its as cold as its going to get I close up the bags. My coolers stay nice and clean and never had meat go bad. I use other coolers for drinks and food So Im not opening up my game cooler. Overkill but I bought a temp sensor that bluetooths to my Iphone so I can monitor cooler temps without opening the cooler. Totally not needed but sort of neat.
if Im shooting hogs in South Florida they get mostly boned out and go directly in ice to bleed out.

 

[Boarmaster]

Is a roto molded cooler really necessary for transporting meat? Would a coleman or igloo work for 3-5 days?

I use rotomolded these days but my old marine coolers worked great for 20 years for 3-5 day trips.

 

[EdP]

I travel from Va to Wy to hunt pronghorn every year I can. Due to space issues, frozen jugs is not an option so I rely on bag ice. I hunt small public parcels or walk in areas so I don't have anywhere to hang the meat to cool before it goes in the cooler. After the shot the animal gets field dressed and then I head to the truck for my cart. My return trip with the cart brings along a couple of bags of ice from the cooler. The ice goes into the body cavity immediately and stays there for the ride to the truck. This helps get a good jump on the cooldown process. At the truck the animal goes on my hitch mounted hoist for skinning and breaking down. My meat goes into game bags and then trash bags to keep it clean and dry. Pack in ice to cool as quickly as possible. I put some wide strips of foam insulation in the bottom of my cooler to keep the meat up out of the melt water but let the water get to the drain (my version of a "rack"). Then drain and add ice as needed.

 

[kit_man_duu]

I travel from Va to Wy to hunt pronghorn every year I can. Due to space issues, frozen jugs is not an option so I rely on bag ice. I hunt small public parcels or walk in areas so I don't have anywhere to hang the meat to cool before it goes in the cooler. After the shot the animal gets field dressed and then I head to the truck for my cart. My return trip with the cart brings along a couple of bags of ice from the cooler. The ice goes into the body cavity immediately and stays there for the ride to the truck. This helps get a good jump on the cooldown process. At the truck the animal goes on my hitch mounted hoist for skinning and breaking down. My meat goes into game bags and then trash bags to keep it clean and dry. Pack in ice to cool as quickly as possible. I put some wide strips of foam insulation in the bottom of my cooler to keep the meat up out of the melt water but let the water get to the drain (my version of a "rack"). Then drain and add ice as needed.

Thanks for the tip.

 

[CentexBowhunter]

I dont like water logged grey meat, that said it doest really effect anything.


Dont make it more complicated then it needs to be ....kill the lope and get it on ice. I toss the game bags right on top of the ice blocks, i will crack the drain for bit till the temp drops on the meat ....once its cooled down, add more ice , shut the cooler and drive home.

I second this. Did it with my elk this year and the elk turned out fine.

 

[Joshk358]

I have transported meat in coolers a lot. A 900 lb bull moose from Maine fit in 4 150qt coolers (cape in 1). I had it on ice for 3 or 4 days and it worked out great. Lots of ice, but worked fine. I have also used coolers with dry ice. I had a Texas axis buck whose velvet antlers would not fit in the cooler. I put dry ice in the cooler and wrapped a tarp around the open part with the antlers sticking out and it was frozen solid by the time I got home 2 days later. The temps were HOT AF!

 

[syoungs]

You can easily make a rack from pvc custom fit to your cooler to allow space for water and blood to escape the meat. Sure makes it easier to handle draining the coolers, and helps stop the grey nasty looking meat from happening.

 

[kong]

I seen a guy on Molokai or Maui shoot a pig or axis deer and throw ice and run water through the cooler till water was clear. Said it was real tender.


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[Pyro5312]

Cleaned my pig up from Maui real good froze hard for travel and was perfect after a 20hr total travel time back in Colorado

 

[USMC307]

Cleaned my pig up from Maui real good froze hard for travel and was perfect after a 20hr total travel time back in Colorado

DIY or outfitter? I’m heading that way in April. Trying to figure out what to hunt and with who.


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[plentycoupe]

I started aging my game in coolers full of ice last year. There’s a good episode about it on the Backcountry Hunting podcast with Joseph Avon Benedict.
For 30 years I have hung to cool or age game and wanted to try something that doesn’t create that dry rind or waste the rib meat when it dries out.
I put the quarters on ice now. It worked out great on a whitetail and mule deer and Blacktail last year.
keep it simple: put ice in cooler. Add meat, cover completely with ice, leave cap open and cooler slanted to drain. Add more ice until you want to cut the animal up. The meat can turn a grey color yet that is only a thin layer like a dry rind. I just left it and it didn’t effect the flavor at all. No waste.
I used both a Yeti and Colman extreme and they both worked great. I would never ever buy another super expensive cooler as the others work just as good(maybe not as durable but ai have been using one through two Iraq deployment and still today.)

 

[stumpknocker]

Living in the south I put meat directly on ice.

Meat that is to be ground or roasted (shoulders) go on bottom because I don’t mind turning gray. Then a layer of flat ice packs and on top goes meat that will be steaks (hams, backstrap). Keeps the steaks a nice red.

Usually hang the hams out at night if its cool enough To keep them extra dry. If you can get a slight rind on it before putting in cooler it does wonders. Keeping hams dry does make a difference in flavor for straight steaks IMO. Store in cooler this way for 7-10 days before cutting.

 

[30338]

Shot a lot of antelope on hot days. I skin right after pics, quarter, and put on crushed ice. Wait about 4-6 hours, drain water, refill and keep on ice for 2-5 days prior to cutting myself. Never had any issues and meat tastes great. Do same thing with deer on warm hunts.

 

[daddie63]

I gotta find that episode on the Backcountry Hunter. Thought I heard them all.