Processing bear

[Mark Youngblood]

My dad and I are going on a spring hunt in Idaho first of May and I wanted to see what everyone does with their bears?  I was thinking of having it turned into summer sausage and peperoni sticks and was curious if anyone has any places they recommend close to Tacoma?  If we both get one then we could do other options as well... just curious what others do with their bear meat?

[YoterHunter]

Butcher boys south hill Puyallup been doing al my work for 18 years. I have a lot of goofus made from them every year.

[billythekidrock]

Roasts, sausage and canning.

[CAMPMEAT]

Mtn View Meats on 112 th (?) Puyallup used to do my pigs without any issues............

[h20hunter]

Yes to all the above.  Also...corned bear roast is very good.

[gasman]

And if you like to crab. Save the scraps (meat trimming and fat) for crab bait. It works better then any thing I have ever used.

Used the scraps from mt Alaskan bear for crab bait and worked AWESOME 

Or if you dont want it, I will take it for crab bait 

Good luck on your hunt 

[wadu1]

Have a quarter or two smoked just like a pig, after all in BC they are called bush pigs. Mt View is good, I had my bear smoked at Sweeny's meats in Brownsville. Mine was outstanding, they jerked 1/2 of a black-tail that was to die for. 
 Sweeney's Country Style Meats 9690 Brownsville Highway NE, Bremerton

[jrebel]

Breakfast sausage, stew meat, stir fry meat, roast, etc, etc, etc.  It is all good.

Good Luck on the hunt and don't forget to post pics.

[Mark Youngblood]

Does anyone know if Stewarts in Yelm will process a bear?  I love their buffalo summer sausage and their pepperoni sticks for sure!

[ICEMAN]

Fish slapper. Consider cutting and packaging it yourself. Bear meat makes a great breakfast steak, great stew meat, fajitia type meat...and pressure canned it is absolutely excellent. Give it a try! Very easy to process.

[pd]

Have a quarter or two smoked just like a pig, after all in BC they are called bush pigs. Mt View is good, I had my bear smoked at Sweeny's meats in Brownsville. Mine was outstanding, they jerked 1/2 of a black-tail that was to die for. 
 Sweeney's Country Style Meats 9690 Brownsville Highway NE, Bremerton

Wadu, other than Farmer George, I didn't know there were any other game processors on the peninsula.  Can Sweeney's process game meat?  If so, this would be a great find for me.

[Pygmy]

B&E meats in Des Moines.   Summer sausage and jalapeńo cheddar pepperoni!

[woodman]

Mtn View Meats on 112 th (?) Puyallup used to do my pigs without any issues............

Agree with Mtn View Meats on 112th. Have used them for decades on wild game including bears. Have always been happy and never disappointed with them.

     Mt. View Meat & Sausage Company
     2519 E. 112th Street -Tacoma, WA 98445

     253-537-5332

[teegansdad]

Take a canning pressure cooker and 5 mason jars fill each mason jar 3/4 full with chunks of bear meat take a heeping table spoon of salt and throw it in on the bear spin the lid on good and tight put jars in pressure cooker on and pressure cook for 3 hrs or so and let cool and de pressure on its own. and it makes the best carne asada meat for tacos, burretos, nachos...........

[andersonjk4]

Tagging...

I am going on my first spring bear hunt as well and looking to get my first bear.  I do all of my own game and livestock butchering/processing and have been contemplating what I would do with a bear if I got one.  I like the pressure cooker idea, but unfortunately I don't have a pressure canner.  I might have to look into one.

[JohnVH]

same as a deer, or elk.. Roasts, burger, sausage, jerky, etc... its tasty meat. I just ate some bear backstraps yesterday off the bbq

[Jester052]

Good info fellas

[ICEMAN]

Take a canning pressure cooker and 5 mason jars fill each mason jar 3/4 full with chunks of bear meat take a heeping table spoon of salt and throw it in on the bear spin the lid on good and tight put jars in pressure cooker on and pressure cook for 3 hrs or so and let cool and de pressure on its own. and it makes the best carne asada meat for tacos, burretos, nachos...........

Teegan, aren't you busting a lot of jars by cranking your lids down so tight?  We put ours on with just a firm twist, nothing too tight and never get breaks.... I have never read to crank them down very hard... You want gases to escape the jars...

[teegansdad]

No hasnt happened yet?? but if it does ill know why!!

[Decker]

BBQ roasts marinaded in italian dressing are THE FREAKING BOMB!!!!! 

Has anyone ever mixed front shoulder with deer meat for burger? (rather than using pork shoulder?)

[billythekidrock]

I have always thrown my bear trim in with my deer/elk burger but I still add suet or pork.

[Decker]

I have always thrown my bear trim in with my deer/elk burger but I still add suet or pork.

I used pork last time, and felt like it killed all the flavor. Is suet better?

[billythekidrock]

I have always thrown my bear trim in with my deer/elk burger but I still add suet or pork.

I used pork last time, and felt like it killed all the flavor. Is suet better?

Beef suet gives it a more traditional burger flavor that some people prefer.
I prefer a small amount of pork butt with my venison/elk burger as it is not too greasy, but my brother prefers beef suet so we compromise. We usually run about 5 percent beef suet & 10 percent pork butt.

[Decker]

Good to know; we used pork shoulder last time.

[billythekidrock]

Good to know; we used pork shoulder last time.

Shoulder, butt, picnic roast...basically all the same.