Bear meat ethics

[Bean Counter]

I've never killed a bear so I have a question. I was talking to a non-hunting dude who is also from. Washington who said his dad traveled down to Arizona to kill a bear this spring. Apparently the dad was happy about killing a nice bear and packed it up and flew back to WA. Then I asked "so he fly the meat home or just give it to you?" He replies "Naw spring bear meat is no good because they're just waking up from hibernation. So he left it for the birds." I was like:  ?! IDK if this is legal or not but sounds incredibly wasteful. I have only had bear a few times but didn't think it could vary that much in quality. Comments?

[huntnnw]

ID you dont have to take the meat

[rasbo]

IDK about AZ but I love the spring bear here..

[Curly]

IDK about AZ but I love the spring bear here..

Yeah.  Spring bear here is really good.

[Bean Counter]

Im pretty sure there are always people who will take free wild game.  Even if it took me more effort and time I would have tried to give it away.  So long as my freezer is full I like giving extra venison out to friends and family.   I feel it is a great way to Spread support or at least appreciation for hunting amongst non hunters.

[RadSav]

He replies "Naw spring bear meat is no good because they're just waking up from hibernation. So he left it for the birds." I was like:  ?! IDK if this is legal or not but sounds incredibly wasteful. I have only had bear a few times but didn't think it could vary that much in quality. Comments?

Why would bear in AZ hibernate?  Legal or not I'd been giving him some strong words for thought.  The AZ bear I've eaten have all been fantastic!  Bad worm infestation would be the only time I'd ever waste a bear fall or spring.

[grundy53]

Sounds like he was just lazy and only wanted a trophy. I think that kind of stuff gives good hunters a bad name.

sent from my typewriter

[billythekidrock]

Sounds like he was just lazy and only wanted a trophy. I think that kind of stuff gives good hunters a bad name.

sent from my typewriter

 

[Dhoey07]

He replies "Naw spring bear meat is no good because they're just waking up from hibernation. So he left it for the birds." I was like:  ?! IDK if this is legal or not but sounds incredibly wasteful. I have only had bear a few times but didn't think it could vary that much in quality. Comments?

Why would bear in AZ hibernate?  Legal or not I'd been giving him some strong words for thought.  The AZ bear I've eaten have all been fantastic!  Bad worm infestation would be the only time I'd ever waste a bear fall or spring.

Why wouldn't they hibernate?  They have about 30 peaks over 10k feet. 

[RadSav]

It used to be that the most dense population of bear was in the Pine/Strawberry area.  Used to see bear there all the time in December and January.  Colder than heck during night, but plenty warm during daytime to keep vegetation good.  From what the bio I talked with when doing most of my deer and javalina scouting was that browse was better during winter months than during summer months.  I suppose if you are hunting spring bear north of Sedona hibernations are common.  Guess I forgot about that.  But I wouldn't expect it to have anywhere near the effect long term hibernations in British Columbia or Idaho and Montana would be.  And those spring bear are tasty!

[D-Rock425]

When stang shot his spring bear a few years back I got some burger from it and it tasted a little funky to me.  That's the only spring bear I've tried.

[Stein]

I wouldn't shoot an animal that I didn't intend to eat (outside depredation reasons).  That's my belief but there are many others - I think most of the coastal bears shot in AK end up getting left as salmon eating bears are pretty nasty.

[Jonathan_S]

He replies "Naw spring bear meat is no good because they're just waking up from hibernation. So he left it for the birds." I was like:  ?! IDK if this is legal or not but sounds incredibly wasteful. I have only had bear a few times but didn't think it could vary that much in quality. Comments?

Why would bear in AZ hibernate?  Legal or not I'd been giving him some strong words for thought.  The AZ bear I've eaten have all been fantastic!  Bad worm infestation would be the only time I'd ever waste a bear fall or spring.

Why wouldn't they hibernate?  They have about 30 peaks over 10k feet.

 
 

Well I'd say most bears don't live on top of mountains like the Grinch on Mt. Crumpet and secondly, 10,000 feet in AZ isn't like 10,000 feet here in WA.  Bears don't hibernate because of elevation, they don't even do it because of the cold.  We have Mt Rainier over 14,000 feet and that doesn't affect the bears on the Penninsula

They do it when there is a food shortage.  In places without significant food shortages (Carolinas, Georgia, SE Alaska) there is little to no hibernation.

[Dhoey07]

I'm just saying that there are spots where bears might hibernate. 

[runamuk]

The only bear meat I know is awful is bear thats been eating fish, otherwise bear is like pork and we ate a whole lot growing up.  My personal ethics find that a bit off putting, however many people dont keep the hides off coyotes.  Look to the state laws where the animal was killed if its legal then its legal.