Bear meat

[h20hunter]

Yes....believe leaving the meat is wastage.....not talking about a two day dead bear....fresh kill.

[Austrian Hunter]

I've had excellent bear meat and it-was-so-bad-you-want-to-become-vegan bear meat. The difference? Dressing out the bear is not like a deer...it's harder. There are scent glands behind the animal’s hind legs you've got to handle right, you've got to remove of all the fat, and then try and skin it without getting hair all over the meat (this is tricky and why many hunters in the south burn the hair off like a hog).

Personally, I love to butcher wild game but won't bother with bear.

JMEO

Not calling you out, but...  You wont bother butchering bear? This mean you will not hunt them or?

New interesting queestion, would leaving the meat in the woods be considered waste of wildlife? Should it?

   I think this is considered waste of wildlife leaving any bear meat behind! 

[ICEMAN]

I've had excellent bear meat and it-was-so-bad-you-want-to-become-vegan bear meat. The difference? Dressing out the bear is not like a deer...it's harder. There are scent glands behind the animal’s hind legs you've got to handle right, you've got to remove of all the fat, and then try and skin it without getting hair all over the meat (this is tricky and why many hunters in the south burn the hair off like a hog).

Personally, I love to butcher wild game but won't bother with bear.

JMEO

Not calling you out, but...  You wont bother butchering bear? This mean you will not hunt them or?

New interesting queestion, would leaving the meat in the woods be considered waste of wildlife? Should it?

   I think this is considered waste of wildlife leaving any bear meat behind! 

OK, so how about a Cougar. Bobcat? How is it decided what meat you have to consume? (Just playing Donahue here...)

[Jonathan_S]

Dressing out the bear is not like a deer...it's harder.

Personally, I love to butcher wild game but won't bother with bear.

JMEO

   So you love to butcher wild game just not bear?  What does it take to properly butcher a bear, 2-3 hours for anyone with a clue and a sharp knife?  Maybe another 1-2 hours to trim fat?  I wouldn't call it tricky, just a little more time. 

[Austrian Hunter]

I've had excellent bear meat and it-was-so-bad-you-want-to-become-vegan bear meat. The difference? Dressing out the bear is not like a deer...it's harder. There are scent glands behind the animal’s hind legs you've got to handle right, you've got to remove of all the fat, and then try and skin it without getting hair all over the meat (this is tricky and why many hunters in the south burn the hair off like a hog).

Personally, I love to butcher wild game but won't bother with bear.

JMEO

Not calling you out, but...  You wont bother butchering bear? This mean you will not hunt them or?

New interesting queestion, would leaving the meat in the woods be considered waste of wildlife? Should it?

   I think this is considered waste of wildlife leaving any bear meat behind! 

OK, so how about a Cougar. Bobcat? How is it decided what meat you have to consume? (Just playing Donahue here...)

I had Cougar, loved it!!! Some of the best I ever had  in the wild game department.  Never had Bobcat but I would try.   

[billythekidrock]

Dressing out the bear is not like a deer...it's harder.

Personally, I love to butcher wild game but won't bother with bear.

JMEO

   So you love to butcher wild game just not bear?  What does it take to properly butcher a bear, 2-3 hours for anyone with a clue and a sharp knife?  Maybe another 1-2 hours to trim fat?  I wouldn't call it tricky, just a little more time. 

I agree.  Nothing tricky to processing a bear. There is no need to make it out to be a scary thing. Cool and butcher quickly and you will have quality meat.

[JohnVH]

weird, weve done a few, nothing harder than any other animal to us.

[Bowslayer]

As a newbie, I need to be more careful not to trip any wires here   

The original question was from a someone that had never cleaned a bear.  My first time, I had and would want guidance or at least ample instruction, because unlike a deer, I personally find bear more tricky (not scary) for reasons stated. It's great to see that so many of the hunters on this forum are pros with such things.

Someone kinda asked if I hunt bear but waste the meat. If I hunt bear, I harvest the meat or donate it.

[LITTLEBUCK]

I was a newbie the first time I shot a bear. No difference then deer or elk, what's on it comes off, what's in it comes out. Keep it clean, get it cool. Only difference is take all the fat off which falls in the statement above, what's on it comes off.

[TheFewTheProud]

Bear meat breakfast sausage is by far the best.

[Jonathan_S]

Bear meat breakfast sausage is by far the best.

It's spooky how good it is.  I made 120 4 oz patties of bear breakfast sausage in 2010 and I'm still convinced someone stole it with how fast it was gone.

[Smossy]

Bear backstrap roast is amazing.

[Guy]

Isn't it true that WDFW views the bear as a predator, and hunters are not required to take the meat?

Just asking.

Guy

[bowhunterforever]

Isn't it true that WDFW views the bear as a predator, and hunters are not required to take the meat?

Just asking.

Guy

Good question

[Jonathan_S]

Isn't it true that WDFW views the bear as a predator, and hunters are not required to take the meat?

Just asking.

Guy

Why would you consider it when there are 1,000s of people on this site who'd take the meat and feed themselves for months with it?

They're a game animal right?  I can't tell you for certain because I'd never leave a bear so I'm not overly concerned with knowing.