Freezer size for one average deer?

[Gman]

I have a friend who lives in a small apartment, he typically stores his deer at his parents house but he wants to know what's the smallest upright freezer you would need for a typical NJ deer.

I told him just to get a 3.5cuft and what-ever doesn't fit leave at his parents... I'm almost certain a 3.5cuft chest freezer would hold a fairly large deer.

What do you all say?

[Roon]

One deer doesn't take up much space normal 30" fridge freezer if all you got in there easily fits 2

[Gman]

4 minutes ago, Roon said:

One deer doesn't take up much space normal 30" fridge freezer if all you got in there easily fits 2

Yeah but how many cubic inches is a normal fridge freezer?

[tankgijohn72]

Yes, will fit no problem.   Pretty sure I have a 7 cubic ft deep freeze and you can easily fit 2 NJ deer in it.  If I had to guess I would say that you can hold approx 2.6 deer in a 7 cu ft freezer.  If Iowa deer, only 1.8.  Keys deer 6.  If going with upright vs top loading may need bins in freezer to maximize space.  

[Roon]

11 hours ago, Gman said:

Yeah but how many cubic inches is a normal fridge freezer?

A standard fridge/freezer is 20 cbft total.

He can go with a small upright which is 7 cbft or a small chest at 3.5cbft 

I would find the room for the upright, it will hold three deer if he's only using it for deer if he's only going through one deer a year he'll have plenty of room for everything else. That small chest freezer unless he's making nothing but chop meat is going to be a complete pain in the ass he'll get about two deer in there but it's going to be constant moving unless all he's making is chop meat.

I used a small upright forever that was 28 in wide and 60 in tall at 14.5cbft it held 6 deer but it was only the venison freezer nothing else went in it but deer meat.

Like I said that chest freezer is going to be worthless at that size.

I switched to a chest freezer a few years ago but I built plywood compartments which hold my baskets as my baskets empty I move the basket and everything that's in the basket is below the basket and the compartments that I created to refill the baskets to make it easier to know what you have and so I don't get yelled at by my wife that she can't find anything in the freezer LOL

Edited November 29, 2023 by Roon

[Gman]

Thank you Roon! Great info and pictures! 

[archer36]