Black Bears

[youngfellla]

Well, I tagged out on black bears already, hoping to get one for meat. But when I cut them open, they were wormy. I talked to 3 other hunters that have had the same thing happen. These are all bears taken around the Vanderhoof area. Anyone else had this happen? I've heard that bears who feed in oat fields are more prone to having worms.

[Steeleco]

That's too bad, can the meat be saved? or is it that bad? I have a friend that got a bear that fits your description and worried him enough to take it to a meat inspector. The fellow told him that some is normal and with proper cooking it would be fine.

I wish I could find a bear, but not if they're like the ones you've unfotunately got.

[pupper]

i dont know man, eating wormy meat? do you have a pic you can post?

a safeway steaks sounds better.

although The bear i tagged this year is pretty tasty(no worms). we are going to have a bear ham for thanksgiving.

[Schmaus]

Sounds like the bears you got have trichnosis (not sure about the spelling) Me and my buddies shot a few bears in the spring and none of them had it but I hear that it is a common problem. I think that this is the reason that you are supposed to cook the crap out of bear meat, as far as I know its ok once it has been cooked well done.
Schmaus

[bochunk2000]

I've been told by a butcher that the trich in bears is a different strain than those in pork. Freeze the meat in a deep freeze for at least 60 days and make some sausage or peperoni. The worms wont hurt you, extra protein. The one I shot this spring had worms but its going off to the sausage maker soon.

[Thunderstix]

Describe the worms for us: length, width etc.
Male worms are only 1.5 mm long by .05 mm wide and the females though a bit bigger are only 3.5 mm long by .06 mm wide. Pretty darn small! Usually you have to send the tongue to Land and Agriculture Division in Abbottsford to have it tested as Trich is not something you usually spot without a microscope and/or muscle biopsy. Unless,SHUDDER, there were a bunch writhing about....NASTY!

[bochunk2000]

This is how i descibed them to the butcher. White, maybe a mm wide, 2-5 inches long. He said those were trich. If these aren't what are they?

[Thunderstix]

I think they are just some kind of parasite, but I highly doubt those ar Trich. If you still have the tongue, which you probably don't, you can send it to Abbottsford for FREE testing. I have done this with my bears so that one can have peace of mind whilst eating piece of bear. The tongue has to be cut out way back in the throat, and then hand delivered or as in my case, frozen, and then Postal Expressed overnight.

[bochunk2000]

Thanks I'll do that next time. I got this off a web site, about what to do with bears.

Generally, freezing meat at -10 F for 10-20 days &/or cooking to 137 F
internal temperature(but I'd do 160 F to make sure I killed any E.coli
O157:H7) will kill any Trichinella larvae which may be encysted in meat.
Louis L. "Lucky" Pittman, Jr., DVM
Veterinary Pathologist/Asst. Prof.
Murray St. Univ.-Breathitt Veterinary Ctr.
Hopkinsville, KY


Steve.

[youngfellla]

I suppose one could leave the worms in - and use them for dental floss when you're done eating.