Post by: yakimanoob on July 17, 2017, 04:04:44 PM
So here's the situation. I plan on hunting bear this year for the first time, but when I shared this idea with my (amazing, hunting-loving, meat-eating) wife, she was unexpectedly appalled. Apparently to her, and to be fair even to myself before I started thinking about it, elk and deer are dinner but bears are not.
After some long discussions on the ethics of bear hunting, we reached a compromise: I can hunt bear, but before I do, we both have to try the meat to see if it's worth eating (as we both agree that a desire for the meat is a pre-requisite to killing an animal). I'm convinced by reading that bear meat is or at least can be delicious, but it's totally fair she wants us to try it to make sure we don't hate it and kill an animal for no reason.
While I agree in theory, it does present a difficult practicality: how on earth do I acquire bear meat without hunting it myself? We don't know anyone who bear hunts and has meat they could share with us, and I also want to ensure we try a berry-fed bear and not one that's been filling itself with rotten seafood.
Any advice? I've already googled to the best of my ability and it seems that, understandably, there's no one out there trying to farm black bears so they can legally sell the meat.
Thanks in advance for the help!
Post by: JDHasty on July 17, 2017, 04:07:43 PM
http://mcclearybearfestival.org/
Post by: Luna butte on July 17, 2017, 04:15:51 PM
Hang n skin your Bear while your wife starts a Kraft brand Mac n chee.
Immediately upon removal of the hide throw away anything that ain't hide and enjoy the Mac n chee.
I've been privileged plenty with bruin meat and folks who can definately cook well struggle when attempting to make bear palatable.
It's an acquired taste.... Like dung, crazy folks love it.
Post by: Luna butte on July 17, 2017, 04:30:06 PM
Post by: idaho guy on July 17, 2017, 04:48:22 PM
Post by: yakimanoob on July 17, 2017, 05:16:29 PM
pm me your address and I will send you some bear sausage for free. After you have it you will shoot 2
Sent! Thanks :)
Post by: JL on July 18, 2017, 06:52:22 PM
Post by: Timberstalker on July 18, 2017, 06:56:16 PM
We are blessed on the east side to take Bears that eat fruit in the fall, no fish.
Anyone that says bear meat is bad, either didn't take care of it correctly/prepare it correctly or has f-ed up taste buds.
Post by: h20hunter on July 18, 2017, 07:01:53 PM
Post by: carpsniperg2 on July 18, 2017, 07:05:45 PM
I've never had a piece of bear meat I didn't like. Period.
We are blessed on the east side to take Bears that eat fruit in the fall, no fish.
Anyone that says bear meat is bad, either didn't take care of it correctly/prepare it correctly or has f-ed up taste buds.
It depends a lot on what the bears eat to. So if they have been chowing on skunk cabbage they might not be so tasty :chuckle: I don't like them greasy the fall bears I have killed and ate where nasty compared to the spring bears I have killed. The less fat the better for me.
Post by: yakimanoob on July 18, 2017, 09:54:46 PM
But as they say, happy wife, happy life.
Post by: WAcoyotehunter on July 19, 2017, 09:21:53 AM
Post by: idaho guy on July 19, 2017, 09:47:02 AM
pm me your address and I will send you some bear sausage for free. After you have it you will shoot 2
Sent! Thanks :)
You will get the meat tomorrow-already made into german sausage. Your wife will MAKE you go bear hunting I swear ha ha. Sent ups so someone should be looking for it. It is froze now
Post by: Machias on July 19, 2017, 10:10:02 AM
Post by: MADMAX on July 19, 2017, 10:43:09 AM
Post by: yakimanoob on July 19, 2017, 10:56:54 AM
You are a gentleman and a scholar!
You will get the meat tomorrow-already made into german sausage. Your wife will MAKE you go bear hunting I swear ha ha. Sent ups so someone should be looking for it. It is froze now
Post by: ghosthunter on July 19, 2017, 11:13:31 AM
And refuses to try bear for any reason. She says a bear has paws like a dog so no go. She doesn't want me to even cook it when she is around.
She did jump in and help me cut my spring bear up.
Most of my bear meat will be going to hunting camp.
Post by: yakimanoob on July 19, 2017, 11:34:43 AM
Post by: yakimanoob on July 19, 2017, 11:36:07 AM
Post by: kselkhunter on July 19, 2017, 11:41:08 AM
I just sausage all my waterfowl now, and it's phenomenal. This is my first year bear hunting also, and I plan to sausage at least half of it.
Post by: idaho guy on July 19, 2017, 12:25:37 PM
I also think it has something to do with what the bear was doing before it was killed and obviously how quickly it is cooled and taken care of after it's killed. I think bears run by dogs any distance do not taste near as good as a relaxed, unaware bear that has been eating berries. I think a bear that has been run hard has a lot of lactic acid in it's muscles and does not taste near as good. Also a bear killed but not recovered for some time does not taste as good as one gutted quickly, skinned and cooled quickly.
I agree with you on the care of the meat and it does make a difference what the bear is eating for sure. But I have had some great meat from bears run by hounds and also some not so good meat from bears run by hounds. So I am not sure about that one.
Post by: Machias on July 19, 2017, 02:42:49 PM
Post by: Machias on July 19, 2017, 02:43:37 PM
My smoker gets used a lot. So does the sausage maker.
I just sausage all my waterfowl now, and it's phenomenal. This is my first year bear hunting also, and I plan to sausage at least half of it.
Just make sure to get it to the proper temp for the required amount of time, ;)
Post by: kselkhunter on July 19, 2017, 02:58:34 PM
Post by: yakimanoob on July 21, 2017, 10:54:33 AM
Thanks again to idaho guy for so graciously sharing. Now let's see if I can make all this talk worthwhile and actually harvest a bear! :hunter:
Post by: yakimanoob on July 21, 2017, 10:58:16 AM
Post by: Blacktail Sniper on July 21, 2017, 11:05:57 AM
Good luck!
As has been said, after the kill treatment is very important to what you will end up with as a finished product.
Get it dressed out and the hide off so it can start cooling right away, also remove as much fat as you can. My bear had between 2"-3" on it that I shaved off, kinda amazing how rolly-polly those critters can get!
Get all that off the carcus to help cool it off, especially in the early part of the season when temps are up. Find a creek or cool, shady place out of the direct sun to work on it, also if ice can be had, use it generously.
Post by: idaho guy on July 21, 2017, 11:45:40 AM
I'm sure you'll all be very unsurprised to hear that the sausage was fantastic, and my wife is officially in support of my bear hunting efforts :tup:
Thanks again to idaho guy for so graciously sharing. Now let's see if I can make all this talk worthwhile and actually harvest a bear! :hunter:
:tup: we get a bear or two every year and by the next year we never have any left over!
Post by: Machias on July 21, 2017, 12:08:29 PM
Post by: idaho guy on July 21, 2017, 12:42:58 PM
Way to go idaho guy!!!
:tup: Sounds like the sausage converted him to a bear hunter!
Post by: yakimanoob on July 21, 2017, 01:16:42 PM
Way to go idaho guy!!!
:tup: Sounds like the sausage converted him to a bear hunter!
Haha, the conversation around the table with my wife and two of our best friends was MUCH friendlier to the idea of killing a bear than it had been previously. It's hard to argue with delicious meat :tup:
Post by: Ripper on July 22, 2017, 01:27:02 PM
Post by: tgomez on July 25, 2017, 03:20:06 PM
I've never had a piece of bear meat I didn't like. Period.
We are blessed on the east side to take Bears that eat fruit in the fall, no fish.
Anyone that says bear meat is bad, either didn't take care of it correctly/prepare it correctly or has f-ed up taste buds.
Couldn't of said it better myself. Not only is it delicious, but it is my favorite animal to hunt and very rewarding. Bears are amazing animals and have many uses. Bear fat makes some of the best pie crust ever!
Post by: idaho guy on July 25, 2017, 03:28:07 PM
Way to go idaho guy!!!
:tup: Sounds like the sausage converted him to a bear hunter!
Haha, the conversation around the table with my wife and two of our best friends was MUCH friendlier to the idea of killing a bear than it had been previously. It's hard to argue with delicious meat :tup:
thanks for the elk jerky just got it today :tup:
Post by: HuntinCrazy on August 05, 2017, 09:15:38 PM
I gotta say I'm not the biggest fan of duck meat either. I've had duck that was delicious, but I've had much more duck that I didn't care for particularly. It's certainly not BAD, just not really my thing. I've never been big on turkey leg either, so maybe my brain just wants white meat to be white and dark meat to be... um... red. :chuckle:
Turkey hind quarters braised in beef broth ....veggies ..Dutch oven. low and slow YUMMMM Kinda of like a stew
Post by: Magnum_Willys on August 05, 2017, 10:59:18 PM
Post by: sumpnz on August 07, 2017, 09:22:46 PM
:tup:
Good luck!
As has been said, after the kill treatment is very important to what you will end up with as a finished product.
Get it dressed out and the hide off so it can start cooling right away, also remove as much fat as you can. My bear had between 2"-3" on it that I shaved off, kinda amazing how rolly-polly those critters can get!
Get all that off the carcus to help cool it off, especially in the early part of the season when temps are up. Find a creek or cool, shady place out of the direct sun to work on it, also if ice can be had, use it generously.
If I get a bear in September, that is my plan. However, I will also be saving that fat and bringing it out of the woods. Bear lard is supposed to be fantastic. I only say supposed to be because I don't have first hand experience, but am looking forward to correcting that deficit.
Post by: yakimanoob on August 08, 2017, 10:33:31 AM