Eastern fall black bears

[sp6x6]

Been eating this guy currently

 

[1wildcatfan]

Been eating this guy currently

Is this the bear responding?

 

[Alibiiv]

Nice bear in your avatar.

Thanks. That was a 235ln sow that I took in northwestern Maine in 2018. 35 Whelen, one and done. That is the only bear I've ever shot that dropped where I shot it, facing me, quartering slightly to the left, center chest and out just behind the left shoulder.

 

[Alibiiv]

I was concerned of this too when I first started hunting bears (and am still mindful of it). I've heard horror stories of bear meat with a rancid smell and essentially not edible. I've also seen videos of bears with worms hanging out of their butts that would certainly deter me from wanting to hunt bears again.

However, none of the above has been my personal experience. I'm not saying it can't happen in Pennsylvania (or other east coast states), just saying it is not my experience. The PA bears have a heavy diet of berries, nuts, bark, leaves, etc. The majority of places we hunt are fairly far removed from human populations and such garbage and human wastes aren't really a part of their diet. Additionally, the bears don't have an enormous population of fish to be feasting on. Sure - they'll eat what they can get when they can including carrion, but it is my understanding that is very far in the minority column in our state with the abundance of vegetation to keep them happy. PA has done extreme work to build up our woods and create habitats that sustain mast bearing trees. Bears have an overwhelming amount of acorns, hickory / walnut / beech nuts, etc. to feast upon, along with barks, blue berries, black berries, etc.

My family has had our fair share of PA bear meat over the years - whether the bear I took or shared by other hunters from our group - and I'm of the position that I won't turn it down. My wife says it is her favorite meat of all the various game animals that we have taken of the years (moose, elk, whitetail, etc.).

We cook it well done, I temperature probe it every time, and we enjoy.

Again - just my experience with PA black bears.

I totally agree with everything you have written here. We've been eating bear meat for at least the past ten years. Although I can state that the first bear I shot was not edible due to the smell. But…I did put a poor shot on that bear that traveled from just in front of the left rear quarter and came out just behind the right rear front shoulder. Barnes 180gr TSX out of a 30-06, never hit any vitals, just a pass through from side to side. We process our bear meat mostly burger and sweet Italian sausage, so it is cooked quite well in a meatloaf or meatball or sausage. A trick that I learned from an old hunter is to put the sausage in a shallow pan with just enough water to bring the water to a boil and boil the sausage for 8-10 minutes. Then take the sausage out, rinse under cold water and then cook it to your liking. The boiling seems to infuse the meat with the seasonings, and sure helps with the trichinosis. I've never had cured hams because the processor is in Maine and we travel to hunt. From my processor it takes him more than a week to cure a ham.