The Real Cost of Shipping Your Elk Meat Home

Every fall, thousands of hunters head to the mountains and wilderness areas of the American West in search of the mighty elk For many hunters, especially those traveling from out of state, getting their hard-earned elk meat back home can be a daunting task. I recently went on my first elk hunt and was shocked to discover just how expensive it is to ship elk meat In this article, I’ll break down the real costs and logistics of getting hundreds of pounds of meat home after a successful hunt.

Field Care of the Elk

The first step is properly caring for the elk meat in the field after the kill. Elk are massive animals, with an average live weight between 500-700 pounds. After field dressing, you can expect to haul 200-300 pounds of meat, without bones, back to camp. The meat must be cooled quickly, within a few hours if possible. Quarter the animal, remove the loins, backstraps, tenderloins, neck meat, and trim off any excess fat. Place the quarters in game bags to allow air circulation. If camping in the backcountry, it may be necessary to backpack the meat out to a trailhead. For DIY public land hunts, hiring a packer service can make this aspect much easier.

If hunting on private land or with an outfitter, they likely will have a plan in place to quickly transport the quarters to a refrigerator or walk-in cooler. At this point, the meat should be aged for 7-10 days at temperatures between 34-40 degrees before further processing.

Finding a Meat Processor

Now the real work starts – finding a processor to cut, wrap, and package your elk into steaks, roasts, and ground meat Ask your outfitter for recommendations, or search online for processors near your hunting area. Be sure to call them well in advance, as popular processors book up quickly in the fall Expect to pay $0.60-$1 per pound in basic processing fees. Also inquire if they have freezer storage and meat shipping capabilities.

Many out of state hunters utilize processors like [Company Name 1], located in [City, State]. They expertly cut and wrap the meat, flash freeze it, and even arrange UPS shipping right to your front door. Expect fees around $[0.75] per pound for this full service option.

Do It Yourself Processing

To save money, you can also carefully quarter the elk and pack it in ice chests to be processed yourself back home. Be aware that transporting unfrozen meat this way runs the risk of spoilage. One option is to rent a meat saw and commercial grinder in your hunting area, then cut and grind the meat yourself before packing on ice for the trip home. Expect to pay $[50-75] per day for equipment rental.

Transporting the Meat

Once processed, properly packing and freezing the meat is critical for the trip home. With 200 pounds of meat from a mature bull elk, expect to need 15-25 cubic feet of cooler space. Most standard size 70-100 quart coolers will each hold 50-60 pounds.

Commercial meat processors use plastic lined cardboard or styrofoam shipping containers to pack frozen meat for transport. For DIY home processing, sturdy plastic coolers with secure lids lined with trash bags work great. Ice or dry ice is essential to keep the meat frozen solid. With dry ice, 2-3 pounds per cooler is sufficient for 24 hours. Too much dry ice can freeze the meat too solidly.

Flying with Meat

Transporting an entire elk by air is challenging and costly. Most airlines restrict checking game meat to a maximum of 50 pounds per person. Some key tips if flying home with meat:

• Pack meat in sealed plastic bags before placing in ice chests, in case of leaks
• Tape chests shut with duct tape and attach nametags
• Label coolers with “perishable wild game”
• Expect to pay overweight + oversize baggage fees of $[50-150] per chest
• Ship any extra gear separately via UPS to save weight

Shipping 200 pounds of elk meat home from [Wyoming] to [Florida] this way could easily cost over $[1000].

Driving the Meat Home

For hunters within driving distance, or those with enough time post-hunt to make the long haul, driving your meat home is the cheapest option. With a mid-size SUV or truck, four to six large coolers packed with dry ice can easily be accommodated. Just be ready for lots of ice stops!

Fuel costs obviously vary based on mileage. Driving from [Wyoming] to [Florida] covers around [2,500] miles, so about $[500] in fuel with today’s prices. Add in food, lodging, and other trip expenses, and the total driving cost can run $[1000-1500] round trip. Still far less than the $[3000+] it would cost to fly and ship all that meat home.

One tactic used by savvy traveling hunters is to ship their rifle and other gear home via UPS while flying out with just clothes. Then renting a vehicle locally to pile the coolers in for the drive back.

Cost Breakdown

Based on typical costs:

• Field Care/Meat Transport: $100
• Basic Processing Fees: $150 ($0.75 per lb. for 200 lbs. of meat)
• Equipment Rental: $50 (if DIY processing)
• Shipping Materials: $50 (coolers, ice, tape, etc)
• Flying Home with 50 lbs: $500
• Driving 1500 miles: $1000

The total to drive your meat home and process it yourself could be as low as $1300-1500 for 200 pounds of elk meat. If flying and shipping everything, expect costs closer to $3000. As you can see, getting your elk back home is a serious commitment. For the chance to stock the freezer with this delicious free range, organic meat, most hunters agree it’s worth every penny!