Springer or fall bear, which is better?

[jmscon]

Which is generally better? Fur, meat, etc.?

Is spring bear more of a quality hunt or preferred because it's the first big game hunting of the year? Is the meat better? Fur better?

Fall bear eating berries better?

Just tying to figure it out, thinking of getting into it in the next year or two.

[bowhunterforever]

Tag

[Oh Mah]

Fur def. fall.Meat prob. not much diff. but leaner in the spring.

[JakeLand]

I say a fall bear up high or in the berries! But if you get one that has been eating salmon or garbage  some of the worse table fair

[Tbar]

The fur is way better on spring bears as long as they haven't started rubbing. Early spring bears have their full winter coat.  The spring meat is mild, berry bears are a little more flavorful.

[kodiak 907]

Fall bear, up high for the best taste.

[fillthefreezer]

You guys commenting, have you eaten many spring bears? How bout handled their hides? 🙄


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[Oh Mah]

yep and yep,my spring bear hide was a bald spot knarled mess.my fall bear was heavier and had a beautiful brown coat.Didn't notice any diff. in taste over here not much for salmon where i hunt just berries.

[huntnnw]

A spring bear that hasn't rubbed by far has a better hide than fall! Handled 40 or so fall bears and none have the length of hair a spring does. Fall bear will be better eating if it's gorging on berries, apples, pears and nuts versus a spring bear that's eating grass , skunk cabbage, calves and fawns

[Tbar]

You guys commenting, have you eaten many spring bears? How bout handled their hides? 🙄


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Yes,  if it was directed at me. Only western Washington though.

[Oh Mah]

I guess it would mostly depend on where your hunting in both cases.

[ghosthunter]

The fur is way better on spring bears as long as they haven't started rubbing. Early spring bears have their full winter coat.  The spring meat is mild, berry bears are a little more flavorful.

Based on my recent experience with one bear, this is spot on.

[MooseZ25]

I sure like to handle spring bears better, less fat to deal with.

[ghosthunter]

I would wager there is a lot in play to answer the op question.

Weather has a lot to do with it. The two spring bears just taken in Skagit both had nice hides and coats. Next spring could be different.


Also I am a firm believer that the work for how the meat tastes starts after the shot. The bear or any animal did their part, but many hunters fail in doing their part. How fast you get animals skinned, cooled and handled all play a part in what it tastes like on the table.

For years I have stuffed my animals with block or bags of ice when transporting. I work very hard at keeping it clean ,cool.

I know a guy who drove back from Wyoming with two deer thrown in the back of his truck by the quads with the skins still on and no means of cooling.

Recently talking to the Game guy who pulled my bears tooth , he said something that stuck with me. " Bears are individuals, done of them are the same " 

There is some truth to that I think.

 

[gaddy]

I don't have any experience with spring bears, or many fall bears for that matter. I was told years ago by an avid bear hunter that the spring bears meat was full of toxins after hibernating, that the meat was tainted. That it took a while of good eating to flush their systems and get their muscles (meat) back to prime condition. One of the reasons I have never targeted spring bears. Was he wrong ?