worms in my bear

[machine]

Got a bear last week and his chest cavity had a couple dozen worms.A couple were burrowed into the meat around the rib area.These worms were two to six inches long.Anybody else run into this or know what it is?

[carpsniperg2]

  nasty buggers

[Jellymon]

we found those in our bear, dont know what they are.

[runamuk]

huh odd....really big like tape worms but non segmented almost looks like a ginormous round worm or ascarid when you say in the chest cavity just there none anywhere else?  Because that could be lung worms or heart worms which i thought were small......I am running through all the worms I have seen in dogs cats and livestock and other than tapes and bots never seen one quite that big.... my concern would be encysted worms in the flesh......

cool stuff

[rasbo]

could be round worm,trichinosis

Filarial Worms

Long, white & slender roundworms found under the skin of black bears
Black flies spread these worms to new hosts
These worms rarely cause illness in people
Filarial worms may be seen during the butchering of bears
Bear meat is still edible, but cook it first

[D-Rock425]

That's nasty.  I have never had worms in any bear that I've shot

[bighorns2bushytails]

i recall a post last season showing something similiar.  dont recall if they ate it or what the deal was.  i dont think its super uncommon in bears.  i think i would be hard pressed to put any of it into my mouth  but i dont think its uncommon.  might be able to do a search in the forums and come up with something...  other then that if you do find out what they are let us know.


--bh2bt

[runamuk]

could be round worm,trichinosis

Filarial Worms

Long, white & slender roundworms found under the skin of black bears
Black flies spread these worms to new hosts
These worms rarely cause illness in people
Filarial worms may be seen during the butchering of bears
Bear meat is still edible, but cook it first

cool beans Rasbo thats good info right there. 

[saylean]

Foul...

[seth30]

one more reason to wear gloves

[machine]

one more reason to wear gloves

Wont forget them next time.

[seth30]

my wife is a vet tech,and she looked the pics, and thinks its a round worm.  she says  if you had a good wash up you should be ok.

[87Ford]

I bet you'll be thinkin' about those worms while you're eatin' that bear...  

[seth30]

i will be thinking about those worms when I eat anything the next time

[cle elum bowhunter]

Ok, don't care what Runamuk had to say that was positive, "Ok to eat when cooked".  I think I would be VERY hard pressed to put some of that in my mouth.  From my biology background in College I say COOL!, but as table fair, rule me out.  Maybe just being a wus, I don't know.  I eat heart, tongue, but not that.  Positive side, nice bear rug.

[dasbear]

Gross, Yes Have any of you guys looked very close at a Salmon Yes salmon in the meat and under the skin they are full of worms. I say make a side dish of worms in soy sauce & wasabi. 

[Special T]

I say cook it rare and wash it down with 151.... The vitamins in the 151 will protect you! You might need to cut the 151 with coke but i don't recommend it, it takes the finer qualities of the rum away.. 

[Lowedog]

At first glance I thought the title said worms in my beer.  Glad to see it was just worms in your bear!  Had me worried for a second!

[FC]

Meh, worms are in most wild meat and probably more store bought stuff than you think! I remember the cocktail waitresses at a local bar collecting all of the worms from a few cases of mescal since most folks were repulsed by them, we ended up eating them by the tumbler full...LOL That is about was hammered I have ever been!

[agchawk]

My buddy's Blue's bear last year had the same thing. Nothing to worry about really....if you can get past thinkin' about them while you are enjoying the table fare. We all ate it with no adverse side effects. Of course, the meat was washed properly and thoroughly cooked too.

[Michelle_Nelson]

could be round worm,trichinosis

Filarial Worms

Long, white & slender roundworms found under the skin of black bears

I didn't see any next to the skin when I fleshed out the Bear.

He told me about all of this and I will say he made it sound a lot nicer for you guys.

I am not sure I would have wanted to eat it.  Trust me I can eat most anything and the thought of eating a worm doesn't bug me.  It's somehow digesting eggs or something and getting worms.  No thanks!  I am greatfull I havn't had to make that decision.

[BlackRidge]

Foul...

Yea... that pretty much sums it up...

It would be enough to make me question eating it. Even cooked, I'd still know its 

[littletoes]

Yea, you try not to think about it.

I know we worm our horses, but I've never seen, nor done it me-self-wormed cows or pigs.

I imagine if the problem become "noticeable", then we'd be all over it, but "as-is", we just go about our business. I remember as a kid, it was the repetitive use of fields, where year upon year of animals were raised, with their same feces being dropped over the years, the occurrence of worms increased.

Its all about the cooking temps....cook the meat hot enough, the cysts will die (worms "eggs"), as will the adults. Don't cook it hot enough, you and everyone that eats them gets worms.

Its the facts that many worm species live in muscle tissue. Ain't that scary enough??? 

[pendoreilleadventures]

I killed a Bear a few years back that was like that. It had worms everywhere under the hide in the meat,chest...everywhere. I called my local health department and asked them what I should do and they said not to it it so I didn't. I hated the thought of wasting so much meat but I was going to risk it.

[rawhide]

3 years ago my bear had worms also,  in the gut, chest area.  These worms where darker red color. The worms looks like something out of my compost pile...   I hated wasting the meat but I could not stomach the worms moving all a-round while I was boning him out.  This was the first time i have ever seen WORMS in any of my wild game.  I raise pigs and they have never had worms ither.

[Trailstrider]

trichinosis is my best guess. Same as Pigs meat, they both get it from ruetting for grubs. Make sure it gets well cooked!

[mdbuck5x5]

  If you have any reservations about eating it then why take the risk. Its not worth getting sick over. Sucks to lose out on the meat  , but the yotes and other animals will gladly thank you.

[runamuk]

trichinosis is my best guess. Same as Pigs meat, they both get it from ruetting for grubs. Make sure it gets well cooked!

trichinosis is found in all meat eaters so predators and omnivores. Pigs in domestic situations are no longer fed meat products think dead calves, rendering waste etc so the chance of trichinosis from a modern hog farm raised pig is almost zero.  Read the labels on the dewormers some time and then go read the data sheets on the chemicals in them, the worms become less scary to me  and the worms in salmon are what cause that lovely salmon fever in dogs and it can happen in people so dont eat raw salmon or feed it to your dogs simple solution freeze it or cook it steroid tags to make beef grow bigger and faster, engineered vegetables that last longer and can be harvested sooner naw...thats scary stuff, worms they be part of nature

[BlackRidge]

...I seriously need to stop checking this thread, any more and I doubt I'll be able to stomach even perfectly good game meat lol

[pendoreilleadventures]

When it was legal to bait my friends dad always put dewormer in his bait.

[shanevg]

I had wors in a bear before. I are it no problem and never got sick. As always, just be sure to thouroughly cook the meat.

[snocobearhunter]

had em in a bear me and a buddy got this year no problems harmless really just kinda wierd and disgusting