Eating Bear Meat

[BigGameJay]

Has anybody tried eating bear meat and if so how did it taste? When is the best time to eat bear or hunt bear?

[Fella]

The bear sausage I've eaten was delish. Stay away from bears that eat fish though.

[Dhegg]

have all the bears I harvest made into sausages, smokies, and pepperoni. Made right they are absolutely delicious. My boys love it when I bring a big boar home!

[Rackem]

I have eaten fall and spring bear. Ground it up into burger, for spaghetti etc, made pepperoni, beer sausages, smokies, all good. Made hams etc, but they taste good and look weird. Meat is very dark in colour. So I wouldn't do hams again.

I rendered all the fat and made pies out of the lard. Best Pies Ever.

[Ozone]

Tastes like bear, not chicken :-D Like all wild game it can have many different tastes, depending on what its been eating. As well as the standard burger and sausage I have also had roasts and steaks. Bear burritos are my favorite.

[GoatGuy]

double smoked hams = fantastic

[TheProvider]

My favorite meat. Roasts, steaks and sausage. Have yet to find someone who hasnt enjoyed it when I let them try it. I have eaten soring and fall bears.

[BigGameJay]

Thanks for all the input. Please send more still. I am contemplating getting a Bear tag when I come back from my vacation.

[835]

Go get your bear tag. If you shoot a bear have it butchered into roasts and steaks and the trim made into the pep or sausage of your choice. If you dont like the roast and steaks then send that in to be made into "Finnished meat" you will not be out any money in butchering fees. They charge a flat rate to cut the meat and then sausage is on top of that .... Ie .90C an lb to cut wrap and freeze then 2.50$ lb for peperonie...Get it?

As for spring vs fall that is up for debate... but from my experiance shooting a fall bear in a berry patch up a mountain ( Van Isle ) they taste WAY better then a bear shot off a Tidal flat or river eating salmon!

Just do it, if you dont like it dont do it again! Simple!

[Fella]

Make sure you spend time ensuring that there are no cubs around before you take the shot.

[Cami]

Love it got myn made into farmers sausage and Breakfast sausage.
Havent tried the smoked ribs or the smokes ham yet but if its as good as the rest can't wait.

[caddisguy]

Make sure you spend time ensuring that there are no cubs around before you take the shot.

I have never hunted bear, but always wondered how this is accomplished, determining whether or not there are cubs around. Conversely I have observed bear cubs without seeing mom at all or seeing her approach from quite a distance an hour later. Seems they don't always seem to stick close like we tend to think, so how does one actually know? Identifying sex doesn't seem to be a picnic either. Needless to say I won't be hunting bear anytime soon. Lacking knowledge and too sick with buck fever to put too much thought into it ;-P

[greenhorn]

I have never hunted bear, but always wondered how this is accomplished, determining whether or not there are cubs around. Conversely I have observed bear cubs without seeing mom at all or seeing her approach from quite a distance an hour later. Seems they don't always seem to stick close like we tend to think, so how does one actually know? Identifying sex doesn't seem to be a picnic either. Needless to say I won't be hunting bear anytime soon. Lacking knowledge and too sick with buck fever to put too much thought into it ;-P

IME Sows with cubs concealed nearby will look over there shoulder alot. Mature boars don't seem to give a SH!T who is around.

Sometimes the cubs can be hilarious. One day I watched two cubs messing with there mom by swatting her in the face then running away... went on for 20 mins....

[835]

Caddis guy,,, i have passed on a large number of bears from not being sure its alone.
You just gotta watch them untill you are sure.

[two-feet]

Talk to local farmers and find one that has a bear messing with his oat or barley crop. The meat will be well marbled and deliscious. Also, it will most likely be a large, dominant bear as this is a prime food source. I got all set up for sausag making and have a nice cache of bearizo, bearwurst, breakfast bear, etc. And as mentioned the lard rendered from bear fat makes for the most flakey pastry. We dont have orchards up here but i assume an apple bear would be great as well

[tuffteddyb]

Just finished eating a batch or brined bear ribs,were terrific!!
Having the rest cut and smoked and made into sausage,having a hard time waiting.

[Dhegg]

I've found that a sow with cubs will generally stick around putting herself between you and the cubs. She will look anxious looking over at her cubs often or even send them up a close by tree ... if you're on foot now is the time to skidaddle! The bigger the boar the more he doesn't care about what's around. Look for his belly close to the ground, seemingly short legs, and ears looking smaller and farther apart in proportion to his head. Another note is that mature boar fur looks more sleek while a sow looks a little more poofy - like a bad hair day!

[Gateholio]

I've eaten lots of beAr and flavour is always dependant on food sources. Non fish eating bears taste great. PG66 turns his nose up at best but I've served him bear many times without telling him and he always goes for second helpings. :)

[1899]

Are there always visual cues to confirm the presence of trichinosis?

[caddisguy]

Are there always visual cues to confirm the presence of trichinosis?

I think the only visual cue for trichinosis is lack there of, and that is the appearance of fully cooked meat.

[ItsGrouseTalk]

Took my first bear in the Spring and the meat was terrific. Got our meat processed by a guy out of Mission, made a real dry and tasty pepperoni with some awesome steaks and smoked hams!

[Gateholio]

Are there always visual cues to confirm the presence of trichinosis?

Not that I know of.

[rcar]

I have only harvested spring bears and have tried it just about every way. Personally I like ground the best, although sausage is really good too. It is very tasty meat, super lean in the spring and can be used in just about anything.

[bucket]

Oh -- any hints or tricks on the bear burritos ?? I just took my first bear and should have it in a few weeks, and burritos are one of my favorite ! Thx man.


Tastes like bear, not chicken :-D Like all wild game it can have many different tastes, depending on what its been eating. As well as the standard burger and sausage I have also had roasts and steaks. Bear burritos are my favorite.

[257wbycustom]

Cant beat OK bear feeding off the orchards and vineyards....

[tobertuzzi]

I took a big boar out of a berry patch high on a mountain side, he had 3-4 inches of fat on his back and hind quarters. Very clean beautiful bear. It made awesome pepperoni so far, I will try a batch of farmer sausage next.

[Ozone]

Oh -- any hints or tricks on the bear burritos ?? I just took my first bear and should have it in a few weeks, and burritos are one of my favorite ! Thx man.

I just substitute bear were beef/chicken if normally used.

[Hellfish Hunter]

I took a bear this spring, I had sausage, and ground made. It was delicious! We had bear tacos the kids said it was better then Mexico! Take a spring bear or one you know is a alpine blueberry bear, they are great!

Cheers Hellfish

[gutpile]

When you eat bear your farts smell , well like a bear !:)

[Steeleco]

Making a bear into nothing but ground and sausage is a crime. I like lots of both, but a nice sirloin steak or a slow cooked round roast is second to none at my place.

[Gut pile]

Most of the bears I've harvested in the lower mainland had worms. Cook 'em well.

[jaeger]

smoked a fish eating blackie ham! close your eyes and you would have thought you are eating smoked salmon lol!

[Rhyno]

My wife or I take a bear every spring, probably 1 each next year. Its our pepperoni and sausage supply. I have found worms in one when I was field dressing.....stick to the gutless method now, if I dont' see it doesn't bother me! I save the steaks for the elk, deer and moose though. But that is just me, I have hear great things about bear burgers and roasts.

[BigGameJay]

I am so thinking of getting a bear ticket when I get back.

[fyffer]

Love bear. One of my fav meats.

[bucket]

Tastes like bear, not chicken :-D Like all wild game it can have many different tastes, depending on what its been eating. As well as the standard burger and sausage I have also had roasts and steaks. Bear burritos are my favorite.

I'm just waiting a couple more weeks to get my meat --- got any Bear-rito recipes or hints man ? That is what im thinking it would go great in, So-Cal style like how they do Al Pastor burritos!

[bucket]

I just substitute bear were beef/chicken if normally used.

LOL well you would kind of have to do that to make it a bear burrito, wouldn't ya ?? :mrgreen:

I was thinking more about the REST of the recipe!!