Coolers

[ctwiggs1]

Hey guys,

We're considering doing a boat-in bear hunt this year, and one of the things we're trying to figure out is cooler space.  Obviously on a boat space is limited, so we don't want to overpack but we certainly don't want meat to go to waste.

Any experiences out there on "my 200lb bear fit in this cooler just fine" or something of that nature?

Thanks!

Curtis

[fillthefreezer]

hide too?

[ctwiggs1]

hide too?

Absolutely!

[BULLBLASTER]

You can count on the hide taking much more space than the meat. Bears dont have lots of meat for their size. Boned out they wont take a ton of space.

[luvmystang67]

You're going to need a couple of coolers.  I'd plan on 1 large cooler for the head and hide and one large cooler for the meat, depending on if you take it off the bone or not.  If your quarter it and leave most of the rib cage, then the meat should fit in one cooler with some ice and the hide should fit in another with some ice.

I would take two about this size...

http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/foodservice/beverage-centers/ice-wine-buckets/maxcold-series-ice-chests-13021?infoParam.campaignId=T9F&gclid=CLyS4pfjq8YCFcdcfgodF1QHYw

Smaller than that an you're going to have a hard time fitting a full bear with ice into it.  They're bigger than you think.

Now... you could probably do a little better than that if you skin the head and everything and debone the meat, but without doing that you'll never get it in 2 smaller coolers, with ice, than the one I posted.

You MIGHT get away with having a little bit smaller one for the head and the hide, but i don't think its worth risking running out of space for the few inches of space you'll gain.

(I've done this a few times...)

[Netminder01]

I borrowed a large Grizzly cooler (Yeti competitor) last year for deer and LOVED it. Ice kept in in the Grizzly in the back of my truck, exposed to the elements, heat, etc for nearly a week. Based on my limited use, it seemed like a fantastic cooler.

I've been looking for a deal on one but sure seems like everyone who owns one has been holding on to them.

[lokidog]

Keep your gear in the bigger cooler, won't matter where your duffel goes on the boatride home. 

[n_mathews13]

Iv always kept my hide and meat in different coolers.  Have you ever looked at "K2" coolers. Suppose to be almost as good and a little cheaper then Yeti

[hiway_99]

What about a kill bag for fish?

[Ripper]

I fit my bear in a 102 quart cooler. I skinned it but I didn't skin out the head. I then broke down the carcass, put 4 quarters into bags and boned out the rib cage, remover the back straps, neck meat and all of that. I had room for 4 bags of ice. The bear was about 225 live. The leg quarters and boned meat weighed 91lbs.

[CAMPMEAT]

I have a Coleman Extreme (?) cooler for camping and it has a DRAIN plug, unlike the YETI types. That is very, very important to me. It keeps ice floating around for about a week. I use 1 gallon milk jugs frozen solid and that works really well. Hardly any water to monkey with.

[Ripper]

Great idea campmeat with the frozen gallon jugs.

[Netminder01]

Great idea campmeat with the frozen gallon jugs.

 

The Grizzly I borrowed from SPUD last year had a drain plug and loved it 6 days in to high 90's heat.

[baker5150]

I have a Coleman Extreme (?) cooler for camping and it has a DRAIN plug, unlike the YETI types. That is very, very important to me. It keeps ice floating around for about a week. I use 1 gallon milk jugs frozen solid and that works really well. Hardly any water to monkey with.

I have one of those as well.  They really keep the ice, and are a fraction of the cost.

[Goldeneye]

I have a Coleman Extreme (?) cooler for camping and it has a DRAIN plug, unlike the YETI types. That is very, very important to me. It keeps ice floating around for about a week. I use 1 gallon milk jugs frozen solid and that works really well. Hardly any water to monkey with.

I have an Esky cooler which is Colemans answer tot he Yeti ( http://www.eskyseriescoolers.com/Home ).  It has a drain plug.

Also, to respond to the above comment on Yeti's.  All of my Yeti coolers have a drain plugs as well so I'm not sure where your seeing that they don't have drain plugs.