Getting a Bear or Elk home

[crstrode]

So here's the deal I have a 48 Willys jeep with a hard top. I am about to start building a small camping support trailer with a 3' x 5'6" box with a covered lid. The interior of the trailer will almost all be taken up by gear. The inside of the WIllys jeep will almost all be taken up by gear.

SO now suppose my son and I are in far off Oregon 300+ miles from home and we bag 1 or more Elk or Bear or even a pair of deer. How best to get the meat home.

My options are to make insertable walls for the trailer (the lid will hinge at the front but can also be completely removed) I could then add say 12" to the interior height of the trailer box. And with some careful packing get a big Elk once broke down into it. The trouble with this option is having to either do the whole trip with the larger box or make room inside the trailer for the additional panels.

Another option is to put the animal on the roof of the trailer in some sort of water proof (it is Oregon afterall so have to plan on rain) bag. I am planning on having tie down points where a simple rack could be attached (the broke down rack would take much less room as well as weigh much less then the additional wall panels. Once Quartered up and in game bags the bags could then be wrapped /covered in a trap and tied down to the rack.

Any thought on this silly problem?

We have already taken the jeep on multiple long trips including a 2002 mile 9 day trip all over SE Oregon and across Idaho. It was built for this kind of adventure so no I won't be changing vehicles.

You have WAY too much gear.

 

[thorborg]

Even with ice? I've boned out a bunch of deer, elk, and pronghorn and bagged the meat and put on ice. Fish too.

Thats your call, no judgement here, but I'd, not bone out anything till I was home, unless there was an exceptional circumstance, or I had a broke leg.

 

[No_Regerts]

Thats your call, no judgement here, but I'd, not bone out anything till I was home, unless there was an exceptional circumstance, or I had a broke leg.

Really? Why is that? To transport game across state lines, it has to be boned out.

 

[Stomper]

Make jerky and put it in your pocket.

You'll elicit a range of opinions, from the excellent to the silly...

Hey?!


Beef jerky is SERIOUS bidnezz!!

 

[Koda]

Really? Why is that? To transport game across state lines, it has to be boned out.

There's a lot of different ways people care for the meat after the kill, some leave bone in until butchering to preserve freshness and tenderness.

I dont hunt out of state and didnt know it had to be boned out to cross lines, why is that?

 

[Buster1969]

There's a lot of different ways people care for the meat after the kill, some leave bone in until butchering to preserve freshness and tenderness.

I dont hunt out of state and didnt know it had to be boned out to cross lines, why is that?

CWD

 

[No_Regerts]

There's a lot of different ways people care for the meat after the kill, some leave bone in until butchering to preserve freshness and tenderness.

I dont hunt out of state and didnt know it had to be boned out to cross lines, why is that?

That chronic wasting disease. Can't cross back into WA with the bones.

 

[NeoBlackdog]

F-250...

 

[Lilhigbee]

It sounds like you are building a trailer that is intentionally too small?? Just build the trailer bigger.

 

[DirectDrive]

You have WAY too much gear.

And way too far to go with that little flat head 4 cylinder and T90 transmission.
You need a pickup and a car carrier trailer.

 

[Mark W.]

Really? Why is that? To transport game across state lines, it has to be boned out.

Not an issue as I do not hunt outside of Oregon. Least not yet.

 

[Mark W.]

Have you ever actually killed an animal?

A few I been hunting for the last 55 years.

 

[Mark W.]

And way too far to go with that little flat head 4 cylinder and T90 transmission.
You need a pickup and a car carrier trailer.

ROFLMAO in August we did a 9 day 2002 mile trip in the Willys with all tge gear in the jeep. In Sept we did a 762 mile trip staying in motels for the two nights then in Early Nov another 500 mile two day trip. My Willys has been built for exactly what I am using it for.
I have made 200 mile runs up I5 at 65mph. Amazing what you can do with an engine that has an additional 20HP and a 30%OD. Gets 17+ mpg doing it as well.

My Willys is not the average Willys

This is an older Photo of the engine which now sports a Holley Sniper EFI Unit.



Here it is at the SE corner of Oregon the farthest away you can get from Silverton OR and still be in the State.


Here is it at the SW corner of the state (the actual corner in this case is about 100 yards across the berm and the beach this was as close as we could legally get.


And the NW corner This is shot along the Columbia about a 1/2 Mile from the tip of Oregon again as close as we could legally get to the corner


This is the pack out for the SE Oregon trip



With the trailer the only real gear changes will be the addition of a Lithium Battery power station and Two small 12V fridges. And the addition of another 20L fuel can and 1 more 3.2 Gallon water jug.

We have a trip planned for April to the NE corner which will include both fishing and Spring Bear hunting if we get a tag.

 

[Mark W.]

It sounds like you are building a trailer that is intentionally too small?? Just build the trailer bigger.

Bigger weighs more. There is a limit to what weight the Willys can drag at hwy speeds. Also I want the trailer to track the same tread as the Willys which is only 60" wide to the outside of the tires. They are very small.

 

[Buster1969]

A few I been hunting for the last 55 years.

Baffles me that someone who has hunted 55 years has to ask strangers on the Internet how they should transport game. Are you just bored, or do you really need help?

 

[albin25]

I was gonna suggest…"put 'em in a cab" or "write their address in their underwear" or "tell 'em to ask a policeman".

But then…. I must admit I'm not that all that much of a hunter, sooo….
….. others may have better ideas

 

[Juniper9mm]

Well if they've been drinking too much you can try Uber or Lyft. Not sure what their policy is on drunken widlife though.

 

[Koda]

I think hes asking more about how to configure his trailer than how to haul meat.
Just dont put the meat in a waterproof bag though, let it breath. Put the gear on the roof rack keep the meat out of the rain and road grime.

@Mark W. if your on Facebook theres a group dedicated to DIY truck campers including trailers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/115930595818403

 

[Mark W.]

I'm going to go with Bored cause asking a serious question on the internet is like playing mumbly peg with your eyes closed. It might turn out ok but normally NOT

I have decided to buy a 15cu ft soft side cargo carrier that can be strapped to the roof of my little trailer. I will when needed shove all the soft stuff that is going to be carried on top of the cargo platform in the Willys into the Cargo carrier. This will give me a space roughly 3' x 3.5' x 2' equal to 21 cu ft to pack the game meat into. I have straps that can stabilize and hold the load in the back. I will most likely also have some space to put some Meat into the body of the trailer. Should I get a trophy I will most likely remove the head just below the skull (I would do a European Bleached skull mount no matter what as I have no place nor the budget for a neck mount) IN which case the head and rack could be draped over the cargo carrier. And lashed down. Heart & Liver would go in the fridge. The Hide would most likely go into the cargo carrier.

But as always tickled to see what helpful info others can offer. LOL

And Koda you have a good handle on whats going on!

 

[Mark W.]

Baffles me that someone who has hunted 55 years has to ask strangers on the Internet how they should transport game. Are you just bored, or do you really need help?

I have never brought a game animal home when it took a good 8 hours or more to do it. 90% of my big game hunting has been in Western Oregon within maybe 200 miles of home. And this is the first year I have hunted using the Willys jeep. In the past its been in a pickup and it hasn't been while camping at the same time.