Black Bear organ meat

[mod7rem]

A question for you experienced Black Bear eaters. Are there any health reasons to avoid eating the heart and liver? I would assume there is not but thought I’d ask. I eat heart and liver of ungulates but I’ve never shot any Bears. I think this spring I will take up Black Bear hunting and maybe even shoot one.

[BCHunterFSJ]

Yes, I have eaten bear liver. It was delicious!

[Mulehahn]

The only concern would be the same one found on all carnivores, too high a concentration of Vitamin A. It's the reason polar bear liver is toxic, all they eat is meat. I highly doubt a black bear eats enough meat to raise concerns. No doubt they eat meat, but eat a lot more grass and berries.

That being said, I can't stand liver so I will never know. Heart is delicious though.

[DarekG]

The heart is just a muscle so no concerns there. Vitamin A is the only other concern I'd know of, as mentioned by others.

[mod7rem]

Good info, thanks guys.

[Harvest the Land]

A question for you experienced Black Bear eaters. Are there any health reasons to avoid eating the heart and liver? I would assume there is not but thought I’d ask. I eat heart and liver of ungulates but I’ve never shot any Bears. I think this spring I will take up Black Bear hunting and maybe even shoot one.

You will be pleasantly surprised to discover how delicious bear heart and liver are! The only thing I worry about is trichinosis and that's why I have yet to try bear heart or liver raw - I make sure to cook them well to kill any parasites.

Good luck this spring

[MichelD]

You know, I eat just about everything off animals, moose and elk hooves, deer brains, tongues, I boil the heads down for soup, eat deer heart, kidneys, liver of course, spleen, lungs, and bear paws. But for some reason I can't eat bear organs. Tried the liver once and it was maybe because of the salal-berry diet, but I found it unpalatable.

[landphil]

I have yet to see a bear heart that wasn’t bloodshot jelly with a bit of a hole through the middle. Not a huge fan of liver, I don’t mind deer liver, but when the weather is warm and a spring bear tips over in front of me, I’m not concentrating on saving the liver, if you know what I mean.

[180grainer]

A question for you experienced Black Bear eaters. Are there any health reasons to avoid eating the heart and liver? I would assume there is not but thought I’d ask. I eat heart and liver of ungulates but I’ve never shot any Bears. I think this spring I will take up Black Bear hunting and maybe even shoot one.
I wouldn't eat it, but if you're into that, pick a fall bear. Full of berries. Spring bear out of the den hasn't shat in 5 months. Livers a filter.

[tigrr]

I always eat the bear heart. I rarely eat a bear liver because I don't eat any liver. I want to smoke more bear meat this year. I will prepare it just like I do for pork. 160 degree internal temp and devour.

[Arctic Lake]

MichelD. I think that’s great that you use so much from a harvested animal . I’m not sure that you should be eating brain matter though !
Arctic Lake
You know, I eat just about everything off animals, moose and elk hooves, deer brains, tongues, I boil the heads down for soup, eat deer heart, kidneys, liver of course, spleen, lungs, and bear paws. But for some reason I can't eat bear organs. Tried the liver once and it was maybe because of the salal-berry diet, but I found it unpalatable.

[mod7rem]

You know, I eat just about everything off animals, moose and elk hooves, deer brains, tongues, I boil the heads down for soup, eat deer heart, kidneys, liver of course, spleen, lungs, and bear paws. But for some reason I can't eat bear organs. Tried the liver once and it was maybe because of the salal-berry diet, but I found it unpalatable.

Wow that’s some hardcore carnivore eating. For me it’s been limited to ungulate heart, liver and gigantic sheep balls. I plan on keeping deer or possibly caribou tongue this year as well, depending on how things go.

[MichelD]

MichelD. I think that’s great that you use so much from a harvested animal . I’m not sure that you should be eating brain matter though !
Arctic Lake

Thanks for the concern, but at this point in my life a little bit of spongiform encephalopathy might be an improvement.