Transporting live crawfish (1 Viewer)

[saintyclaus]

I have to drive down to Shreveport from St Louis later this week. On my way home, I want to pick up a sack of crawfish to take back home. Can anyone give me some tips on how to keep the crawdads healthy for the return trip.

I'm thinking of buying the bugs Friday evening before I travel back home on Saturday morning. I want to boil them Sunday. Does anyone see an issue keeping them alive for this long?

Also, I was going to take my car for better MPG, but I don't want the smell to permeate and linger. If they are kept in a cooler in the trunk for the 10 hour drive, would my trunk smell like I drove through a lake? Should I just take the truck instead?

 

[Brennan77]

Keep them on ice but keep the ice chest drained on they will drown.

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[buzd]

And if you take the truck, keep them covered (or in a cooler). The wind will kill them.

 

[Devildog]

You may want to think about putting a bottle of liquid Dramamine in the ice chest with them as they tend to get car sick on long trips.

 

[krushing]

I do a combination of posts 2, and 3. A little ice, especially a frozen half gallon milk jug or two will keep the inside the cooler just right. Nothing that leaks a bunch of water on them unless it can drain.

 

[saintyclaus]

I do a combination of posts 2, and 3. A little ice, especially a frozen half gallon milk jug or two will keep the inside the cooler just right. Nothing that leaks a bunch of water on them unless it can drain.

Good advice with the milk jugs. Hadn't thought of that.

What do you think of them being in a car trunk? I'm driving straight back so the car isn't going to get a chance to get hot inside.

 

[Maxp]

I used to transport them in the backseat of my old Buick in and ice chest. I put a small bag of ice on the bottom of the cooler, then an old towel, then the crawfish. Never stunk up the car. Always worked for me, although I like the milk jug idea.

 

[krushing]

Good advice with the milk jugs. Hadn't thought of that.

What do you think of them being in a car trunk? I'm driving straight back so the car isn't going to get a chance to get hot inside.

Not sure, Id still put something cold inside if it was me. The sun can really get em hot. Put a couple packs of frozen corn in there, and cook it when you get home with the bugs. Just stop every now and then and buy another pack of frozen corn.. LOL!!!

 

[saintyclaus]

Not sure, Id still put something cold inside if it was me. The sun can really get em hot. Put a couple packs of frozen corn in there, and cook it when you get home with the bugs. Just stop every now and then and buy another pack of frozen corn.. LOL!!!

I'll be putting something cold in the cooler for sure. I'll probably use your frozen jug idea. I was just thinking that it shouldn't smell up the car as long as I keep them cool and alive. Maxp seems to have confirmed that.

 

[saintfan]

Get them at the last possible moment. Place them in a cooler completely iced. Everytime you stop make sure you empty the excess water. They should be fine and should not smell up the car.

 

[SWJJ]

Don't buy from shane's. Their crawfish have been tiny all season. I second the frozen milk (or a two liter coke bottle) jug. That's what I have done in the past.

 

[saintyclaus]

Don't buy from shane's. Their crawfish have been tiny all season. I second the frozen milk (or a two liter coke bottle) jug. That's what I have done in the past.

Have you had any from Shaver's this season?

 

[SWJJ]

Have you had any from Shaver's this season?

I get mine from a wholesaler, friend of a friend kinda thing, been to a few boils where they got them from shavers, good size and nice and healthy. Before I got hooked up with the wholesaler, I always got mine from shavers.

 

[Hawkeye Saint]

Keep them on ice but keep the ice chest drained on they will drown.

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I drove from New Orleans to Iowa in about 18 to 20 hours with 50 lbs of crawfish on ice in coolers. stopped to drain them when I stopped for gas or a break. They were just fine. I miss Dockside Seafood( corner of Haynes and Downman, my old stomping grounds).