Bear Meat?

[north of 53]

never get that hungry

We have all kinds of black bears up here in northern Canada but the only people that eat them are the Americans that come up to hunt them. I am not saying you can't eat them but we just never do. We only shoot the ones that bother us, none of the locals even hunt them. There are outfitters that make good money selling hunts to people from down south so we leave the bears for them. We kind of see them as a cash crop and not table fair, but thats just us. My wife and I take five or six deer a year so no need to eat bear. Also remember most outfitters bait them so its not even really a hunt. Black Bears are not much as a trophy or food .

 

[Ridge Runner]

North,
you should come down south and hunt them with dogs, these smaller moutain bears are a blast to chase around, and they will surprise you with they're stamina, I've followed a pack of hounds as much as 20 miles a day on foot here in the appalachian,, allegheny moutains. scare a little one and you'll never catch him!
All this doesn't help the table fare much, although bear is better fattened on acorns, but it'll change your outlook on bear hunting.
RR

 

[bedrock]

Here in Alberta, Canada we are not required by law to keep black bear meat. One of the best feeds of wild meat I ever had was a black bear that was feeding in an oat field. As stated bears are scavengers so I would not go out of my way to eat one that had been feeding in a garbage dump.

 

[BrandonA]

I've never killed a bear but I've had the same questions I'd hate to take one just for the pelt - and that's the reason I haven't yet. Black bears out here in California are plentiful like most the West Coast states I guess.... I've seen quite a few in the past few years killed in the 400-600 lbs range and they were weighed with scales... Some toads... most of the ones I see are in the 150-300 lbs range... I have seen around a ~500 and I still haven't forgotten the sight, it was an aggressive bear that charged my uncle a year later to meet his doom... Took 4 guys to drag it down a hill to the truck and loading into the truck was another matter haha... I guess from those who are saying it's ok to eat I will give it a whirl this year maybe if I can find a suitable sized one

 

[zingdingo]

A hunting buddy and I each shot bears in Montana this spring, and the meat was excellent! We would bring the bear steaks to our summer cookouts along with elk and deer, and everyone liked it around the same. One girl even asked me if she could have some bear to take home, she liked it so much.

 

[devildoc]

It's been my experience that bears (along with deer, elk and any other wild game) taste fine if they are taken care of properly, and taste horrible if they aren't. The big thing with bears is that you have to skin them out as fast as you can to get the meat cooled down. I'm sure diet has alot to do with it, but most of the bears in this neck of the woods make up 90% of their diet with acorns, fruit and stuff like that. I'm sure that a dump-bear would probably be a bit tangy, no matter how well you took care of the meat. Alot of people won't eat Jackrabbits either, but If you know how to cook em' and don't shoot em on the run they taste great.

 

[msalm]

I killed my first bear last fall here in WI and let me tell you, bear are GREAT table fare. I have introduced about 7 different people to bear meat so far and in side to side comparison between bear, elk, and deer loin grilled over charcoal EVERY single person preferred the bear meat. The deer and elk were both very good and tender, but the bear meat was that much better... This was only about a 175lb boar, so it wasn't too big, but it tasted GREAT.

 

[panman]

I live here in the north east kingdom of VT.Around here we eat bear.I dont care for fall bear as they have to much fat to suit me.The game wardons here sometimes get a road killed spring bear.Now they have little fat and are much better,at least to me.A young cub is also exelent!.The fall bears are good,dont get me wrong,i just prefur the springs.Cooked over wood or charcol and some mighty fine eatin is about to happen,lol.My wife also likes to make stews from it.Most bears around here go around 150,250,[most common]to around 400 lb.giaints.As been stated,take care of the meat rite and its very goodlightbulb.Also,wild game of any sort should be cooked well done,except deer moose,and the birds.pan.

 

[liltank]

I forget when it was, but there was a 650 pound monster Black Bear taken in Pennsylvania. I personally like bear. Roasted bear with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy. Good stuff!!!

Tank

 

[J E Custom]

I have not had good experiences with bear meet and will not try it any more because the
first time I tried it I didn't like the taste but though it had not been taken care of properly
after it was killed. So not wanting to give up on it I tried it again. It was worse than the
last that I tried.

One year while bow hunting in Colorado we took a small bear and I was there to help skin
and process it.

This is where the plot thickens . Thinking that I would finally get a chance to process quickly
and chill the meat fast and that I would give it one more chance to see if I could enjoy it
as table fare.

I will give you a warning though. If anyone in your camp is squeamish don't let them watch
the skinning process.( After it has the skin removed It looks like a person hanging there.

Anyway several of the other hunters would not eat any of the meat after seeing it hanging.

And for the third and final time I did not like it so I wrote it of !!

It's like everything else, It depends on whether you like it or not. "I DO NOT".

PS; I don't like crow ether

Just my opinion.

J E CUSTOM

 

[buffybr]

It's been my experience that bears (along with deer, elk and any other wild game) taste fine if they are taken care of properly, and taste horrible if they aren't.

This is very true! I live in Montana, and our bear regulations require bear hunters to bring out and utilize the meat of the bears that they shoot.

Like has been said, bears will eat about anything, but a large portion of their diet is plants. I have watched them grazing in grass like a cow. In the fall, they eat large quantities of fruits, berries, and nuts.

I have eaten 3 bears, and although the steaks on the first two were OK, I ground the last one into burger. I found the tast to be somewhere between elk and beef.

 

[Russ M]

Excuse my African ignorance BUT ..... what do you guys do with your bears after they have expired? Can you eat them or is it strictly trophy stuff? Tanned and mounted bears look very nice and I wouldn't mind having a go but is there any other use. Are the bears a nuisance and need thinning out? Please educate an ignorant African. I would love to come hunt the States one day - magic country!
Dave

i would say try it, if you are worryed about worms just cook it well and that will kill them and be fine to eat also from what i under stand bear hunting is better hear in canada than the states
oh ya and early fall bear tastes better than spring but the hide is not as good

 

[Jay Kyle]

Heard a story from an old cowboy down in Waterton, he tells me every year Volker-Stevens (road maintenance company in Alberta) collects up the various road kill and stores it in a big freezer, then occasionally they take it all up with a helicopter and drop the carcases off on top of one of the peaks near the park.
Well one day a wildlife biologist wants to go up to that peak to do some work. His helicopter lands and while he's unloading gear a big sow comes bounding out of the woods straight for him. He barely has time to hop aboard the helicopter, it starts to lift off but the sow puts her paw around one of the skids and tries to drag it back to the ground. Apparently the sound of the helicopter was the dinner bell and she thought the biologist was dinner!

Jay

 

[MachV]

Aint no better eatin than a young bear thats been eating rasberries all fall, just gotta cook on an open flame to get the grease off of it. A bear with some age on it or thats been dumpster diving can be as bad as sage goat!