Hunting is about more than filling tags. One of the most rewarding parts of the hunt is sharing the harvest with friends and family. Of course, it takes the proper preparation to ensure your meat makes it from the field to the table unspoiled. Let us help you by figuring out how big a cooler you should take to camp this year.

Remember, your cooler needs to be big enough for the meat you harvest and the ice necessary to cool it while traveling. Therefore, if you find yourself on the ledge between one cooler or another, go with the slightly bigger size.

WHITETAIL

A small whitetail deer can easily fit inside an 80-quart cooler whole with the hide removed. If you quarter the deer, you could get away with a 65-75-quart cooler. Deboned, the meat will fit into a 50-60-quart cooler, depending on whether it is a buck or a doe. Even if you harvest a giant Pennsylvania whitetail, you should not need more than a 100-quart cooler to cool it whole.

BLACK BEAR

Although the black bear may be the smaller of the bear species, it is nonetheless an impressive trophy. Paws like baseball mitts, heads as large as a basketball, and easily topping 300 pounds, the black bear is one of PA’s largest predators. It must take a massive number of coolers to transport your new trophy.

Luckily, that is not the case. Despite their large size, the usable meat on an average black bear makes up only a fraction of its overall weight. The hide accounts for much of the total weight, followed by the head and paws. Depending on when the bear is harvested, you can also expect to lose some mass to inedible blubber. Once cleaned and quartered, an average black bear will fit in a 150-quart cooler. If you debone the meat, you could get away with a 100-quart cooler instead.

ELK

Anyone who has seen an elk in the wild knows the 100-quart cooler you used for your last big buck will not do the trick. It would house less than half of your harvest. Instead, you will need multiple large coolers and a set of sharp knives.

Most hunters will quarter their elk for transport to base camp or their cabin. While this makes for easy transportation out of the field, the quarters are still bigger than most coolers. Depending on your ability to lift the coolers once filled, you will need three to four 150-quart coolers to transport a quartered elk. If you take the time to debone the meat, you can transport an elk in two 150-quart coolers.

HEAD & HIDE

Regardless of which species you harvest, an additional cooler will be needed to save the head or hide. A good rule of thumb is to use the same size cooler to transport the hide as the meat.

ODD PIECES

Unless you are an experienced butcher or utilize a guide who is, chances are you will not leave the field with perfect cuts of meat. It would help if you had an additional 40-50-quart cooler for scraps, as the above estimates are based on quartered or processed meat and the ice needed to keep it cool. There is only a little room for extras. Therefore, it is recommended that you have an additional 40-50-quart cooler on hand for scraps, the heart, liver, and any other parts you might desire.

AVOID GOING TOO BIG

It may seem like the most straightforward answer to the question, “How big a cooler do I need?” would be the biggest one available. Please do not fall for this. A too-big cooler will require additional ice to keep it cool, making it heavier and more challenging to transport. Plus, if the larger cooler is not packed correctly, the ice could melt, and your meat would spoil before reaching your destination.

Good luck, good hunting!