Bear processing help
Bears
I leave for Canada in two weeks after black bear!
Found out the locker I take my deer to doesn’t take bear until fall (doesn’t take boned out meat either).
May try and find a locker on the way, but I’ll be traveling back on a Sunday which could cause issues.
Considering just taking the plunge to get a grinder & the accompanying items to process my own, but have a couple questions.
1. What all would I need to make bear sausage besides the grinder?
2. What seasonings do you all prefer when making bear sausage?
I’ve never taken a bear before so this is all new territory for me.
I do have a Traeger pellet smoker I can use if that’s part of the process
Never heard of bear sausage but a decent grinder, #22 is about perfect as it can stuff too. LEM and Excalibur make seasoning mixes, as do many butcher supply stores online. Casing of your choosing, natural or collagen. Tubs for holding meat. Maybe some pork or beef fat, depending on the fat on the your bear.
Sausage is not hard just can be time consuming. Have your meat almost frozen for grinding.
https://www.psseasoning.com/
The sky is the limit as to what you can make with the spices from PS Seasoning. I canned some of the bear from last fall and it is great. We used it in enchiladas the other night. I also keep as many roasts as possible from bear. They are better than beef and venison roasts according to my wife!!! Watch a few videos from the Bearded Butchers and have fun!!!
I use a lot of Excalibur and Legg’s seasonings. If you get a grinder don’t go less than a 3/4 horsepower. A double grind with a single pass through is nice. A foot pedal with a stuffing horn attachment on the grinder will speed up packaging but isn’t necessary unless you plan on processing a lot of your own stuff. Casings aren’t a necessity either unless you want a brat style or a smoked sausage. If it’s just breakfast sausage then I would just wrap it in plastic wrap and freezer paper in 1 lb packages. If you start doing more of your own then you can start investing in more equipment.
Never heard of bear sausage, what world are you living in...... I personally live bear meat, try for a 200 pounder. The big boys are all grinded. Make great brats.... Sorry, if your hunting Canada, your outfitter should have contacts.
I don't hunt bears per say so had no idea. This forum is great for learning, he should get great advice.
The foot pedal is a must, forgot about that.
Wisconsinx2 as far as roasts go. The roast from my Missouri bear even had the old ladies at church talking about how great it was. I’d roast as much as you can. As far as the ground bear, I just had it ground plain and I season it up as I like when I cook it. Not familiar with some people making sausage out of it, but I don’t have much bear experience. Just don’t overlook the roasts!
Maybe you already know this but Bear meat often carries Trichinosis. You HAVE to cook it to 165 degrees to be safe.
Oh, and save and render the fat, it is awesome for frying anything you fry and it makes great soap.
Breakfast sausage is in regular rotation at my house. I typically make my own breakfast sausage seasoning, there are plenty of different recipes online. Saving a few roasts is also nice! Good luck.
If you are going on a baited hunt, you really need to explore what the outfitter is baiting with. Bear meat (or perhaps the fat) gets flavored by what they eat. If they are baiting with rotting beaver carcasses, you will quickly get a sense of what I am saying.
I have had some great fall bears so not at all opposed to eating them, but fish bears and some baited bears just aren’t worth the effort IMO. The one baited hunt I went on the outfitter highly dissuaded clients from trying to eat them. Just remember you need to get the meat to 165 degrees or thereabouts to kill trich.
Good luck!
Besides LEM, The Sausage Maker has tons of items and spices.
Had my last bear other than roasts and chops done up 50/50 Italian and bratwurst sausages. Bog effen hit with family and friends.
