field dressing bear (first-timer)

[J-Bone]

hi there, I'm looking forward to hunting black bear on the westside mostly in Campbell Global/Tree farm and maybe off the exits before the pass. In the event, I snag one, I want to make sure I'm well prepared to do the animal justice. I've watched tons of youtube videos, read old threads and read the The Ultimate Guide to Black Bear Hunting (awesome read) in preparation.

What would give me the added confidence is being able to chat with someone over the phone or meet up if you live nearby about the whole process. I know it's a big ask, but if anyone would be willing that would be really appreciated. I've only cleaned birds to date--no big game. Or! if someone gets a bear and wants to give me a live demo (I'll help you pack out) that would also be great.

Thanks,
Joe

[Scruffy]

I am sure there are experts on here with more and better info but field dressing a bear is pretty much like any other animal.  One thing to keep in mind is the meat will spoil fast if not cooled quickly.  So removing the hide and a good portion of the fat is very helpful and almost a must do in this August heat.  If you can quarter it even better.  Main areas to try and split apart are the pelvic area and the front shoulder areas. You will want to cool the hide as fast as possible to prevent hair slippage if you are mounting it or making a rug.  Good Luck

[nwwanderer]

Perfect Scruffy!  Mostly a matter of temperature, the hotter it is the faster you go.  Expect stinging and egg laying little critters.

[Brewkid]

PM sent.

[Flaming Antler Outdoors]

when in doubt or in a hurry just skin one side back at a time and take the quarters and back strap off.  FLip it over and do the same.  If you want a rug then there is a more specific way to skin it out, example, cuts up the inner arm to the paw etc.  U tube probably has tons of videos on it.

[Rob]

you need to know immediately if you are planning to do a rug, a mount (and what kind) or just take the meat.

The answers to these questions will drastically change your approach. 

[trophyhunt]

I keep at picture on my phone of where to cut the hide in case I want to make a rug out of it, cutting in the wrong place makes more work for the taxi. Good advice here, cool that meat some how, I’ve heard people putting the meat in garbage bags and put in a creek, without getting the meat wet or submerged.

[Rob]

A trick I found to keep meat and fur on ice, without getting it wet (or using dry ice where it freezes) is to line the bottom of the cooler with blocks of ice.  then put the meat on top, and some ice still in bags on top of that. 

The water will pool below the top of the ice blocks and if you set up the bags correctly (or even put a t-bag between bags of crushed ice and the meat) the water will not drain thru the meat.

This requires a large cooler and a sharp eye on the water level to make sure it does not go over the top of the ice blocks.  Works well though.

[Rob]

To the original poster - have you ever cleaned other large game?  (Deer, Elk, Pigs, etc)

[WoodHacker]

I'd offer this as a tip. Bear fat for rendering to grease is a big bonus of harvesting a bear late in the season.  If you're going where you will need to pack-out the bear, be sure to have an extra game bag for the fat.
(A 300# bear will have more than 50# of fat in October.) 

[WoodHacker]

A trick I found to keep meat and fur on ice, without getting it wet (or using dry ice where it freezes) is to line the bottom of the cooler with blocks of ice.  then put the meat on top, and some ice still in bags on top of that. 

Similarly, I take a large ice chest with 4 or more frozen 1 gallon milk jugs for ice. They create minimal water and are easy to refreeze between hunting trips.

[Ntbutcher]

when in doubt or in a hurry just skin one side back at a time and take the quarters and back strap off.  FLip it over and do the same.  If you want a rug then there is a more specific way to skin it out, example, cuts up the inner arm to the paw etc.  U tube probably has tons of videos on it.

This is what we do. Works out for us and on a smaller bear it's real quick. If you have water around and it's August bring some trash bags and put the meat inside and let it cool in the water. Or debone.

[mcrawfordaf]

A trick I found to keep meat and fur on ice, without getting it wet (or using dry ice where it freezes) is to line the bottom of the cooler with blocks of ice.  then put the meat on top, and some ice still in bags on top of that. 

Similarly, I take a large ice chest with 4 or more frozen 1 gallon milk jugs for ice. They create minimal water and are easy to refreeze between hunting trips.

I like to use these Crystal Geyser jugs frozen in the bottom of our coolers. They create a nice flat surface to put everything on.

[Rob]

the frozen bottles are a great idea - I have used 2 liter ones in the past.

For our bear hunt last year we were out for a week so I ran into town for the blocks. 

[vandeman17]

Agreed with everything said above. I killed my first 2 bears last year and they are fun to hunt. We need as many guys and gals out trying to manage our predators. Hope you smack one

[dilleytech]

Making sure you have a couple large ice chests ahead of time is important. Then I will either buy ice on my way home or just keep enough in the freezer if I have space. I then lay the bags down in the bottom with quarters in plastic bags on top of the ice with bags of ice between and not top. Just make sure the bags are positioned so water can’t melt into them. I usually use two coolers. The next day it will be ice cold and I cut it up within 3 days depending on my schedule. I generally hunt after work and have to be at work the following morning so this makes the process easy for me .

Don’t waste the fat. Trust me rendered bear fat is as valuable as the meat itself. And More valuable then the hides or skulls. And if you can take the ribs out whole they are incredible. Cut in 8” wide strips. A saws all works well for this. And learn to euro mount the skull yourself. It doesn’t take very long and is pretty simple.