First deer....processor called and said it's ready. I don't have a chest freezer and need to get one. 128 pounds field dressed. Backstrap steaks, remainder 50/50 sausage and hamburger. How many cubic feet should the freezer be?

Could easily fit that in the top part of a regular freezer fridge setup. It takes up about 1/3 or less of my 5 cubic foot chest freezer. Obviously can slightly depend on the size of the deer

Depending on how much stuff is in your regular freezer now, you should be able to fit it in there.

I have a doe and a buck that I butchered yesterday in my regular freezer right now. Of course my sausage grind meat is still in gallon freezer bags so that will take up some room. I'm not gonna tell you not to by a deep freezer because they are handy, but it may not be a necessity.

Best Buy has small chest freezers starting at $159.

Just buy a yeti and $2 worth of ice. Last months if you don't open it.

Pretty sure that 3+ Texas deer would fit in that smallest freezer.

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Pretty sure that 3+ Texas deer would fit in that smallest freezer.

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That's exactly what I was thinking.

Home Depot has a GE 7cu ft on sale at 189. It has pretty great reviews.

My 3 CF one has served me well with up to 3 deer's worth of processed meat and sausage.

I would think about getting an upright. Once something hits the bottom of a chest freezer it may never be seen again.

If its just one deer, you should be able to fit it all in an over/under or side by side freezer, depending on what you currently have in there.

I'd really recommend Craigslist. I got a full size standing freezer for $100. Look brand new, runs great.

If/when you put it in the garage, don't plug it into a GFCI receptacle.

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If/when you put it in the garage, don't plug it into a GFCI receptacle.

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This

Get a big one so that you can fill the remaining room with Blue Bell.

I have a radio plugged in to the same outlet as my freezer. Does not help if I'm out of town, but when I walk through the garage and the radio is off, the freezer is off.

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I would think about getting an upright. Once something hits the bottom of a chest freezer it may never be seen again.

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Yeah, but the chest will hold temp a lot longer if it loses power for any reason... just something to think about.

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I would think about getting an upright. Once something hits the bottom of a chest freezer it may never be seen again.
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Yeah, but the chest will hold temp a lot longer if it loses power for any reason... just something to think about.

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And with a chest freezer, you eliminate the risk of a pound of meat (or more, depending on how you package things) plummeting down only to land on your big toe. I switched from an upright to a chest because crap kept falling out. I helped fix it a little by putting things in bins, but in the end, I like having a chest freezer better.