Elk Cooler

[blacktailchaser]

This is probably going to be for the people who have shot elk, my main question is, will a whole hanging elk fit into this one freezer or maybe I should look for another one? and Im going to put a pan with ice blocks in the bottom of it. THanks. Sorry if the pictures are sideways.

[Terry Green]

Do you know the size of it????

I filled up a 'coffin freezer' years ago with the meat yield of 695#s from an American Bison that weighed over 2000#s.

That one 'looks' to be a 3rd smaller.

Take the average weight of a bull elk and prepare for 1/3rd of that weight to be meat.  Then you will have a better answer once you know your freezer size.

[blacktailchaser]

ok terry i will try that...the freezer is a 13 cu...34"wide 26"deep 67"height....but like i said i will try the method you said sounds like fun to figure out..thanks john

[Maclean]

The cut and wrapped meat off an average bull elk is in the 175 to 200 lb. range, in my experience. YMMV of course. I use a 7 cu.ft. chest freezer and it takes up a good portion of that space. Just my .02

[BruceT]

    Are you asking if an elk can be quartered and deboned , placed in this unit with ice , before it's cut and wrapped ??

[Terry Green]

Place a basketball on the top, or something normal, for perspective.....

And yes, an elk will have a much smaller yield than a heard bull bison.

[stevem]

I'll make a try at your question.  Answer is no.  By whole elk I assume carcass is skinned and guts removed.  Head removed?  Say you have a 600 pound live weight elk.  Now reduced to 400 pounds all in one piece.  Neck to butt around 5 feet or a bit more.  Legs sticking straight out 4 feet from back.  Don't think anything short of a walk-in cooler will work.  Unless you are road hunting it would be unlikely your elk is coming out whole!

[Wudstix]

He did say Whole Hanging Elk.

[Maclean]

Like stevem said, an elk is not coming out of the woods in one piece, period. Even with pack animals. At best there will be four quarters (bone in), plus the head and hide if you're taking those too.

So if you're aging your meat before butchering, you'll be hanging four quarters. Not sure all four would fit in that freezer/cooler in the pics.

[blacktailchaser]

the only thing i can say is WUDSTICK i love man..lol....its quarters for aging before butching...Maclean thanks you got it....maybe i can put the head on top for some people...

[trad_bowhunter1965]

I assume this freezer will be at your home, IMO you would be better off getting a 27cu ft chest freezer.

[Terry Green]

How in the helsinki did I miss this.....


"will a whole hanging elk fit into this one freezer"

No, and helsinki no!!!