Ideas to bring home a moose....

JGBowman

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Howdy,

End of September I am going on a first moose hunt in Newfoundland!

I live in PA and will be driving there. My truck has a 6ft bed and I have an 8ft box trailer. I got a reservation on the ferry from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland to bring my trailer.

I was told to expect to bring home 300-400 lbs of meat. With enough coolers with a total capacity of 7.5 cubic feet.

I am planning on cutting the moose up myself or have it processed once I get home. The outfitter has a walk in cooler. I feel like the easiest thing to do is just quarter the moose and bring it home that way. If I have time while I am there I will de-bone it. I was told intown I can get shaved ice to pack coolers.

Should I just fill the box trailer with coolers?
Should I put a chest freezer in the trailer and run it all the way home?

I am open suggestions and any feedback will be greatly appreciated.
 

RS3579

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That’s a very large animal to put in a chest freezer. There were 5 of us that went to NF on a moose trip and we brought back 3 moose. We divided the meat up equally and got 150 quart cooler each after having processed in NF. The meat was frozen when we picked it up at the processor and it was still frozen upon arrival to Pittsburgh. It was a 24hr ride from N Sydney ferry to Pgh. Good luck. What outfitter?
 
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JGBowman

JGBowman

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That’s a very large animal to put in a chest freezer. There were 5 of us that went to NF on a moose trip and we brought back 3 moose. We divided the meat up equally and got 150 quart cooler each after having processed in NF. The meat was frozen when we picked it up at the processor and it was still frozen upon arrival to Pittsburgh. It was a 24hr ride from N Sydney ferry to Pgh. Good luck. What outfitter?
Besaw's log cabin outfitters
 

Larry Bartlett

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My Toyota has an electrical plug too but I don't think the electricity has the same output for running big tools like a freezer. Even my electric raft pump runs at half "umph" when used. I wouldn't trust that source with a freezer.

Even Canada moose legs are too tall with bones intact to put inside a freezer, so personally would expect to at least debone to fit inside a chest freezer or smaller coolers. Our hunters driving up and back through canada have learned not to freeze the meat in game bags but instead have each meat bag inside plastic so bags don't stick together frozen. A few guys have reported 500-lbs of meat bags all frozen solid and it was a frustrating event to get the meat out of the freezer back home.
 
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JGBowman

JGBowman

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My Toyota has an electrical plug too but I don't think the electricity has the same output for running big tools like a freezer. Even my electric raft pump runs at half "umph" when used. I wouldn't trust that source with a freezer.

Even Canada moose legs are too tall with bones intact to put inside a freezer, so personally would expect to at least debone to fit inside a chest freezer or smaller coolers. Our hunters driving up and back through canada have learned not to freeze the meat in game bags but instead have each meat bag inside plastic so bags don't stick together frozen. A few guys have reported 500-lbs of meat bags all frozen solid and it was a frustrating event to get the meat out of the freezer back home.
That is a great piece of advice about the plastic bags!

If I was short on time. I could at least break the quarters down at the knees and elbows that way it would fit better in the freezer.

I am also planning on bringing a couple of larger coolers.
 

tntrker

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Keep an Eye out on Craigslist or your local FB marketplace for used chest freezers. You can usually find one for $100 for the trip..Use the highest setting just to keep cool or semi frozen until you get home..
 
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JGBowman

JGBowman

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Keep an Eye out on Craigslist or your local FB marketplace for used chest freezers. You can usually find one for $100 for the trip..
My father-in-law may have one he is not using I can borrow. Because the other thought I am having is.

If the meat is in the freezer and frozen. I can plug it in when I get home and leave the next weekend open to just cut it up.
 

tntrker

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My father-in-law may have one he is not using I can borrow. Because the other thought I am having is.

If the meat is in the freezer and frozen. I can plug it in when I get home and leave the next weekend open to just cut it up.
yes, OR, even set it at it's coldest point and be good and frozen while at the camp and just set the meat inside after with it turned off. It wouldn't be that far of a drive and still be plenty cold to keep them fresh without out much/any freezing..
 

VernAK

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That is a great piece of advice about the plastic bags!

If I was short on time. I could at least break the quarters down at the knees and elbows that way it would fit better in the freezer.

I am also planning on bringing a couple of larger coolers.
The plastic bag thing is important or you'll have a heck of a time getting those quarters out of the freezer.
 
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If possible, I would have it processed there and vacuumed packed, and pre froze, put it in coolers with dry ice if available, if not the ice will work but I would check it at the 12-hour mark drain the water and re-place fresh ice. once in the coolers duct tape around the lid as a seal, I use the marine grade igloo coolers. We hunt Wyoming and it is a two-day trip home, and this is how we travel with the harvest, once home open up the coolers and still froze solid. I as you would rather process my own game, but this is the easiest route for me, that way once home I can pay attention to recovery of my equipment, the animal is already took care of. And I do not need to worry about my animal. The other way would be to buy those plastic compression bags like you store cloths in and de-bone the meat, place in the bags push out as much air as possible seal up the bags and go from there. Good luck on your hunt.
 

EdP

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I used dry ice in a cooler to bring a deboned elk back to Va from Wy. It was frozen by the time I got home and each quarter took days to thaw before we could process it, and dry ice is expensive. Now I just use ice. Once the meat is cold it doesn't take much to keep it that way but it is still a good idea to make sure the meat stays dry and the cooler will drain.
 

5MilesBack

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The only way I would freeze it, would be if it was already processed and packaged. Otherwise I'd look at large cooler options with something like frozen milk jugs etc. I've kept quartered and deboned elk in my coolers for days with those frozen milk jugs before processing. I did the same with my CO moose in 2020 and got 300+ pounds of meat.

Make sure you cape it up there and keep the cape cold as well. You'll probably have to skull cap it too and clean that well before bringing it back.
 

TAGPUNCHER

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My Toyota has an electrical plug too but I don't think the electricity has the same output for running big tools like a freezer. Even my electric raft pump runs at half "umph" when used. I wouldn't trust that source with a freezer.

Even Canada moose legs are too tall with bones intact to put inside a freezer, so personally would expect to at least debone to fit inside a chest freezer or smaller coolers. Our hunters driving up and back through canada have learned not to freeze the meat in game bags but instead have each meat bag inside plastic so bags don't stick together frozen. A few guys have reported 500-lbs of meat bags all frozen solid and it was a frustrating event to get the meat out of the freezer back home.
SPOT ON AGAIN. as an electrician for 30 yrs a 400-500 watt receptacle in these vehicles nowadays are a joke. Average Start up voltage on say a 7.5 cubic foot freezer will be anywhere from 800-1000 watts. It will trip the internal breaker. Once running it would run the freezer. Problem is the compressor start load. It's actually a VERY GOOD way to ruin your freezer. IF going freezer route take a small inverter type GENERATOR with a start load of at least 1100 -1200 watts. 350$ harbor freight special will Suffice.
 

Mudflap621

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Three of us went up this past fall and we brought home 1300 pounds of meat. I’d suggest just having it processed up there will save a bunch of headache and save a lot of room. We paid $.70/lb Canadian and everything was vacuum sealed.

We stuffed all our gear and coolers into a crew cab f150 with a tonneau cover. We ended up having to purchase a few coolers up there but managed just fine. Way up coolers we’re full of gear, on the way back shit was stuffed into every crevice imaginable. 😂

Three quartered Newfoundland moose. 63FDE667-0365-4FAF-A253-11AA05F9082D.jpeg
 
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