Colorado Archery Bear
Colorado
So for those of you successful with archery bear in Colorado, I have a few questions.
Do you have trouble finding a processor willing to work on it for you?
Do you bone out your bear to pack it out, then drop off hide and skull at fish and game?
Do you get it back promptly? Frozen?
Have you had opportunities at bears over 225#?
Thanks and feel free to add any relevant info you can.
I think most processors in NW CO will be easy to work with. I skinned both of my bears and quartered them (packed out horse back). If you freeze the hide, have it so CPW rep. can get to mouth and head. You might have to freeze or cool it while waiting for CPW office to open. They will pull tooth right then and you wont have to leave it. In my opinion, most of the bears out there are under 225#. Scott
So for those of you successful with archery bear in Colorado, I have a few questions. Do you have trouble finding a processor willing to work on it for you?
- N/A (process my own)
Do you bone out your bear to pack it out, then drop off hide and skull at fish and game?
- I leave the bones in until I get home, they don't really add much weight and keep the quarter structure for easier packing / processing later. The three I've taken (1 rifle, 2 archery) were checked either in camp or at the final pack out location as I had a cell signal and called the officer to request the inspections. It will take an officer about 30 minutes to check your animal and fill out the form, you should put a stick in the bear's mouth so it doesn't clamp shut with rigor, dropping it off is likely not necessary.
Have you had opportunities at bears over 225#?
- I've seen a couple, but no shot opportunities on them.
- Bring a box of salt for the hide. Use extra care not to cut yourself when processing, keep your knife sharp. The meat is excellent where they feed on mast crops, berries, and grass. Some people even keep the fat to render for cooking.
- Be sure to take a good look at the anatomy of black bear so you can hit one better. The hide will soak in a lot of blood and you may have to get on hands and knees to follow spots. While tracking pay close attention to the brush as the blood soaked hide will transfer.
most processors will take your bear. You can't take it in frozen to be sealed says so specifically in the regs. Takes about 30 minutes no need to leave the hide and skull there. Plenty of bears around over 225 my kids and I kill a few every year.
Here is a B&C bear my daughter took last year that was well over 225
You can keep the fat as well and render it out. The hide and head from a big bear can be rather heavy to pack out. It's best to get the meat cooled off rather quickly - more so than elk and deer-but bear meat is rather good eating.
If you check your bear at a CPW office, best to have meat with you as they will want to check it. It can get crazy busy at offices right after opening weekend. If you can track down a CO in the field, much easier. I've shot one right at 250 and the other over 400.
This bear was taken on a 90 degree day. Took ~4hrs to get carcass out. No deterioration of meat. Biggest thing to do is skin immediately. Carcass was left out overnight on ice. Pulled out whole skinned carcass on game cart. Approx weight: 275-300 based on skinned, gutted hanging weight
I take the hide and carcass to cpw. They dont check carcass, just hide.
From there to processor. They charged me their deer rates.
FYI. I put orange on after kill. Rifle bear hunters out there. Moving a bear carcas and hide around, better to play it safe.
My Colorado 2022 bear. about 330 # according to DOW measuring tape I had most of the meat made into Italian sausage and it's been very good.. 12 yard shot pretty lucky timing with the trail camera. The game warden met me at the processor to check it in and collect the tooth. the processor froze the meat and the hide till the end of the season for me.
Our group has kill several bears over 225#, One bear estimated live weight was close to 400#. We left bone on all of them, and processed all of them ourselves. Hight suggest that you prop the mouth open with a stick, CPW will appreciate it.
Pulled these yesterday....I guess I'm buying an add-on bear license!
