New thread-Bear Meat - Washington State

[epags]

Our Prez is thinking it might be a good idea to import grizzlies into Washington State. We have an adult grandson living there. My loving spouse asked how tasty grizzly bear meat was? I have had aged black bear steaks while in a fishing camp in Alaska many years ago and it was so good I asked for another serving. They indicated they would if I would shoot another bear.
Black bear vs Brown bear vs Grizzly bear meat qualities...... types of cuts.....aging, etc.
Your actual experiences please....not interested in if you would or would not eat bear meat if you haven't.

 

[HARPERC]

They are all what they eat. Fish eaters of any kind will make you decide not to eat before the hide is off.

Young berry fed are very good.

You'll likely never legally shoot a grizzly in Washington.

They've been the Cascades for decades, those denying that may have ulterior motives.

 

[FireFlyFishing]

Hah! You think you'll be able to hunt them? Hah!

 

[birddog 68]

Hah! You think you'll be able to hunt them? Hah!

Probably after they reach 50 breeding pairs!

 

[BigDon]

Probably after they reach 50 breeding pairs!

Depends on how many people they kill first! Why not put them in NYC Central Park for amusement? - that seems what they're aiming for!

 

[coyote wacker]

I've guided bear hunters for over 50 years in Michigan....flat out a bears quality of meat will be what it eats....bears I have eaten shot off one of my baits taste very good anybody that has eaten one would argue that it was wild game....but they are feed a high quality food without any meat....
I have eaten bear meat from Canada that wasn't very tasty border line nasty that my dog wouldn't eat....

 

[FireFlyFishing]

Depends on how many people they kill first! Why not put them in NYC Central Park for amusement? - that seems what they're aiming for!

I've been saying this for awhile. I'd like to add SF, LA, and DC to the list.

 

[asd9055]

Depends on how many people they kill first! Why not put them in NYC Central Park for amusement? - that seems what they're aiming for!

Love that idea, however Washington DC would be my suggestion

 

[HARPERC]

Probably after they reach 50 breeding pairs!

Depends on how many people they kill first!

They've got that many pairs in some places and no season.
They really don't care how many get mauled. Its your fault for being in the bears home. As we're talking Washington, they don't even respond to nuisance bears in town.

 

[wvbearhunter]

IMHO interior bears are pretty tasty but coastal bears.....taste like rotten meat/fish

 

[memtb]

Our Prez is thinking it might be a good idea to import grizzlies into Washington State. We have an adult grandson living there. My loving spouse asked how tasty grizzly bear meat was? I have had aged black bear steaks while in a fishing camp in Alaska many years ago and it was so good I asked for another serving. They indicated they would if I would shoot another bear.
Black bear vs Brown bear vs Grizzly bear meat qualities...... types of cuts.....aging, etc.
Your actual experiences please....not interested in if you would or would not eat bear meat if you haven't.

From our limited experience with the eating of bear meat……it is highly dependent upon what the animal has been subsisting on for the past several weeks.

I know that our early Spring bears have always been much better than Fall bears!

Many ole timers would pen-up chickens or pigs and feed a diet or corn for a while before butchering!


I suspect that if the bear is harvested in Seattle or one of the coastal cities…..it will taste like recycled feces! memtb

 

[sable tireur]

From our limited experience with the eating of bear meat……it is highly dependent upon what the animal has been subsisting on for the past several weeks.

I know that our early Spring bears have always been much better than Fall bears!

Interesting.

The only bears I've hunted and eaten have been Fall Black Bears in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Three in total, all males and all over bait piles of pumpkins and apples. All killed with revolvers from tree stands.

I did the butchering myself and had the hides tanned hair on.

The meat has gone down in my book as being the very best tasting meat I've had the pleasure of tasting! Roasts, steaks and stew meat mostly. All of the meat was trimmed to eliminate the fat and silver skin connective tissue. The only 'aging' was hide off and cleaned then hanging for 3-4 days in the cooler before butchering.

 

[memtb]

Interesting.

The only bears I've hunted and eaten have been Fall Black Bears in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Three in total, all males and all over bait piles of pumpkins and apples. All killed with revolvers from tree stands.

I did the butchering myself and had the hides tanned hair on.

The meat has gone down in my book as being the very best tasting meat I've had the pleasure of tasting! Roasts, steaks and stew meat mostly. All of the meat was trimmed to eliminate the fat and silver skin connective tissue. The only 'aging' was hide off and cleaned then hanging for 3-4 days in the cooler before butchering.

I did qualify with our "limited" experience! Perhaps our Fall bears have a higher (than yours) % of carrion from hunter's kills resulting in the poor flavor.

We also do our on processing, with the exception of hide tanning. Our last Fall bear (a young bear) was so rank that we had to throw away the meat…..had to open the windows when trying to cook it.

Rank, foul, nasty, disgusting are but of a few of the adjectives that could be used to describe it's taste and smell! memtb

 

[sable tireur]

I did qualify with our "limited" experience! Perhaps our Fall bears have a higher (than yours) % of carrion from hunter's kills resulting in the poor flavor.

We also do our on processing, with the exception of hide tanning. Our last Fall bear (a young bear) was so rank that we had to throw away the meat…..had to open the windows when trying to cook it.

Rank, foul, nasty, disgusting are but of a few of the adjectives that could be used to describe it's taste and smell! memtb

I wasn't suggesting that you and your compatriots were wrong, not at all. As I wrote, interesting. I've been aware of this taste dichotomy for a number of years especially when it comes from sources I trust (you). Some folks to whom I've recommended butchering their harvest and enjoying the meat have reported back their revulsion with the preparation of the meat and their meal, unfortunately.

Those hunters taking their harvest in the wild, in the field, don't have the benefit of the more controlled diet producing great flavor when the bears are foraging on berries and grasses as well as sweet bait such as pumpkins and apples. Sad.