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Posted: 9/16/2011 10:26:40 PM EDT
[#1]
Just back from a hunt in Maine for black bear. I tagged mine on the second day of the hunt and was fortunate that it only traveled about six feet after the shot and we were able to get it gutted and cooled quickly in a walk in meat locker. The next morning after registering the bear with the state I drove it one town over to a processor who professionaly cut, ground and wrapped my meat. So far I've been pleased with the meat. Mine was a 150lb sow who was absolutely gorging herself on raspberry and blueberry which I'm sure affects the quality of the meat. I gave a couple of packs of the italian breakfast sausage to a buddy the other day, ran into him last night and he proceeds to tell me it made the best F'n spaghetti sauce that he's ever had. That sealed it, no regrets here in taking a bear and paying a butcher to cut, wrap and freeze it for me for the drive home.
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Posted: 9/17/2011 2:52:14 PM EDT
[#2]
A bears asshole can be made into tasty sausage, so sausage is no indicator of good meat. Eat a lightly seasoned steak for a better indication.
I have no doubt that a yearling bear is a tasty animal. Try a 500# boar, probably a little difference in quality. |
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Posted: 9/17/2011 3:30:43 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Mid-Tenn]
[#3]
Originally Posted By HABU:
A bears asshole can be made into tasty sausage, so sausage is no indicator of good meat. Eat a lightly seasoned steak for a better indication. I have no doubt that a yearling bear is a tasty animal. Try a 500# boar, probably a little difference in quality. Lightly seasoned appears to be the key. First couple of steaks that I tried had soaked in the marinade way too long. Texture of the meat was similar to that of a cheap cut of beef, think flank steak, but all you could taste was the marinade, you really couldn't tell what was the underlying flavor. Next meal will probably be bear steaks dredged in flour, browned and slow cooked in gravy in the crock pot like round steak most likely to be served over mashed potatos. And your right, young bear is tasty. I can only imagine what one of those big boars would taste like. Probably like comparing the quality of meat from a yearling doe to that of a old rutting buck. |
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Posted: 10/16/2011 3:22:34 AM EDT
[Last Edit: AKFF]
[#4]
Originally Posted By HABU:
A bears asshole can be made into tasty sausage, so sausage is no indicator of good meat. Eat a lightly seasoned steak for a better indication. I have no doubt that a yearling bear is a tasty animal. Try a 500# boar, probably a little difference in quality. Your question was do we hunt the bears for just the hide. The answer is a resounding no. I'm trying to figure out what is wrong with making sausage out of it. As long as we eat it what is the problem. BTW, all sizes of bear taste good if they aren't into the fish or trash. |
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Posted: 10/22/2011 1:53:58 AM EDT
[#5]
There is nothing wrong with making sausage out of it. Heck, even a fish eating bear can be made into tasty sausage.
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Posted: 10/24/2011 5:34:51 AM EDT
[#6]
I like bear. I really really like bear. When I got married one of the guests gave my wife and I a hell of a gift. He gave us a bear front quarter. Since our wedding was an outdoor affair the food we served was a whole pig spit roasted and inside that pig was saurkraut, sausage and one bear quarter. That stayed at the front table and was gone in minutes.
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GA, USA
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Posted: 11/8/2011 2:58:05 AM EDT
[#7]
Usually when I go in the blue ridge mountains in Va, we keep the hide and give the meat to a lot of the locals we know are less fortunate (blue ridge native here) But we know who will be getting the meat before we kill a bear
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IN, USA
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Posted: 3/13/2012 4:52:52 PM EDT
[#8]
I would definitely keep the meat and have a nice rug made out of the hide. I just wish i lived in a bear state.
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WA, USA
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Posted: 5/11/2012 7:15:39 AM EDT
[#9]
Originally Posted By teddy12b:
I think you're going to run into both kinds of hunters. Some want the hide & some want the meat, but most will want both. I was in Ontario bear hunting for the first week of the season. 9 hunters, two guys got bears. I'd expect some dirty looks if you plan to waste the meat. The second guy to get a bear that week was after the hide. It was interesting to see how the rest of the hunters reacted to that because it never even crossed their minds to not be interested in the meat. That guy had no respect around camp from the other hunters. The lady at the camp ended up cooking some of the meat for everyone to try and I'll admit it was some of the best meat I've ever eaten in my life. I never expected it to be that good, but it was absolutely delicious. Hard to be any more fresh of a meal than some thing that was shot the day before and then marinated for 24 hours. Well stated. Bear meat is very good. I have hunted for over 40 years and wouldn't think of killing one only for the hide. |
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WA, USA
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Posted: 7/5/2012 11:45:13 PM EDT
[#10]
I am an avid deer and elk hunter and killed my first bear 6 weeks ago and had it processed and I will eat bear over deer from now on.
The meat is similar to pork but a little leaner and can be cooked anyway pork can. My bear was a 400lb boar and even the jerky is incredible. don't let anyone tell you the meats no good, they just haven't had it prepared properly or it wasn't processed right. A lot depends on the bears diet and a garbage eating bear will not be as tasty as a bear that feeds on berries and such. good luck with your hunt, they have excellent noses so use a good cover scent and camo up as if you are turkey hunting because they have excellent vision as well. |
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Posted: 7/7/2012 2:46:57 AM EDT
[#11]
While I admit that I am very happy to have a nice spring bear rug, the meat is very good as well. My family and friends all enjoy it and I make sure to introduce as many people as possible to it is dispel the notion that black bear meat isn't desirable for consumption.
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WA, USA
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Posted: 8/22/2012 6:40:58 PM EDT
[#12]
I hunt for both. Too bad here in WA we can't use hounds anymore. Liberals and their stupid legislation.
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ND, USA
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Posted: 9/19/2012 4:31:52 PM EDT
[#13]
Wow, this thread has been around the block. Guess I can add my .02. It's important to get every speck of fat off the meat or it will taste greasy. Make sure you know the rules in your state concerning want-n-waste. Some states it's a crime to leave the meat in the field or throw it away. I've had bear meat that tasted really bad and some that tasted really good. I think the magic is in the processing and care long before it gets to the table.
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Posted: 9/19/2012 7:45:01 PM EDT
[#14]
Shot my first bear last year in September 2011 in Maine.
He came in at 260 lbs. Was not impressed with the butcher. Meat was fairly tasteless. Even my poor college kids who eat a deer each every year were not enthused. Going to New Brunswick in June of 2013 so I will try it again. Had a rug done with the bear from Maine. Too big. The next one will be a wall mount. |
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MT, USA
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Posted: 10/13/2012 5:49:36 PM EDT
[#15]
my first bear, my wife came in and the skinned carcass was on the kitchen table getting processed. she said it reminded her of our old dog bully. said she would never eat it. so i waited about 2 months and cooked it without telling her what it was. now she makes sure i get a bear every year, it has become her favorite. i can't get her to eat venison unless it is jerky,but she will eat any cut of bear i feed her. just treat it like pork.
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Posted: 10/21/2012 7:54:03 PM EDT
[#16]
Our hunting party just called in a 280 pound (brown phase) black bear that had been gorging itself on grapes...
Can't wait to taste it...hind quarters will be hams when done... 
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Posted: 12/21/2012 12:05:32 PM EDT
[#17]
Originally Posted By Robertesq1:
Hide is best in spring when they leave the dens with new coats but meat sucks after a winter of hybernation. Meat is best in the fall when bears have engorged themselves with blueberrys, but the hides suck after a summer of wear. The opposite is true in alaska bear hunting so much so taht the state of Alaska DFG does not require you to remove meat from the field of a black bear after June 1 and Grizzly meat does not need to be salvaged at any time. Fall bears in Alaska are disgusting from all of the fish they get in to, spring bears are quite tasty though. |
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Posted: 12/21/2012 12:35:17 PM EDT
[#18]
Originally Posted By deputytrueblood: Fall bears can be very tasty when they have been on the berries.Originally Posted By Robertesq1: Hide is best in spring when they leave the dens with new coats but meat sucks after a winter of hybernation. Meat is best in the fall when bears have engorged themselves with blueberrys, but the hides suck after a summer of wear. The opposite is true in alaska bear hunting so much so taht the state of Alaska DFG does not require you to remove meat from the field of a black bear after June 1 and Grizzly meat does not need to be salvaged at any time. Fall bears in Alaska are disgusting from all of the fish they get in to, spring bears are quite tasty though.  |
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Posted: 12/21/2012 12:41:01 PM EDT
[#19]
Bear meat is great, makes wonderful sausage.
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IA, USA
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Posted: 1/12/2013 4:39:13 PM EDT
[#20]
The only bear I've ever tried eating was a spring black bear from Manitoba. The sausage we made was very good, but then again it's sausage, it's easy to make anything taste good with that much seasoning and a bit of beef or pork tallow added to it. The steak we tried lightly seasoning with Lawry's and grilling. We each ate about two bites and threw it away.
I would eat the sausage again without hesitation, and I'd even be open to trying some steak off of a fall bear, but I will never eat steak off a spring bear again! |
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Posted: 1/24/2013 12:54:56 AM EDT
[#21]
I've got no respect for hunters who kill just for the sake of killing. I was raised to respect the life you take by using what you kill. I love to hunt and I actually prefer many wild game meats to beef or chicken. I've seen people shoot a big buck, hack off the antlers and leave the rest or cut out the back straps and leave the rest. Now if I ever caught someone doing that in the field I'd probably let them have it. My opinion is if you go out to kill a bear you ought to use what you can...fur, meat, claws, whatever you can. I've heard people say bear meat is both nasty and delicious but I've heard that about most wild game. I seriously doubt with so many people who depend on bear meat as a staple eating it that it be inedible. Like anything it comes down to prep and cooking. My rules don't apply to the rest of the world but I'd hope hunters would want to do that anyways. I love bears too much to hunt one myself but if one was trying to make a snack out of me I'd shoot it quick then, hopefully, the wildlife officials would donate everything to the needy.
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Posted: 1/25/2013 4:49:33 PM EDT
[#22]
Originally Posted By akcaribouhunter:
Originally Posted By deputytrueblood:
Fall bears can be very tasty when they have been on the berries.Originally Posted By Robertesq1:
Hide is best in spring when they leave the dens with new coats but meat sucks after a winter of hybernation. Meat is best in the fall when bears have engorged themselves with blueberrys, but the hides suck after a summer of wear. The opposite is true in alaska bear hunting so much so taht the state of Alaska DFG does not require you to remove meat from the field of a black bear after June 1 and Grizzly meat does not need to be salvaged at any time. Fall bears in Alaska are disgusting from all of the fish they get in to, spring bears are quite tasty though.
ayup. |
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Posted: 5/12/2013 6:55:27 PM EDT
[#23]
Originally Posted By HABU:
There is nothing wrong with making sausage out of it. Heck, even a fish eating bear can be made into tasty sausage. Seems like fish would be a top end food for a bear. Why does it make the meat bad and in what way? Thanks...I've never tasted bear. |
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KEN
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Posted: 5/12/2013 7:57:26 PM EDT
[#24]
The meat is great and you get a beautiful rug!
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Posted: 10/21/2013 2:36:04 AM EDT
[#25]
There is a huge taste difference between a bear that was run by dogs and had a lot of adrenalin going, and a bear that was shot over bait or grazing. Taste is also dependant on field prep after the kill. Some people don't field dress or skin their game animals as soon as it's possible to do so.
I like bear meat a lot. Wish it wasn't so long in between to get drawn from the lottery.
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Posted: 10/21/2013 2:40:11 AM EDT
[#26]
I've seen guys who drive around the county with thier bear on the dog box or in the back of the truck for hours having to show all thier buddies. I've also seen them laying on dog boxes for hours and in truck beds while the hunters sat at the bar. No way those bears tasted very good at all
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AK, USA
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Posted: 10/21/2013 12:37:12 PM EDT
[#27]
In Alaska, Spring bear meat is well liked. Easy to get, at a good time of year, and once people start eating it, they usually prefer the marbled meat more than moose.
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Posted: 10/30/2013 6:04:34 PM EDT
[#28]
My 13 yo and I each got a bear the last two years and my family really liked the meat.
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WA, USA
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Posted: 10/30/2013 9:35:43 PM EDT
[#29]
Hunters are after both. The meat is very good - similar to pork.
I believe that it is illegal in Washington to leave the meat. |
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Posted: 10/30/2013 10:05:04 PM EDT
[#30]
How about smoking it? Anyone try that? I have been thinking about black bear hunting but haven't been sure on the meat and I won't kill it unless I eat it.
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Posted: 11/1/2013 9:55:46 AM EDT
[#31]
Smoked bear is good, but make sure at the end of smoking it you bring it up to 160 for a few min. It will kill any parasites the meat might have.
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Posted: 11/1/2013 12:35:16 PM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By chewbacca: How about smoking it? Anyone try that? I have been thinking about black bear hunting but haven't been sure on the meat and I won't kill it unless I eat it. They weather stayed a little too warm and we started smoking. Came out looking like the old country hams. Everybody we gave meat to loved it. Hung it on a meat rack and covered it in tarps. Used cotton wood and alder. |
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PA, USA
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Posted: 11/20/2013 11:03:03 PM EDT
[#33]
Bear meat is great if prepared right. I grilled a NY strip, venisen steak, and bear steak and did taste test on family. Venisen, bear NY in that order. If you are not sure about bear you can cube the meat, marinate, and wrap in beacon. I grilled it at my deck party and it was a huge hit. People ask fot itbevery year.
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USA
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Posted: 11/30/2013 12:06:28 AM EDT
[#34]
I want to shoot one with my bow, if I ever get the chance I plan on eating the meat.
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AZ, USA
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Posted: 4/3/2014 7:33:33 PM EDT
[#35]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By genesis:
that's what I did. I don't like it anyway's, but the old addage that the bear tastes like the last thing it ate did me in on this one.
This was his last meal. http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u94/genesiscom/breakfast.jpg Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By genesis:
Originally Posted By MTNmyMag:
If I went bear hunting I would find someplace to donate the meat to. Someplace or someone. that's what I did. I don't like it anyway's, but the old addage that the bear tastes like the last thing it ate did me in on this one.
This was his last meal. http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u94/genesiscom/breakfast.jpg Genesis - Crazy to see that pic! Me and a buddy went out one morning to go shoot and found that exact cow that is in your pic! It had a awful stench and seems like it was out there for a bout a week or so. It seemed a little odd that the hole/burrow behind its rear end was like that. Figured it was coyote kill? |
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Posted: 5/19/2014 1:20:20 AM EDT
[#36]
Bear is undoubtedly my favorite meat, bar none. No hounds or baiting here in WA make it a giant pain in the ass.
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AK, USA
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Posted: 5/19/2014 2:21:32 AM EDT
[#37]
Lots of tricanosis in bear meat.It is suggested that it be well cooked to prevent problems.I'm personally not a fan of any well done game. I dont shoot or eat bears.
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WA, USA
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Posted: 5/19/2014 2:28:25 AM EDT
[#38]
I tried some bear after a friend came back from a hunt. It was jerky, and tasted like absolute shit. It put me off so much that I would never intentionally hunt it. I suppose it could have been a fluke, but it was take a few beers before I wanted to try it again.
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Posted: 5/19/2014 6:14:01 AM EDT
[Last Edit: dogfacepappy]
[#39]
I don't have any interest in eating a bear, it just doesn't sound all that tasty to me, but I would hunt it for the hide, I find the notion of a bear skin rug or comforter agreeable.
ETA: Die thread, DIE! |
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PA, USA
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Posted: 5/19/2014 7:05:32 AM EDT
[#40]
Both...and to help cull the herd
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WA, USA
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Posted: 5/19/2014 11:49:13 AM EDT
[Last Edit: scrum]
[#41]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By genesis:
that's what I did. I don't like it anyway's, but the old addage that the bear tastes like the last thing it ate did me in on this one.
This was his last meal. http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u94/genesiscom/breakfast.jpg Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By genesis:
Originally Posted By MTNmyMag:
If I went bear hunting I would find someplace to donate the meat to. Someplace or someone. that's what I did. I don't like it anyway's, but the old addage that the bear tastes like the last thing it ate did me in on this one.
This was his last meal. http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u94/genesiscom/breakfast.jpg Your avatar is perfect for that post. ETA: I like bear meat, but as has been previously posted, the time of year and the bear's diet have everything to do with how it tastes. Bear near salmon spawning runs are to the power of .
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Posted: 5/20/2014 5:56:49 PM EDT
[#42]
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Posted: 8/17/2015 4:47:49 PM EDT
[#43]
I'm gong to resurrect this thread again since I am contemplating a spring black bear hunt. How many pounds of meat can I expect to take off say, a 350 lb. boar? Being in southern AZ, I can't count on the weather being favorable so I need to keep in mind how far away from ice my kill is and how many trips it will take to pack out. Chances are, if I do try for a spring bear, I will be hunting alone, so unless I kill one near a road I will need to bone it out in the field. I'm a firm believer that how meat is handled in the field greatly affects its flavor. With that in mind, I would like to be armed with the necessary knowledge before hand so I don't get in over my head.
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NH, USA
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Posted: 8/19/2015 12:34:22 PM EDT
[#44]
I made 60 pounds of bear meat into summer sausage on the smoker last year . After it was finished I placed in oven at 200deg until internal temp was above 160 to kill off any trichinosis. Everyone I shared this with (including the local CO and his family) keep asking me when im going to make more. However I personally
think most bear meat that guys say "taste horrible" had not been properly handled after the kill. Although I have never tried a bear that has been eating hundreds of pounds of salmon (Alaska bears) maybe they do taste bad . Most bear seasons happen during warmer months and it doesn't take long for meat to spoil. So if/when you harvest your bear make sure you get the hide off quickly and start removing the fat . Just like any game meat , the faster you get the meat cooling down the better the meat will be. |
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Posted: 8/19/2015 12:44:24 PM EDT
[Last Edit: bikerman9967]
[#45]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Corporal_Chaos:
I'm gong to resurrect this thread again since I am contemplating a spring black bear hunt. How many pounds of meat can I expect to take off say, a 350 lb. boar? Being in southern AZ, I can't count on the weather being favorable so I need to keep in mind how far away from ice my kill is and how many trips it will take to pack out. Chances are, if I do try for a spring bear, I will be hunting alone, so unless I kill one near a road I will need to bone it out in the field. I'm a firm believer that how meat is handled in the field greatly affects its flavor. With that in mind, I would like to be armed with the necessary knowledge before hand so I don't get in over my head. depends how much you want to work on it. bear have an unbelievable amount of fat.( depending which region you hunt) i shaved a god 25lbs of fat off of my bear before i got down to the quarters and there was still tons of it left. my bear was 340 dressed and i probably got a good 60-70 lbs out of it. i did all i could to save every little piece of meat but it gets frustrating with the amount of fat there is. |
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Posted: 8/27/2015 11:16:45 PM EDT
[#46]
I ate my bear. I cubed the meat, wrapped it in bacon and cooked it on the grill. It was a big hit at my deck party.
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AZ, USA
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Posted: 9/25/2015 10:26:21 AM EDT
[#47]
To the OP (who probably isnt reading this!) I hunt for the meat. The hide I usually trade to the taxidermist.
I was raised to eat what you hunt, so I dont trophy hunt. I hunt deer and will be picky here in AZ (no doe hunting) about taking a young deer versus older, but beyond that I hunt for the meat. |
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Posted: 9/25/2015 10:45:46 AM EDT
[#48]
They go in the pit with the rest of the varmints that ignore my no trespassing signs and go for my animals that taste GOOD.
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Posted: 9/25/2015 1:59:45 PM EDT
[#49]
Here in Florida we can't hunt the black bears. If I were in a state that did allow it and I lived in a rural area I would probably keep the meat as well as the hide, but if it were near a city or "non-rural" area I probably wouldn't eat the meat as the bear has probably eaten some nasty shit.
For example, I'd be all over the meat if bear's diet consisted strongly of fish. |
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FL, USA
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Posted: 9/29/2015 2:53:02 AM EDT
[#50]
This one my son harvested was excellent eating. Had it every way from stew to meet loaf to a pot pie I concocted with apples, onions and peppers and it was ran with dogs for 3 hours. The main thing about any game is how it's handled after the shot, that's where the real work begins. If it's shot and dropped off at a butcher you don't have full faith in, you have no idea how it's handled. It's a real crap shoot. I take a week in prep on the game we take up at our cabin and it pays off through the year. We usually bring back 5 deer and a bear if we're lucky and every step I am meticulous with, from the field dress to skinning and quartering to the soak (most important) to butchering out the cuts (properly separated hinds are just as good as the back strap), grinding the shoulders, shanks and trim meat. finally the vacuum sealer is a must. It's all a long dance but quite rewarding when done.
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