I want to try some bear meat

[uncoolperson]

before I attempt to pretend to hunt bear I'd like to give some a shot, if it didn't settle with me I wouldn't feel right tossin the meat away and/or basically getting a bear for the fur alone.

anyone around whatcom skagit have any they'd give out for free/moderate $$?

[Pathfinder101]

Even if you don't like the meat, you can make it into jerky.  Make sure you cut off ALL the fat.  THe last nasty thing that bear ate (and they will eat some nasty stuff) will be in his fat cells.  You will wind up throwing away some meat, but if it has fat, cut it off.  Just brine it longer than you would other meats (4 or 5 days) and mix your brine with fruit juice instead of water, then smoke it with fruit wood.  Good stuff.  I jerked out my whole bear a couple of years ago.  Most people couldn't tell it was bear meat.  (We tried throwing a steak on the grill just for kicks.  It was terrible.)

[M_ray]

Go bear hunt and kill one! trust me if you don't like there are plenty on here including me that will take it off your hands! 

[Aneoakleaf]

Pathfinder....... ... Bears are scavengers but eat lots of grass and brush. I've never had a bear that taisted bad. Yes, as soon as you get it home you take all the fat off and take the meat off the bone. Our 5 kids and all our family have loved it. One of the 8 bears I killed was so tender my husband said it was as tender and good as the home made bread that I fixed with it. Later that bear was aged as 16 yrs old. Another one was gray haired, but still ate great. We always had the locker cut all the steaks and roasts they could get then mixed the burger with pork suit. It was great! You have to care for your bear like any wild game . of corse all my bears were taken with an arrow so maybe that was the differance?
Uncool ...you can't leagely buy ANY bear parts in WA.   Don't even try it!  Annie

[Michelle_Nelson]

You can buy and sell Bear Hides.

You CAN NOT buy, sell, or trade, bear claws, or teeth unless attached the hide.  I was told they had to be attached to the entire hide by F&G.

 I am not sure about meat however.  Though I still wouldn't try and buy bear meat.  Chances are it is illegal.

[Aneoakleaf]

You can buy and sell Bear Hides.

You CAN NOT buy, sell, or trade, bear claws, or teeth unless attached the hide.  I was told they had to be attached to the entire hide by F&G.

 I am not sure about meat however.  Though I still wouldn't try and buy bear meat.  Chances are it is illegal.

I don't know. ..maybe tanned bear hides.. Don't go by what they tell you on the phone Read it for your self in the rules.

[SHANE(WA)]

you can sell hides tanned or not

[Gutpile]

I don't know. ..maybe tanned bear hides.. Don't go by what they tell you on the phone Read it for your self in the rules.

You are incorrect. You can buy and sell hides.

[billythekidrock]

Should I repeat it?


Yes, you can sell the claws and skulls if attached to the hide. Green or tanned.

[cohoho]

I can't speak for WA bears but I have had some nasty tasting bears, (guess I'll have to go and shoot one to see how they taste here on my own record).  Once their on fish they taste like crap, no matter how careful you are with meat.  Spring bears are yummy though.....

[uncoolperson]

I can't speak for WA bears but I have had some nasty tasting bears, (guess I'll have to go and shoot one to see how they taste here on my own record).  Once their on fish they taste like crap, no matter how careful you are with meat.  Spring bears are yummy though.....

yeah, my only bear experience has been alaskan bears... I'd like to make sure it's nothing like that before I pretend to try to put one down.

[whacker1]

My only bad bear experience has been with Alaskan fish eating bears.  Even if you remove the fat - they still taste fishy.  Hard to explain.  The bears in the lower 48 are some of my favorite.  I call it the dark pork.  I usually recommend cooking it on an open flame to let any fat that is left cook off the meat.  If you cook in a pan it can taste funny based on cooking it in its own fat grease.

[NRA4LIFE]

Bear meat makes excellent ham.  Sausage too.  I'v only had the meat from 3 or 4 WI bears, none from WA (yet).  They were all quite tasty.  Put a roast in the crockpot with a couple bottles of Guinness.  Very tasty.

[boneaddict]

You canoot buy or sell game MEAT.  I'm sure someone can hook you up for a taste though.  

[Shannon]

I am in Burlington. PM me and I will hook you up. I still have some of last springs bear. I can give you burger, steaks, jerky meat, whatever you want. I am the only one that eats it in my house. My four year old does also but he can't put a dent in the stock pile in the freezer. I have gone on a spree of eating it to make room for the spring bear I get after I draw this week.