Is bear fat worth rendering?

[predatorG]

I killed one a couple years ago during early archery elk. It had an unseasonably large amount of fat on him. I probably won’t be in state enough to hunt them this year, but the question of rendering fat has always been in my mind. I see lots of people talk about it on here. Is it really worth it? I think I’ve mixed some bear in with deer sausages, but have never rendered the fat just for the sake of having it. Pros? Cons? I’d love to know.

[Special T]

I killed one a couple years ago during early archery elk. It had an unseasonably large amount of fat on him. I probably won’t be in state enough to hunt them this year, but the question of rendering fat has always been in my mind. I see lots of people talk about it on here. Is it really worth it? I think I’ve mixed some bear in with deer sausages, but have never rendered the fat just for the sake of having it. Pros? Cons? I’d love to know.

My wife has made soaps out of it. Lots of folks use it in baking. If you going to use it as a leader conditioner then yes as well.

[Katmai Guy]

Grandma thought so, made the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever had! 

[jrebel]

Yes 100%!!   

It is great for cooking, baking and leather conditioning.   I haven’t used it for anything else but it is a huge hit in my house.   

[Jonathan_S]

Crime not to!

[MtnMuley]

I'd rather have 5 lbs of rendered bear fat than 5 lbs of bear tenderloin/backstraps. Best pie/pastry crusts bar none. Leftovers can be rubbed into boot leather.

[Farmer72]

We used it to waterproof leather boot. And it worked good on my bicycle chain.

[huntnnw]

100% up to you. If you have a use for it then yes. If you have no use then no

[Okanagan]

A French chef told my mother that bear fat is the finest pastry shortening in the world.  We use it in every pie crust.  People always ask how we get such light flaky pie crust.  Rendered pure bear lard is a major factor, though I add in some butter for its flavor.

Bear meat runs the widest gamut of excellent to bad flavor of any animal I’ve eaten enough times to base my opinion on a sample of many animals.  I will pass on bear meat rather than play Russian roulette flavors.  Most bear is good.   

[predatorG]

A French chef told my mother that bear fat is the finest pastry shortening in the world.  We use it in every pie crust.  People always ask how we get such light flaky pie crust.  Rendered pure bear lard is a major factor, though I add in some butter for its flavor.

Bear meat runs the widest gamut of excellent to bad flavor of any animal I’ve eaten enough times to base my opinion on a sample of many animals.  I will pass on bear meat rather than play Russian roulette flavors.  Most bear is good.

Luckily none of our bears feed on salmon. Sweet meat like huckleberries 

[hunter399]

A French chef told my mother that bear fat is the finest pastry shortening in the world.  We use it in every pie crust.  People always ask how we get such light flaky pie crust.  Rendered pure bear lard is a major factor, though I add in some butter for its flavor.

Bear meat runs the widest gamut of excellent to bad flavor of any animal I’ve eaten enough times to base my opinion on a sample of many animals.  I will pass on bear meat rather than play Russian roulette flavors.  Most bear is good.

Luckily none of our bears feed on salmon. Sweet meat like huckleberries 

I was once told that some of the natives will park at the trash dump at night and shot bears.(on the reservation).
I bet those are some tasty ones.

[Jonathan_S]

While the flavor of meat does vary quite a bit, I've found the flavor to not be a gamble. It's extremely predictable based one where they are

[hunter399]

MMMMMMMM.........
Trash bear fat extra greasy ,just perfect.

[Jonathan_S]

Exactly, shooting a trash bear is extremely predictable to taste like trash.

[hunter399]

Exactly, shooting a trash bear is extremely predictable to taste like trash.

That's what a native friend told me years ago. He was offering for me to come try it out. I respectfully declined.