Black bear meat

FirstFreedom · December 6, 2006, 07:06 PM

Any good? I heard greasy & stringy.... Just wondering, because I'd be reluctant to plan a bowhunting trip for one, as I had wanted to do, if I'm not gonna enjoy the meat. I could always give to hunters for hungry, but not nearly as enjoyable as eating what I harvested myself.

NRA4life · December 6, 2006, 07:14 PM

If you're hunting in the fall, there is a LOT of fat on a bear. However, if you just trim it all off, the meat is great. I've found that it's slightly sweeter than deer meat. One thing about bear meat though, is it must be cooked like pork because of the threat of trichinosis. I makes excellent roasts, burger, sausages, etc. It is a real thrill to kill your first bear.

whiskey · December 6, 2006, 07:53 PM

I have only eatten it as a baked ham. A friend cooked it with pineapple adn a sweet glaze and it was excellent. It was a spring bear.

Travismaine · December 6, 2006, 07:56 PM

Got me a 208 pounder this year. The meat is great. I cook it on the grill most of the time.

Travis

NRA4life · December 6, 2006, 08:17 PM

I essentially use the meat just like pork. I also like it on the grill. What's really good is to roast/smoke on the grill for 2-3 hours. Put it in a pan with some beer and cover the whole thing with foil and let it roast on the grill like that for another 2-3 hours. When it get's real tender, shred it and add some barbecue sauce and serve on some buns. Real yummy.

banditt007 · December 6, 2006, 08:41 PM

this gives me some hope....I wanted to black bear hunt and all i heard was that the meat stunk (literally) and tasted horrible. I feel most of this may have to do with improper field care. IE posing with the animal for an hour taking pictures then maybe gutting it out but then taking hours to get it on ice ect. Just my thoughts dunno if its the case or what. I dont think i could shoot the thing and not eat the meat. I'm like that w/ almost any animal even if i shoot something for the fur i'll take the meat cook it and feed some dogs with it or something.

So anyone else, black bear meat how is it?

FirstFreedom · December 6, 2006, 10:24 PM

ok, sounds good - got some bad info. I want to try it now!

FrontSight · December 6, 2006, 10:43 PM

oh man, no offense to anyone, and i know there are a LOT of people who eat bear, but I dunno if i could do it...they are a member of the canine family....that's right, related to dogs. I just don't think I could do it, but more power to you who can!

JustPassingBy · December 6, 2006, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Scrap5000 originally wrote:

oh man, no offense to anyone, and i know there are a LOT of people who eat bear, but I dunno if i could do it...they are a member of the canine family....that's right, related to dogs. I just don't think I could do it, but more power to you who can!

No offense taken.

'Cause your wrong.

Bears:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Ursidae
Genus: Ursus
(The American Black Bear's scrientific name is Ursus americanus.)

Dogs:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: Canis
(The scientific name of the domestic dog is Canis lupus familiaris.)

They are related because they are both carnivorous mammals. But bears aren't dogs and dogs arent' bears. And bears are much more likely to be vegetarians/omnivores ... eatign the same stuff that deer and other game animals for the msot part eat ... than pure carnivores.

samoand · December 6, 2006, 11:23 PM

+1 JustPassingBy that's right, zoologists had to create a whole standalone family, albeit a small one, to classify bears.

And you don't have to be mighty hungry to eat either dog or bear, Scrap5000.. just unaware in some ethnic restaurant. Ever happened to open a fortune cookie that said: "it wasn't chicken" ?

**4V50 Gary** · December 6, 2006, 11:48 PM

Render the fat. Black powder folks love it as lubricant.

Jseime · December 7, 2006, 02:07 AM

Ive talked to people who have had bad experiences with it.

Actually bear is the only meat that you can legally leave in the field here in Saskatchewan. If you shoot a bear all you are legally obliged to take from the kill is the hide.

Ooooh rug for the reloading room.

stevelyn · December 7, 2006, 09:02 AM

Black bear meat is good especially in the spring due to little fat and no nasty food sources like fish or landfills. Fall bears are okay if they've been hitting the berry patches and staying away from strong food source. As a previous poster stated fall bears have LOTS of fat on them.

I prefer to cut off a few roasts, the ribs and the back straps. The rest is processed into sausages and peppersticks by a commercial processor.

HSMITH · December 7, 2006, 09:49 AM

DO NOT cut the meat with fat on and DO NOT cut bones. Either one will degrade the taste of the meat. Bone it out, cut the fat off completely and your bear will be from 'reasonable' to eat for a fat fall bear to 'excellent' for a lean spring bear.

If you render the fat don't use it for waterproofer on your boots, every dog around will bark at you

NRA4life · December 7, 2006, 11:21 AM

I rendered a couple quarts of bear lard from one I shot in '99. A buddy of mine wanted it. He swears it makes the best biscuits. I thought it was kind of gross, but it rendered just like hog lard.

FrontSight · December 7, 2006, 01:29 PM

Oh slappy, my bad, chow away!

BIGR · December 7, 2006, 08:01 PM

Yes it can be real greasy. If it is fixed right it is good.

**4V50 Gary** · December 7, 2006, 08:47 PM

Black powder shooters use it for patch lube and to oil their guns. I read it in Ned Roberts, "The Muzzle Loading Cap Lock Rifle."

armedandsafe · December 7, 2006, 09:39 PM

Pork, long pork and slow pork. I like pork and slow pork, but have never had to eat long pork.

Treat it just as if it were a pig, from moment of slaughter to putting it on the plate and it is GOOD.

Pops

December 6, 2006, 07:06 PM	#1
FirstFreedom Junior member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: The Toll Road State, U.S.A. Posts: 12,451	Black bear meat Any good? I heard greasy & stringy.... Just wondering, because I'd be reluctant to plan a bowhunting trip for one, as I had wanted to do, if I'm not gonna enjoy the meat. I could always give to hunters for hungry, but not nearly as enjoyable as eating what I harvested myself.

December 6, 2006, 07:53 PM	#3
whiskey Senior Member Join Date: January 19, 2000 Location: Clarksville, TN Posts: 431	I have only eatten it as a baked ham. A friend cooked it with pineapple adn a sweet glaze and it was excellent. It was a spring bear. __________________ "So he cocked both his pistols, spit in the dirt and walked out in to the street."

December 6, 2006, 11:48 PM	#11
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,833	Render the fat. Black powder folks love it as lubricant. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

December 7, 2006, 02:07 AM	#12
Jseime Senior Member Join Date: December 31, 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 1,775	Ive talked to people who have had bad experiences with it. Actually bear is the only meat that you can legally leave in the field here in Saskatchewan. If you shoot a bear all you are legally obliged to take from the kill is the hide. Ooooh rug for the reloading room. __________________ I love the smell of fresh shotgun in the morning.

December 7, 2006, 09:02 AM	#13
stevelyn Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 2004 Location: Fairbanksan in exile to Aleutian Hell Posts: 2,655	Black bear meat is good especially in the spring due to little fat and no nasty food sources like fish or landfills. Fall bears are okay if they've been hitting the berry patches and staying away from strong food source. As a previous poster stated fall bears have LOTS of fat on them. I prefer to cut off a few roasts, the ribs and the back straps. The rest is processed into sausages and peppersticks by a commercial processor. __________________ Stop Allowing Our Schools To Be Soft Targets! http://fastersaveslives.org/ East Moose. Wear Wolf.

December 6, 2006, 07:14 PM	#2
NRA4life Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2001 Location: WA Posts: 183	If you're hunting in the fall, there is a LOT of fat on a bear. However, if you just trim it all off, the meat is great. I've found that it's slightly sweeter than deer meat. One thing about bear meat though, is it must be cooked like pork because of the threat of trichinosis. I makes excellent roasts, burger, sausages, etc. It is a real thrill to kill your first bear.

December 6, 2006, 07:56 PM	#4
Travismaine Senior Member Join Date: July 19, 2006 Posts: 147	Got me a 208 pounder this year. The meat is great. I cook it on the grill most of the time. Travis

December 6, 2006, 08:17 PM	#5
NRA4life Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2001 Location: WA Posts: 183	I essentially use the meat just like pork. I also like it on the grill. What's really good is to roast/smoke on the grill for 2-3 hours. Put it in a pan with some beer and cover the whole thing with foil and let it roast on the grill like that for another 2-3 hours. When it get's real tender, shred it and add some barbecue sauce and serve on some buns. Real yummy.

December 6, 2006, 08:41 PM	#6
banditt007 Senior Member Join Date: March 19, 2006 Posts: 694	this gives me some hope....I wanted to black bear hunt and all i heard was that the meat stunk (literally) and tasted horrible. I feel most of this may have to do with improper field care. IE posing with the animal for an hour taking pictures then maybe gutting it out but then taking hours to get it on ice ect. Just my thoughts dunno if its the case or what. I dont think i could shoot the thing and not eat the meat. I'm like that w/ almost any animal even if i shoot something for the fur i'll take the meat cook it and feed some dogs with it or something. So anyone else, black bear meat how is it?

December 6, 2006, 10:24 PM	#7
FirstFreedom Junior member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: The Toll Road State, U.S.A. Posts: 12,451	ok, sounds good - got some bad info. I want to try it now!

December 6, 2006, 10:43 PM	#8
FrontSight Senior Member Join Date: September 9, 2005 Posts: 1,712	oh man, no offense to anyone, and i know there are a LOT of people who eat bear, but I dunno if i could do it...they are a member of the canine family....that's right, related to dogs. I just don't think I could do it, but more power to you who can!

December 6, 2006, 11:23 PM	#10
samoand Senior Member Join Date: November 1, 2005 Posts: 211	+1 JustPassingBy that's right, zoologists had to create a whole standalone family, albeit a small one, to classify bears. And you don't have to be mighty hungry to eat either dog or bear, Scrap5000.. just unaware in some ethnic restaurant. Ever happened to open a fortune cookie that said: "it wasn't chicken" ?

December 7, 2006, 09:49 AM	#14
HSMITH Senior Member Join Date: June 21, 2002 Posts: 2,019	DO NOT cut the meat with fat on and DO NOT cut bones. Either one will degrade the taste of the meat. Bone it out, cut the fat off completely and your bear will be from 'reasonable' to eat for a fat fall bear to 'excellent' for a lean spring bear. If you render the fat don't use it for waterproofer on your boots, every dog around will bark at you

December 7, 2006, 11:21 AM	#15
NRA4life Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2001 Location: WA Posts: 183	I rendered a couple quarts of bear lard from one I shot in '99. A buddy of mine wanted it. He swears it makes the best biscuits. I thought it was kind of gross, but it rendered just like hog lard.

December 7, 2006, 01:29 PM	#16
FrontSight Senior Member Join Date: September 9, 2005 Posts: 1,712	Oh slappy, my bad, chow away!

December 7, 2006, 08:01 PM	#17
BIGR Senior Member Join Date: June 13, 2000 Location: Mountains Posts: 1,385	Yes it can be real greasy. If it is fixed right it is good.

December 7, 2006, 08:47 PM	#18
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,833	rendered bear fat Black powder shooters use it for patch lube and to oil their guns. I read it in Ned Roberts, "The Muzzle Loading Cap Lock Rifle." __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

December 7, 2006, 09:39 PM	#19
armedandsafe Senior Member Join Date: January 9, 2005 Location: Moses Lake WA Posts: 1,001	Pork, long pork and slow pork. I like pork and slow pork, but have never had to eat long pork. Treat it just as if it were a pig, from moment of slaughter to putting it on the plate and it is GOOD. Pops __________________ Armed and Safe: Not just a theory If it time to bury them, it is time to dig them up. Remember, "Behind every blade of grass."