Smallest chest freezer size for Bull Moose?

[TriggerMike]

Need opinions from those that have killed one or anyone else in the know. What's the smallest chest freezer size in cubic feet that will fit a whole Shiras bull moose cut and wrapped? Maybe a little buffer for some bones for bone broth as well.

[opdinkslayer]

I shared mine with my boy & a buddy but I would say you might want a 15 cf to be sure. 

[Stein]

It depends greatly.  If you do all bone out cuts vs bone in cuts it will be a very different answer.  If you're doing ribs, bone in shanks, etc, it's going to be a bunch.

AK says a 1600 lb moose yields 500 lbs boned out.  A cubic foot of meat weighs about 45 pounds but you don't have perfect usage of space.

If you had all boned out meat, stacked it neatly and didn't need to see or sort through it you could probably fit it in 12-15 for the larger bulls but I've never done it, just enjoy math problems.

It's usually less than you think, when you get those nice white bricks, they don't take up much space.

[boneaddict]

I always approached it, what’s the biggest freezer I can get to put my moose in.   

I wish I had a black and white answer for you, but I ended up buying two freezers for moose, and spread the meat out among several, plus elk and deer, so I don’t even know if I can guess. My power is out at the moment and it’s 103 so not wanting to go outside or I’d go see if I could tell how big they were.

[jrebel]

A large bull moose will not fit in a 15 cf freezer....you will end up with 20-30 lbs of meat in another cooler.  An average bull moose will fill it to the brim.  A small bull will easily fit...along with a really nice sized bear.   

The above knowledge is based on butchered / processed and packaged Canadian Rockies Moose. 

Are you looking for travel to and from a hunt....or from when you get home.  I can tell you we drive 16 hours with frozen moose in our freezers / coolers and they are still frozen rock hard upon arrival to our destinations.  Point being....a very large cooler will work equally as good as a freezer.  We travel with two 15.5 cf freezers (ran by generator, a large 14 ish?? cf cooler and multiple normal sized coolers to get our meat and hide back. 

If your looking for when you get home....bigger is better to make sure everything fits.  Go with a 20+ cf freezer.   

[passman68]

I don't know if it relates but I have about 24cu freezer space that I'm going to try to put a processed yearling bison in next week 

[jrebel]

I don't know if it relates but I have about 24cu freezer space that I'm going to try to put a processed yearling bison in next week 

Should fit just fine.  Hope to see pics and hear a story of your hunt.  Good luck 

[passman68]

Should fit just fine.  Hope to see pics and hear a story of your hunt.  Good luck 

Oh that will be done though I'm having problems finding the "bison hunt" thread/category 

[TriggerMike]

Decided Im gonna try to find a used upright freezer on offer up or craigslist in the 20 cu ft range. I like the idea of the upright with the much smaller footprint. If anyone is selling one let me know! Probably not many hunters and anglers parting with chest freezers though haha. Fingers crossed I'll actually need it.

[TriggerMike]

I appreciate all the responses in this thread as well. Thanks guys.