Bears and worms....any tips??

[Hoytster]

Hey folks....has anyone had any issues with bears and worms?....A buddy of mine got a Blackie but he said that it was full of worms and was pretty reluctant on eating it...Can these intestinal criters hurt you?....Is there any in their flesh??? What other issues are there with bears and parasites?........It is my bud's first bear and it was well out of the PG city limits.:neutral:

[Steeleco]

If the worms are in the gut pile I wouldn't give it another thought. If in the meat, prep the meat and freeze as you would all game meat. Then send a piece for testing in Abbotsford. I stickied a link to the testers in the cooking section.

[Hoytster]

Thanks Steele...buddy says it was in the guts pile but isnt sure if it was also in the abdominal cavity.....little thin white spaghetti suckers everywhere...

[Steeleco]

Sometimes if the shot was a little off or in the haste the guts are opened while field dressing, those little worms can get all over the place. So long as there's none actually in the edible flesh, I'd eat it.

Once had a tape worm in a bear that had to be 18" long, looked gross but the meat was great.

[Marc]

Those worms are harmless to humans, they are passed on by black flies from one bear to another. The bears on the Island have them as well. Just make sure your bear is cooked and you're fine. I've yet to shoot a bear on the Island that doesn't have them.

http://www.unbc.ca/nlui/wildlife_diseases_bc/bear_filarial_worm.htm

[mrdoog]

Ahhhh, the yearly worm thread.
One of my faves.

[Pete]

Why are you gutting them? Take the 4 quarters and the loin as is required. Opening them up can be opening the proverbial "can of worms" :-)

[Hoytster]

keep in mind that this is his first bear....but I will get him to join HBC...lol..

[Steeleco]

Well seems it's my turn now to ask the questions. As most of you are aware my son and I got a bear each this past weekend. Mine was particularly "STINKY" but worst of all when we got it home and headed to the freezer we found these in a few places.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v305/steeleco/IMG_2742.jpg
Granted they were near the top of my game bags and seemingly only on the one bear. But with the added stink, I want to be 110% certain they are only fly eggs from a few flies that I wasn't diligent enough to keep out of the bag. This one is living in the freezer till I'm done learning!!!

Thanks in advance, David

[ruger#1]

Another good site for info, http://www.wildlife.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=disease.main Look like fly eggs to me Davide.

[ElectricDyck]

Hey Steeleco, that looks like a nice rice side dish.:biggrin: Fly eggs layed after skinnning? Kinda gross, but I wouldn't worry if they're not in the meat.

One tip I do know is for barbeque cuts, cut them a little thinner if you don't get it tested and want to be on the cautious side. I was cooking some black bear loins for the second time on the barbque and used a meat thermometer to get the 170 dgrees f internal temperature and I had to over cook the outside to get that temperature inside. Next time I will cut them to a little less than an inch. It was still good just a little crispy on the outside.

[moosinaround]

Ahhhh, the yearly worm thread.
One of my faves.
Exactly what I said LOL. Don't shoot the bear in the guts, don't severe the intestines, and get the arse hole skinned off the bear quickly. You won't even see a freakin worm! I have done two bears myself, and seen numerous done, and I have NEVER seen worms on the meat! I have seen them in their shit, guts ect, but never in the edible meat! Moosin

[Steeleco]

Exactly what I said LOL. Don't shoot the bear in the guts, don't severe the intestines, and get the arse hole skinned off the bear quickly. You won't even see a freakin worm! I have done two bears myself, and seen numerous done, and I have NEVER seen worms on the meat! I have seen them in their shit, guts ect, but never in the edible meat! Moosin

I've done near 20 bears and trust me if I'd seen this before I wouldn't need to ask!! I've also never seen fly larvae in any of the animals I've taken a knife too, hence the question. :shock:

[sawmill]

Jesus Christ! Are you guys really that hungry?:confused:

[tomahawk]

Well seems it's my turn now to ask the questions. As most of you are aware my son and I got a bear each this past weekend. Mine was particularly "STINKY" but worst of all when we got it home and headed to the freezer we found these in a few places.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v305/steeleco/IMG_2742.jpg
Granted they were near the top of my game bags and seemingly only on the one bear. But with the added stink, I want to be 110% certain they are only fly eggs from a few flies that I wasn't diligent enough to keep out of the bag. This one is living in the freezer till I'm done learning!!!

Thanks in advance, David

David

You got flies for sure, they'll do nothing bad to the meat. It is sometimes more a mind over matter thing with things like this and the worms that are in the guts, but I just take a big sharp long bladed knife and take about 1\2 " off where they laid and enjoy the meat.

Tom

[jaeger]

How long was this bear out there for it to be stinky and have fly eggs on it.
Cheers Jaeger

[Steeleco]

Thanks Tom. Elkhound told me pretty much the same thing yesterday. I'm going to try a small piece cooked to see it taste's OK then off to the races.

The bear was was shot early in the day but that day turned out to be the hottest yet. He was stinky right when we walked up to him. It took me a few hours to get him in a meat pole. But these things happen, chalk it up to experience!!

[Islandeer]

Nice with a nice glass of Merlot...

[Elkhound]

Now thats a pic. you should use that one as your avatar

[Mr. Dean]

Looks like a Stir-Fry waitin' to happen!

[Hoytster]

Ive seen fly eggs on lots of game but they are usually in clusters and never spread out like the ones in the picture...hmmmnn.....going bear hunting myself this weekend down the Nazko......will keep my eyes open for these little critters....