With black bear season coming up....
Contributors to this thread:Bears
From: Tobpitbull
25-Feb-20
With bear season upon us, I’d encourage those who harvest to eat or at least try the meat before you leave it for the crows... we have been eating ours from NB of 2019 and all agree whose ate it, it’s wonderful cooked by a roast, or grilled, or summer sausage... I witness so many just removing hide when the meat is really good... think about that this coming season...
From: Trad PA
25-Feb-20
Crazy when people leave the meat, Id sooner leave the hide - definitely worth trying out you might be surprised
From: MichaelArnette
25-Feb-20
I don’t know anyone who leaves the meat! Best meat in the world imo
From: Paul@thefort
25-Feb-20
"I witness so many just removing the hide (and leaving the meat). ????? OH,Come on! First of all it is illegal to do so and here in Colorado all bears need to be check in. You are correct, bear meat is GOOD. BUT "witness so many". my best, Paul
From: Bou'bound
25-Feb-20
It’s good but can go bad quickly in the field if it spoils
From: Tobpitbull
25-Feb-20
Try the meat...is all I’m saying it’s good... I’ll leave it at that. For those of you who have never ate bear meat and if you go hunting this spring, and the outfitter suggest not eating it (or he states he don’t eat it) all I’m saying is you should try it.
From: Alexis Desjardins
25-Feb-20
I don’t like the meat going to waste either most guys take it home and what’s left behind some locals take it.
From: Dale06
25-Feb-20
I tried it once.
From: Ambush
25-Feb-20
If you kill spring bears in an area where there are elk or moose calving, it would be beneficial to leave the meat on a skinned carcass. Too bad it’s illegal most places.
From: labguy
26-Feb-20
I've hunted black bear one time, about four years ago. In Canada in June, with an outfitter. There were six hunters in camp that week, including me, and everyone shot a bear. I was the only one to keep the meat. It was delicious.
From: flip
26-Feb-20
best tablefare of all the critters ive harvested. I give my hides away anymore, but you wont pry the steaks out of my hands! Ive done a bear feed many years with burgers earcorn,and etc and a cattle tank full of beer.Usually feed up to 75.What a party.Always compl imented on the bear! Will do it again this year.CANT WAIT! Dont leave it in the woods!!!!
From: leo17
26-Feb-20
Ambush I’m curious Why would it be best to leave the meat on the carcass ?
From: Ambush
27-Feb-20
Leo, in my area bears kill up to half the moose calves born in the first six weeks of their life. Mature boars are the culprits most of the time.
If you shoot a bigger boar before or during calving time, you have for sure saved a calf or two and any that he would have killed for the duration of his life. By leaving a couple hundred pounds of meat there, other bears will eat that rather than go looking for a fight with a momma moose over her calf. It’s a double cure.
From: wildwilderness
27-Feb-20
I’ve had good bear, and then I’ve had not so good bear meat. Like any animal it can differ for many reasons.
From: Trad PA
27-Feb-20
The only outfitted hunt I ever went on was a Maine bear hunt, I think about 5-6 bears were killed that week and everyone left the meat. They heaped the carcasses in a huge pile behind the camp and said we could hunt coyote off of it if we wanted to.
From: TrapperKayak
27-Feb-20
The meat is excellent, esp. on a younger, smaller bear. If you need something that scores huge, you might be sacrificing some meat quality. Roasts and breakfast sausage (on mine) was excellent, as good as or better than black angus.
From: Zebrakiller
27-Feb-20
wow I have killed alot of bears and not 1 was left behind, great roasts and brats
From: Alexis Desjardins
27-Feb-20
Ambush in Manitoba u put a bear carcass out u will kill any bait close to it it spooks them they will not touch it. The coyotes and wolves and ravens will eat it.
From: Ambush
27-Feb-20
Not a problem in BC , Alexis. No baiting allowed, way too many bears and not enough moose calves surviving.
And if the wolves are eating your bear carcasses, then the dead bears aren’t killing moose and for everything couple hundred pounds of dead bear they eat, the wolves aren’t killing a moose to eat their meat.
From: Tobpitbull
27-Feb-20
Several years ago while bear hunting in Quebec with a known outfitter on this site my oldest son shot a big sow, that night it was warm, there was 12ish in camp, we told outfitter we wanted the meat, no problem in morning we will cut up for you he said, I mentioned about meat spoiling, he said no it be ok...in am we were up and ready to quarter bear up, he said meat no good, I responded excuse me, we told you we wanted the meat last night, he replied bear meat is no good, carries things that will get you sick, we were very disappointed. A lot of bear were shot, a couple days later we were walking around in the am for a lil exercise and came upon the pile where he put the carcass at, I have never seen so many bear carcasses in my life, we were probably the third or fourth party of hunters that year and there was probably 3O full carcasses in a pile.
I told my son we will never come back and hunt was such a man Again. This outfitter called me back inviting out, I won’t even return calls.
From: Ambush
27-Feb-20
^^^. And yet nobody has a problem stacking up wolf or coyote carcasses. ???
From: smarba
27-Feb-20
Be sure to cook well to kill any trichinosis. I've only killed one bear, a large boar in the fall that was feeding on acorns. Absolutely delicious. I'd take it over elk. And I love elk.
From: rattling_junkie
27-Feb-20
I agree with most it is great meat, and one my children prefer.
From: Tobpitbull
27-Feb-20
Several years ago while bear hunting in Quebec with a known outfitter on this site my oldest son shot a big sow, that night it was warm, there was 12ish in camp, we told outfitter we wanted the meat, no problem in morning we will cut up for you he said, I mentioned about meat spoiling, he said no it be ok...in am we were up and ready to quarter bear up, he said meat no good, I responded excuse me, we told you we wanted the meat last night, he replied bear meat is no good, carries things that will get you sick, we were very disappointed. A lot of bear were shot, a couple days later we were walking around in the am for a lil exercise and came upon the pile where he put the carcass at, I have never seen so many bear carcasses in my life, we were probably the third or fourth party of hunters that year and there was probably 3O full carcasses in a pile.
I told my son we will never come back and hunt was such a man Again. This outfitter called me back inviting out, I won’t even return calls.
From: Ogoki
27-Feb-20
I dont think anyone mentioned this yet. Save the bear ribs . I cook in instant pot about 50 minutes. Place on foil and lightly cover with barbeque sauce . Place on grill. After a little grill time ,slide off foil ,directly on grill to lightly brown. My favorite game meat. Made this at holiday time for several relatives . Also made pork ribs ,in case they didn't like the bear ribs. No bear ribs were left but some pork ribs were left .
