What’s In Your Freezer?

[WookieBowcaster]

How many folks out there catalog (on paper or in a document) the meat in their freezer?

I just bought a new freezer and was transferring / organizing. And I was wondering if I was being too much of a nerd in thinking that I should track what I have.

— WBC


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Pickettpuncher]

I don’t keep a tab of what’s in there. But I have 2 chest type freezers. I use milk crates and try to keep things separated and organized with those.

 

[silasbowhunter]

I made almost this exact post on the Cooking in the wild forum a couple days ago.
I’m thinking some of spread sheet in a dry erase board that will go on my freezer. Should help with inventory and meal prepping. Boxes are also gonna be a part of organizing!
Goodluck


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jrbarnes9972]

I just dug in there and see what I got lol

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

 

[Rich M]

I don't log what's in my freezers - have a series of boxes and plastic totes - beef cow, venison, veggies, fish, ice as in frozen 2 liter bottles. We don't mix too much stuff in there.

Was hoping to get a beef cow last month and farmer sold it out from under us. Waiting for the next opportunity.

 

[WookieBowcaster]

I made almost this exact post on the Cooking in the wild forum a couple days ago.
I’m thinking some of spread sheet in a dry erase board that will go on my freezer. Should help with inventory and meal prepping. Boxes are also gonna be a part of organizing!
Goodluck


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hahaha! Great minds think alike!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MallardSX2]

If half the people actually ate what they put in their freezers and the other half actually knew what was in their freezers there would be a LOT more game left to hunt. I know a bunch of people who have 5 years' worth of deer in their freezer, and they are still shooting as many as they can. "I don't want to run out of meat" is the excuse they use to go kill a deer. lol They have enough deer meat to feed 10 people for a year straight.

Ironically, It's the same people that complain about "eating what you kill" too.

I'm OCD I know exactly what is in my freezer and where it is at. Everything is in boxes labeled by year, and I eat last years BEFORE I eat these years.

I was guilty of chowing down a few 2023 elk steaks before eating the last of my 2022 deer though.....

I have 1 small chest freezer filled with all of our ground and it is segregated by species and by year.
I have 1 large chest freezer with 2023 deer.
I have 1 small chest freezer with our meat chickens we raised and on the other side is elk roasts and, on the shelves, it is elk steaks and in the top part of that freezer baskets are what is left of the bear sticks and deer jerky.

I don't root around for stuff in my freezer anymore. I gave that up years ago and I actually save money by having some organization. I try not keep more than "2 years' worth" of meat in my freezer at any given time. The elk really pushed the limit of the freezers, and I gave my deer away to my in-laws because they didn't get any deer this year.

I truly wonder what these guys who kill 4 or 5 elk a year are doing with them. I bet a ton of the meat is wasted.

 

[WookieBowcaster]

If half the people actually ate what they put in their freezers and the other half actually knew what was in their freezers there would be a LOT more game left to hunt. I know a bunch of people who have 5 years' worth of deer in their freezer, and they are still shooting as many as they can. "I don't want to run out of meat" if the excuse they use to go kill a deer. lol They have enough deer meat to feed 10 people for a year straight.

Ironically, It's the same people that complain about "eating what you kill" too.

I'm OCD I know exactly what is in my freezer and where it is at. Everything is in boxes labeled by year, and I eat last years BEFORE I eat these years.

I was guilty of chowing down a few 2023 elk steaks before eating the last of my 2022 deer though.....

I have 1 small chest freezer filled with all of our ground and it is segregated by species and by year.
I have 1 large chest freezer with 2023 deer.
I have 1 small chest freezer with our meat chickens we raised and on the other side is elk roasts and, on the shelves, it is elk steaks and in the top part of that freezer baskets are what is left of the bear sticks and deer jerky.

I don't root around for stuff in my freezer anymore. I gave that up years ago and I actually save money by having some organization. I try not keep more than "2 years' worth" of meat in my freezer at any given time. The elk really pushed the limit of the freezers, and I gave my deer away to my in-laws because they didn't get any deer this year.

I truly wonder what these guys who kill 4 or 5 elk a year are doping with them. I bet a ton of the meat is wasted.

Great post. And I am guilty of some of your observations. Trying to improve. I have been donating deer to Hunters for the Hungry if I can.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Rich M]

We do mark & label our stuff - use a lot of qt size ziplocks for 18-20 oz ground meat. Will use freezer paper for roast and chunks. Vac seal fish.

When we buy a beef cow we get 200-300# of boneless meat, which lasts us upwards of 3-4 years. I've taken to only shooting 1 deer a year cause don't want to waste any. Wife prefers the beef.

Use sharpie to label w month/yr and what it is.

Times:
ground meat in ziplock = 3 yrs+
freezer papered roasts = 2-3 yrs
fish in ziplock = 2-3 months
fish vac sealed = 2-3 years

 

[5MilesBack]

I have it written down in my head. We have four dedicated freezers (two upright and two chest) and I know exactly what's in them.

 

[Danny Hoey]

How many folks out there catalog (on paper or in a document) the meat in their freezer?

I just bought a new freezer and was transferring / organizing. And I was wondering if I was being too much of a nerd in thinking that I should track what I have.

— WBC


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It's a good idea, I've never thought of doing it. I always count the different packages of cuts and grinds anyway so it wouldn't be difficult to throw it on a whiteboard and just erase a tally when you take one out.

 

[mi650]

If half the people actually ate what they put in their freezers and the other half actually knew what was in their freezers there would be a LOT more game left to hunt. I know a bunch of people who have 5 years' worth of deer in their freezer, and they are still shooting as many as they can. "I don't want to run out of meat" is the excuse they use to go kill a deer. lol They have enough deer meat to feed 10 people for a year straight.

Ironically, It's the same people that complain about "eating what you kill" too.

I'm OCD I know exactly what is in my freezer and where it is at. Everything is in boxes labeled by year, and I eat last years BEFORE I eat these years.

I was guilty of chowing down a few 2023 elk steaks before eating the last of my 2022 deer though.....

I have 1 small chest freezer filled with all of our ground and it is segregated by species and by year.
I have 1 large chest freezer with 2023 deer.
I have 1 small chest freezer with our meat chickens we raised and on the other side is elk roasts and, on the shelves, it is elk steaks and in the top part of that freezer baskets are what is left of the bear sticks and deer jerky.

I don't root around for stuff in my freezer anymore. I gave that up years ago and I actually save money by having some organization. I try not keep more than "2 years' worth" of meat in my freezer at any given time. The elk really pushed the limit of the freezers, and I gave my deer away to my in-laws because they didn't get any deer this year.

I truly wonder what these guys who kill 4 or 5 elk a year are doing with them. I bet a ton of the meat is wasted.

I wish we were this organized. Would have saved me from digging for a chicken this morning!

 

[mi650]

We do mark & label our stuff - use a lot of qt size ziplocks for 18-20 oz ground meat. Will use freezer paper for roast and chunks. Vac seal fish.

When we buy a beef cow we get 200-300# of boneless meat, which lasts us upwards of 3-4 years. I've taken to only shooting 1 deer a year cause don't want to waste any. Wife prefers the beef.

Use sharpie to label w month/yr and what it is.

Times:
ground meat in ziplock = 3 yrs+
freezer papered roasts = 2-3 yrs
fish in ziplock = 2-3 months
fish vac sealed = 2-3 years

A tip for fish I read in Field and Stream years ago: Freeze it in water in ziplock baggies. I don't think we've ever had any more than 3-4 years, but it's supposed to keep damn near forever.

 

[KenLee]

Some of the best entertainment of my life has been watching females with nice "assets" digging around in chest freezers while scantily attired. Y'all miss the positives of disorganization.

 

[BadEarth]

I have an upright and have a couple shelves of ground. Couple shelves of steak. Couple shelves of brats. And a shelf of salmon and fish. I don’t worry about weights or keeping notes, I can roughly guess my loinventory

 

[Rich M]

A tip for fish I read in Field and Stream years ago: Freeze it in water in ziplock baggies. I don't think we've ever had any more than 3-4 years, but it's supposed to keep damn near forever.

I've seen some folks who do this. They have good success.

 

[DirtyTerp1]

My chest freezer has a quarter cow and 3 deer in it. Its a clusterfuck. I need an upright and some organization totes for this one.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I have 4 chest freezers running right now and don't have the time nor will to keep any accurate lists. I do go through them 2-3 times a year and reorganize/de-ice though.

 

[CHWine]

Good thread. I have a good sized chest freezer. Half a South Dakota beef that I just brought back as well as a nice mule deer from a November hunt. I'd say the spreadsheet or whiteboard sounds smart....just not for me. I keep certain cuts in designated areas and obviously keep deer and beef in separate locations. I had about 25 lbs of last years burger and sold it to neighbors before bringing the new stuff.

 

[bigunit]

A dry erase marker works on the front of a chest freezer. I always think about marking up what I put in and take out but at the same time I like to surprise myself what's left in there. Right now there's moose, elk, mule deer, whitetail, black bear, wild boar, grouse, and some fish. I run a few different freezers at all times.