so i am going over to eastern oregon to hunt this year ( i live in western oregon) and i am wondering what are the best ways of transporting the animal? normally i am able to shoot the animal and bring it right on home since i normally hunt only a few miles from my house. what would be the best way to transport the deer while keeping it cool and without spoiling any of the meat??
transporting meat??
- Thread starter dylanf55
- Start date
Sure Shot Mc Gee
New member
(Dry Ice.!! )
S/S
S/S
allaroundhunter
New member
Cut out the meat that you can get and then put it into a yeti cooler.
Kreyzhorse
New member
Quarter it and place it in a cooler(s). Top off the cooler with dry ice.
If it is a long drive, duct tape the around the lid of the cooler. If the cooler is inside your vehicle place your hunting jacket over it for extra insulation.
We hunt in Wyoming every couple of years and that method gets meat back to Kentucky. That's a 22 hour drive with one over night thrown in.
Your trip is much shorter so you can likely skip the duct tape.
If it is a long drive, duct tape the around the lid of the cooler. If the cooler is inside your vehicle place your hunting jacket over it for extra insulation.
We hunt in Wyoming every couple of years and that method gets meat back to Kentucky. That's a 22 hour drive with one over night thrown in.
Your trip is much shorter so you can likely skip the duct tape.
big al hunter
New member
A large cooler with ice is best. If it is an early hunt you will be in very warm afternoons. Skin it as soon as possible, without risking getting the meat dirty. Bone it out and get it in the cooler as soon as you can get ice. Do not put it in the cooler without ice, it will hold the heat and cause spoiling. If you get it on ice within 2 hours of killing it you will have the best venison you ever ate. I would keep ice in the cooler while you hunt ( a couple cold cokes taste good after along pack
). And you can bone it out immediately.
For a small deer (100 lbs dressed out and skinned) it takes 2 48 quart coolers to fit all the meet and a bag of ice for each cooler. A 120 quart cooler will hold most of a boned out mule deer and plenty of ice.
). And you can bone it out immediately.For a small deer (100 lbs dressed out and skinned) it takes 2 48 quart coolers to fit all the meet and a bag of ice for each cooler. A 120 quart cooler will hold most of a boned out mule deer and plenty of ice.
tahunua001
New member
in a cooler with frozen jugs of water. make sure you let the meat cool thoroughly before transport to keep temperatures as low and consistent as possible.
It helps a lot if you can get the meat cooled down before you put it in the cooler. Make sure to drain the coolers when the ice starts melting and keep an eye out for water damaging your meat.
I really like frozen 1 gallon water jugs because they will help contain the water when they melt. I haven't tried dry ice but that might work well.
I really like frozen 1 gallon water jugs because they will help contain the water when they melt. I haven't tried dry ice but that might work well.
dylanf55,
First off, I was just through eastern Oregon last week. That country looks like excellent muley habitat! I bet there are some monster bucks around.
Secondly, I transported a bushel of oysters and a dozen Dungeness crab all the way back to WY in a cooler and ice. Last week the temps across Oregon and Idaho were in the 90s, yet all the seafood made it home to WYO just fine!
You will be good to go with just putting your meat in a cooler with ice for the trip home. People do it all the time. If the weather is cold when you hunt, I wouldn't be afraid to transport the whole carcass in my truck bed, if it was cooled properly before I left.
Weather plays a major role. Cold out, don't worry; warmer, de-bone and use ice!
Let us know how the hunt goes!
First off, I was just through eastern Oregon last week. That country looks like excellent muley habitat! I bet there are some monster bucks around.
Secondly, I transported a bushel of oysters and a dozen Dungeness crab all the way back to WY in a cooler and ice. Last week the temps across Oregon and Idaho were in the 90s, yet all the seafood made it home to WYO just fine!
You will be good to go with just putting your meat in a cooler with ice for the trip home. People do it all the time. If the weather is cold when you hunt, I wouldn't be afraid to transport the whole carcass in my truck bed, if it was cooled properly before I left.
Weather plays a major role. Cold out, don't worry; warmer, de-bone and use ice!
Let us know how the hunt goes!
You'll need to skin the animal as stated above but a lot depends on the weather you are hunting in. If it is warm you'll need coolers and ice most likely. If it's cold and the meat can freeze at night, insulate it with sleeping bags and/or canvas tarps and transport it in the back of your truck.
Cheapshooter
New member
Also check with state, and federal game laws. A frind, and his group were busted for having all the meat from a Wyoming antilope hunt packed in coolers without either being processed by a commercial processor, and properly marked, or having each individual tag with each animal.
They thought It was a great idea to work most of the night cutting up their own animals, and save the $30 per animal cost of a processor. Their collective fines were a bit over what they saved. But the Federal Fish and Game agent that busted them in the roadblock said he would do them a favor, and let them keep the meat.
Just something to think about, and check into.
They thought It was a great idea to work most of the night cutting up their own animals, and save the $30 per animal cost of a processor. Their collective fines were a bit over what they saved. But the Federal Fish and Game agent that busted them in the roadblock said he would do them a favor, and let them keep the meat.
Just something to think about, and check into.
Many of the towns in eastern Oregon are true hunting towns and some stores will let you hang your kill in their freezers for a few days, especially while the rest of your party continues hunting. The drive home to Portland is not really that long, I've brought home a few still in the game bag. Its alwasy essential to skin the animal though...
Ideally: bone the meat and put in coolers on ice. I absolutely had to to this once in SE Oregon near Rome on a pronghorn hunt the temps were in the hundreds.
Ideally: bone the meat and put in coolers on ice. I absolutely had to to this once in SE Oregon near Rome on a pronghorn hunt the temps were in the hundreds.
Last edited:
I have generally brought the animals home (250 miles) with the hide on, provided the weather is cool ..... travelling at night, sometimes they freeze.... making skinning tough....
A couple years ago, I took an old chest freezer out with me, and processed most of the deer out west, after checking them in...... brought home 4 deer cut and wrapped, and 1 whole, hide on, and butchered him the next day..... meat was fine.
A couple years ago, I took an old chest freezer out with me, and processed most of the deer out west, after checking them in...... brought home 4 deer cut and wrapped, and 1 whole, hide on, and butchered him the next day..... meat was fine.
Sure Shot Mc Gee
New member
For many years I and Son would camp 3/4 of a mile off road to hunt. Meat brought in with us was pre-frozen and stored in a Rubbermaid chest cooler. Before leaving the house. We took bag ice and broke it down into zip lock bags so as it melted nothing got wet. {ice cream buckets sweat as their ice melts} Than I had on hand a couple of those slip straps with the spring clamp ends that people use on their trailers and tops of their car to hold things in place like a personal kayaks. I'd wrap one of those 1" slip straps around my cooler and pull its lid down tight. In 40 degree weather our meat & butter stayed frozen for as long as 4 days before its starting to un-thaw. The main thing is not to open the cooler until your ready to store its continence in proper refrigeration. (freezer or refrigerator)
S/S
S/S
BigD_in_FL
Moderator
What time of year? Pronghorn in August or Mulies in December? When it is hotter, the advice about a good cooler, dry ice (separated from the meat by something to prevent freezer burn) and a good insulating blanket is excellent.
I found using an old moving company quilted blanket worked great for wrapping coolers, using over the sleeping bag when really cold, etc.
If hunting when it is freezing, obviously the dry ice might not be as necessary, but if so, local stores where you will be at should have it as they are used to that for hunters visiting.
If the quarry is pheasants, a good cooler and regular ice should suffice for the drive home
I found using an old moving company quilted blanket worked great for wrapping coolers, using over the sleeping bag when really cold, etc.
If hunting when it is freezing, obviously the dry ice might not be as necessary, but if so, local stores where you will be at should have it as they are used to that for hunters visiting.
If the quarry is pheasants, a good cooler and regular ice should suffice for the drive home
Mausermolt
New member
cooler full of ice should be fine. just quarter it out and keep it from getting too warm. deer season temps can vary 80 F to 30F in E Oregon, so plan on having the ice chest