Cooler for bone-in mule deer that will keep ice

[skunk]

dont forget that dry ice is available during hunting season in most towns. a 5 lb piece will refreeze your ice jugs and darned near freeze the meat.

I've never bought dry ice before. Where do you get it (what kind of store)?

 

[AustinL911]

Some grocery stores have it.

 

[Davebuech]

Out West, most Walmarts or larger Grocery stores will have dry ice. Separate the meat from the ice with cardboard and paper. Put the ice on the TOP. Have transported lots of meat from the west to the east like this in a "cheap" cooler and had no worries whatsoever.

 

[quackaddict]

Albertson's grocery stores have it in the Las Cruces area. Not sure what unit you're hunting, or if you're coming through this way. I'm sure somewhere in ABQ has it too.

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[skunk]

I'm in 21. Planning to hunt 21A.

 

[Jsunkler]

Dry Ice and a Coleman or Igloo 120 and you will be plenty fine. I am partial to the Coleman Coastal Xtreme Series Marine 120 qt for $60 off of Amazon

 

[quackaddict]

I'm in 21. Planning to hunt 21A.

I don't know if anywhere in Truth Or Consequences has any, but that will be your last stop in civilization if you're headed to A. There's a Walmart and one or two little groceries there though. You might call them and see.

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[Trial153]

yep, nothing in 21a at all....stock up before you head in. Also dont count on any cell service ...even up high its terrible to nonexistent

 

[quackaddict]

There will be cell service at the big ass red Hill just east of Winston on the hwy, but that's about it.

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[TonySkyline]

RTIC has made me a believer these last few days. Filled a few milk jugs up and had a few bags of loose ice. Nothing has started melting in 2 days now. It's been getting opened and closed as well. Other than the weight, I love this cooler and want a smaller version that is more portable now. The larger ones would be perfect for locking it up to the bed of your truck.

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[Violent Hippie]

Igloo 120 will work fine. I've fit bone in Sierra blacktail in mine several times. This does not include the head . I see no reason to need an expensive cooler when your on a roadtrip as you can always buy more ice when you get gas.

 

[archer wapiti]

In November (and even in September in the high country) I wouldn't worry about ice until after you get a deer down. Nights are cold in November, and hanging your quartered deer overnight in a spot that stays shaded during the day is going to be just fine. When you get to your camp, leave the lid ajar and throw your cooler under your vehicle if it fits, or in the shade of a tree, etc. Close the cooler in the morning. It will cool down at night and won't heat up during the day. Put the cold meat in the cold cooler and drive to Winston, TorC or whereever and get your ice.
I hunted 3 hours from home and didn't even bring a cooler on a September hunt. My car was parked at 8500 feet and I hung my deer in the shade until I had it all out and ready to go. I put it in a trash bag, then in a sleeping bag and drove home. It came through in great shape. I'm not saying you could drive all the way back to WI that way, but it gives you the idea that things aren't going to spoil immediately if you handle the meat properly.
If you've not backcountry hunted before as I hadn't when I got to NM, the thing that's hardest to understand is caring for meat in the field and how long you have until you need to worry. It's generally longer than you think if you get it cooling immediately and keep it out of the sun.

As far as I know, no Wal-Marts in New Mexico have dry ice. Smith's do but they can be out when you get there. Especially when there's less demand in the cooler months. There is no longer a Smith's in Socorro.

 

[paxamus]

I’m gonna be in unit 12 in NM. Should I get dry ice on the way out there and leave it in the cooler? I’ll be doing a three day cow hunt and would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it


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[Szwampdonkey]

I'm hunting mule deer in New Mexico this year during the rifle season (Nov 10-14). I'll be driving down a couple of days early from Wisconsin, hunting for up to 5 days, and then driving all the way back home.

I want to keep my deer bone-in so I will clearly need a cooler (or coolers) big enough to hold a bone-in quartered mule deer and also keep my ice the whole time I'm hunting.

From some other posts I've read, some folks say a 110 quart cooler will work. However, based on the inside dimensions of some 110 and 125 quart coolers, it seems pretty unlikely you can actually fit a whole quartered deer in one of those with enough ice to keep it cool for the return trip. Am I wrong on that?

I'd like to go with an American made cooler if I'm going to be forking out that much money and it seems the Bison 125 Quart would be a decent fit for my truck. However, I want to make sure one of these will really fit a whole deer or do I need to buy two...

Also, are there other US made coolers that I'm missing that have a large enough model for a whole deer?

With the new rules about deboning and not moving the animal out of the county etc etc why not just debone the whole thing and go with an RTIC 45 or Grizzly Kenai 45? I think if you bring the quarters back to WI you would then have to bring all the meat to a processor within 72 hours with this new Emergency Rule? You may be doing that anyway but I process my own deer and I would just debone it at the kill site, why pack the bones all the way home?

 

[skunk]

In Wisconsin you only have to take the head to a taxidermist or processor within 72 hours, not all the bones.

I want to keep it bone in because I want to take my time breaking it down and not be rushed in the desert sun and dirt

With the new rules about deboning and not moving the animal out of the county etc etc why not just debone the whole thing and go with an RTIC 45 or Grizzly Kenai 45? I think if you bring the quarters back to WI you would then have to bring all the meat to a processor within 72 hours with this new Emergency Rule? You may be doing that anyway but I process my own deer and I would just debone it at the kill site, why pack the bones all the way home?

 

[katdaddy2013]

120 qt Coleman Extreme. Lots of guys recommend this one. Academy $70

 

[camelcluch]

Have two bone in elk hind quarters in an igloo marine 100 qt cooler right now. 125 would be a good size for sure.