Length of an Elk / Deer Quarter (for a cooler)

[Vaultman]

I am curious the size of a hind quarter of both a deer and an elk. I am considering a new cooler and I want it to be able to hold a whole elk or deer (maybe two deer). I have gotten my fair share of deer and elk, but I have never measured the length of one of the quarters. I do not want to buy one of these high-end coolers and then have it be just 4 inches to short to hold my bull or buck.

So anyone out there know, or anyone could measure the length of the hind quarter of an elk for me? Maybe an archery hunter that already has one hanging?

Read More

 

[Joe13]

I am curious the size of a hind quarter of both a deer and an elk. I am considering a new cooler and I want it to be able to hold a whole elk or deer (maybe two deer). I have gotten my fair share of deer and elk, but I have never measured the length of one of the quarters. I do not want to buy one of these high-end coolers and then have it be just 4 inches to short to hold my bull or buck.

So anyone out there know, or anyone could measure the length of the hind quarter of an elk for me? Maybe an archery hunter that already has one hanging?

Are you against boning it out in the field? Then you could get just about any nice big one and not have to worry about it.

Also, west side vs east side hunting and what kind of dear or how old the elk is will differ greatly.

So get the nicest largest one you can IMO.

 

[2A2Dend]

I take two 104 qt Igloo coolers for elk
Deer, they ride home whole. Depends on how many tags I have.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

i just packed out an elk. let me tell you, it was a small cow and each quarter was atleast 50lbs with bone in. head+ backstraps were also 50+ lbs. lots of work but when you have a few guys it helps. i would say the length of a hind quarter without the "knee down to the hoof" is less than 3ft long.

 

[Vaultman]

Are you against boning it out in the field? Then you could get just about any nice big one and not have to worry about it.

Also, west side vs east side hunting and what kind of dear or how old the elk is will differ greatly.

So get the nicest largest one you can IMO.

A few years back I got a BIG east-side Bull.
#12 in this thread... GOT ELK?

That is what I want to be able to take.
I want to be able to take bone in quarters, less meat spoilage...
I have a YETI 65, for family weekend trips, and would like the YETI 210, if it would fit an elk in quarters, but I worry about length. I know the YETI 250 will do it, but the 210, looks more functional for my family for other things. I just dont know about if a hind quarter of a big bull will fit....

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

A few years back I got a BIG east-side Bull.
#12 in this thread... GOT ELK?

That is what I want to be able to take.
I want to be able to take bone in quarters, less meat spoilage...
I have a YETI 65, for family weekend trips, and would like the YETI 210, if it would fit an elk in quarters, but I worry about length. I know the YETI 250 will do it, but the 210, looks more functional for my family for other things. I just dont know about if a hind quarter of a big bull will fit....

bow or rifle? NICE bull!

 

[Ura-Ki]

I have always used an Igloo 150 qt weather on the sled for fishing, or the truck bed for boned out meat, plenty of room and will keep cool for a few days if you ice it or stop and pick up dry ice! TIP; Rap the meat in cheese cloth then bag it before adding ice! I have had the same cooler since 1986 and besides a few sets of latches and one hinge replacement, it's still working fine!

 

[Vaultman]

bow or rifle? NICE bull!

Rifle. Northside. Second Season of 2012. 292", 6 point. Estimated to be 9-11 yo (by teeth). Huge bodied bull. Butcher said it was the largest one he had in 2012.

That is what I want to be able to fit in my cooler. Just in case it happens again.... Hoping, I guess. Maybe I should call that butcher. He'd know pretty well exact dimensions.

 

[clearconscience]

You can get a good look at a butcher by sticking your head up a cow's as$, but

Oh wait sorry,

 

[Vaultman]

I have looked at some old pictures off the big bull I shot when he was in the back of a truck. I am pretty sure 3 feet is the length of a hind quarter, on a big bull. Confident enough that it is the size cooler I am going to get.

 

[Vaultman]

As a follow up, for anyone else wondering...
I ended up getting a 150 quart cooler, the YETI 160 to be exact.
I bagged a spike this year. Not a big bull but an elk none the less.
So, from here on I can state, from personal experience: All 4 quarters of a spike elk will fit in the YETI 160, with the lid closed.


A big bull or cow would NOT fit this way. (Boned out sure, Quartered No)

But a 2 1/2 year old spike did. That is all 4 quarters. The hind quarters are cut about 5-6 vertebrae up. The back straps, and burger meat that I got off the cage, and the heart went in another small cooler (though they would have fit) to keep extra cold. Not much room for ice, but a few frozen Arctic Ice packs did the trick for a few days, since the meat was already cooled from being hung in the woods for a bit.

I considered the YETI 210, but I doubt it would have fit because the length of that cooler is shorter (though volume bigger). For a YETI cooler, Mature Bull, Bone in Quarters, you would have to step up to the YETI 250. And that was to big for me to store in my garage for 5-6 years between drawing big bull tags. So the 160 has been great.

 

[mjbskwim]

A few years back I got a BIG east-side Bull.
#12 in this thread... GOT ELK?

That is what I want to be able to take.
I want to be able to take bone in quarters, less meat spoilage...
I have a YETI 65, for family weekend trips, and would like the YETI 210, if it would fit an elk in quarters, but I worry about length. I know the YETI 250 will do it, but the 210, looks more functional for my family for other things. I just dont know about if a hind quarter of a big bull will fit....

You would have less meat spoilage by boning the elk out. Less mass ,quicker cooling.
I'm 58 and my cow last year was more than I want to haul by myself. I will bone my elk this year. Saves a trip back out with the bones anyway.
You can still hang and age your meat without it being whole or having bones

 

[osprey]

I try and keep the prime cuts on the bone at least for a day or so as boning in the field shortly after the kill will cause the meat to cool too fast and become tougher than if left on bone to cool at a more moderate pace. Can't always be done but it is my preference when possible. Front shoulders,neck meat and rib trim and such is not so critical as it usually be ground into burger and sausage anyway.