What Cooler Do I Need For Hunting?

What kind of cooler do you need? A hunter fit a full boned out bull elk in this Igloo with fresh ice for a 14-hour drive.

With hunting seasons kicking off throughout the West, we can often overlook the coolers we need for a hunt. From keeping our groceries chilled to preserving our harvests, coolers play a large role in our hunts. After you spend valuable time and money on your hunts, the last thing you want is for your prized harvest to spoil. We should break coolers down into a few categories to start: What are we hunting? How long is our hunt? Are there food storage restrictions where we plan to hunt? These are all important factors in the coolers we select for a hunt.

WHAT SIZE COOLER DO YOU NEED?

If you are hunting elk, you need significantly more cooler space than if you were hunting antelope. Over the last few years of hunting, here are the minimum cooler sizes I have found are needed for antelope, deer, and elk.

Antelope, being the smallest of the three, only need a cooler of around 55 quarts to contain the meat easily. Deer are the next size up (and hands down the best species to hunt), and they fit comfortably in a 100-quart cooler. Elk, being the largest of the three, need the most space, anywhere from 165 to 200 quarts depending on whether bone is in the mear or the meat has been boned-out. I have settled on 100-quart coolers as my go-to size. One person can manage moving them if needed; one is a little large for antelope but works for both antelope and deer. Two is the right size for an entire elk.

A pronghorn is by far the easiest western big game animal to fit in a cooler with ice. Photo courtesy of Levi Eggleston.

HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU HAVE?

If you plan to be out for a quick weekend trip, you don’t have to worry about ice lasting for an extended period. If you are planning a long backcountry deer hunt, you could be away from the trailhead for an extended time and you need ice to last a lot longer. Some coolers keep ice better than others. A styrofoam cooler might work great for those short hunts; however, you would have a small bath of cool water in them if used on longer trips. A Coleman 100qt cooler can only hold ice for 3 days depending on the temperature, while a Grizzly 100 can keep ice for around 7 days in the heat. I often have hunts extending into the ten-day timeframe, so I lean into the coolers that keep ice the longest.

BEWARE OF RESTRICTIONS (AND BEARS)

The last factor you need to take into account is whether there are food storage restrictions in the area where you plan to hunt. If you are hunting in grizzly bear areas, the coolers used must be certified bear-resistant coolers. This can significantly increase the cost of the coolers you need for these trips. The Coleman cooler that was handed down from your grandpa is nit going to meet the requirements here.

If you plan to store your cooler in the bed of a truck or at a campsite, it has to be certified (also needs to be locked with bolts or padlocks to pass the rangers' spot check). If cost is an issue, storing inside your vehicle is always an option.

For me, I have a combo of certified bear-resistant coolers that provide a minimum of 200 total quarts of storage. For an elk hunt, I pack one cooler full of ice. I pre-freeze gallon jugs and bottles (and save some cash in the long run by reusing). The other cooler I pack with gear. Once I get my harvest back to the truck, I will transfer some ice over into the other cooler and space my meat out evenly between the two. For deer and antelope, I fill the cooler and remove ice to make all the meat fit. I have been using three Ozark Trail 75-quart coolers for the past few years, too. This season I am going with two Grizzly 100-quart coolers.

In the end, coolers are a long-term investment. For example, my dad still uses the same cooler from 20 years ago. Protect your harvest and invest in the best cooler you can afford. Lifetime coolers are bear-certified and hold ice for a long time at a fraction of the cost.

Good luck out there. I hope fill your coolers and put this info to the test this season!