Field derssing a bear

[G.A.]

so im heading out for a hunt on mountain bikes today. question is how soon after a kill should the skin be taken off. if i drop one id be stuck in the bush till evening time for a ride with the bear...if i get one. is it ok to gut it then hang or spread the gut cavity open to air out till evening time in same day? or should i skin it as soon as i can after the kill. id kind of like to do that at home and keep it clean. i dont have much room to pack a tarp or ground sheet for this. trying to keep my backpack as light as possible to the ride

[BiG Boar]

yeah, gut it and do it at home.

[G.A.]

ok, thought was ok to leave the day. thx

[pnbrock]

if your planning to rug it you will need to salt asap!!!!!

[G.A.]

think its ok till i get home to salt it or does that need to be done right away after the kill. id be sitting up there with it till this evening if i got one.. also im reading if i want to freeze the cape dont salt it, and im seing a few diff salts guys use...whats used here for salt?

[pnbrock]

Right away in these temperature.

[BCKyle]

I'm planning using the gutless method if I get a bear; it's pretty hot right now, that way the skin's off the meat and it cools faster... It's been pretty toasty in the OK lately. But I don't know from experience, just what I'm planning. :mrgreen:

[Steeleco]

I got a nice bear Saturday night. As per the truck it was 4*C 7pm around 3800' in the hills above the Coq. You may be lucky and not have is as hot in the hills as lower down. Once we hit the toll plaza it was 15*C

[Philcott]

If you'll be waiting for hours for your ride to come I'd want to drag/push/pull/carry it into a shady area that hopefully has a creek running through it. That's where I'd skin it and hang it. This is also where that homemade, cotton sheet, game bag would come into play. You'll want to get the carcass covered so the flies don't lay their eggs on the meat. If you'll be wanting to use the hide for anything with hair on you should really have some salt to rub into it.

I know you want to keep the gear to a minimum but a good game bag and salt for the hide, IMHO, is a bare minimum if you'll be waiting for hours and it's warm out.

[HarryToolips]

If you'll be waiting for hours for your ride to come I'd want to drag/push/pull/carry it into a shady area that hopefully has a creek running through it. That's where I'd skin it and hang it. This is also where that homemade, cotton sheet, game bag would come into play. You'll want to get the carcass covered so the flies don't lay their eggs on the meat. If you'll be wanting to use the hide for anything with hair on you should really have some salt to rub into it.

I know you want to keep the gear to a minimum but a good game bag and salt for the hide, IMHO, is a bare minimum if you'll be waiting for hours and it's warm out.
Exactly..the crappy part of this time of year I've found is if your near a boggy area, the mosquitoes suck, especially when guttin/cleaning a bear so bring one of those bug-net head thingys.. I learned this 2 years ago..

[greenhorn]

If it were me and I had hours to wait for a ride I'd cape the bear (if keeping the hide) and quarter the bear. Game bags and a small tarp don't weigh much and will help with keeping things clean.

Will this be your first bear?

Good luck whatever you decide!!

[G.A.]

ok glad i asked., figured would be ok till early evening. i think todays temps for my area are about 15 to 18..according to weatherman..so a rough guess...lol
ta i made some pillow cases for some game bags and i have the crappy fake cheese cloth ones from cambodian tire ive been told since they are shit. but is ll i have and im sure will do for a few hours..im not fussy on the meat, i plan to butcher it all myself and just cube the meat to freeze and deal with later. will keep a couple full cut or ham or roast/steak but most will be ground for other uses.
and ya i did plan to do this in some shade or near water if i can find some in the area. in fact now i think ill just cut it up as i wait and bag it and hang in shade.
i actualy just found a few boxes of salt i had for smoking...can i use reg table salt and some cosher salt. im seeing iodized on the reg table stuff and read not to use iodized.

[G.A.]

ya im sure ill get eaten by skitters with it semi swampy in some area..its a new area im hitting, done across the road so now try on other side this time..

yes greenhorn..first kill of anything, and i just packed my backpak and may have room for a tarp. got my game bags and sheets in already

im thinking to as i have read a couple bits of info that i can freeze without salt. so if its true id ride back with the skin and toss in freezer and maybe go back for the meat. im real close so isnt a huge time thing. and im sure i could handle the skin on the bike...maybe leave some gear at the site till later if needed.

[Steeleco]

Even the crap cheese cloth will be good for keeping the bugs at bay for the most part, but it's likely a one use thing. Find that shade and hang it when you can. As to the salt. If your planning on freezing the hide for a while, DON'T use salt. Cape out the head (and feet if you can) Head for sure. It retains a lot of heat and once frozen thaws the last and can cause hair to slip during the thaw. Then fold the hide fat to fat and place it in a large thick plastic bag and leave it in a creek with the top open to let the moisture out. Tie it off to a branch or rig something to keep the bag open and the water out. The cool water will buy you lots of time. I've waited till late in the night a few times before coming home, just to avoid the heat of the day.

I'd concentrate on finding a bear first, I've been out 7 days all told and it's been pretty slow so far. The rest will come. David

[G.A.]

ya i kinda have my doubts to getting one. cant sit here and expect one though..lol..ive been out every weekend and during the week since opening day and only seen 1 bear and i blew it...lol. had my buddies rifle and the slip is real hard to get in and as i raised the rifle it fell out and that was the end of that/....lol, was a monster to..still having nightmares...lol, was within bow range to..kickin myself

trying on my pack...gonna need a nap once i get to the area..getting heavy...lol

[greenhorn]

You'll learn alot on this first hunt/kill! Bears are tough and even once they are down and on the ground they are tough to take apart. If you get a decent sized one, you'll find all this out :)

So I would find a way to take a small tarp and game bags for sure. Cape the bear as well as you can. Some tips on caping:
Try to cape as close to the skin as possible, it will make your life easier later on. Once you get the skinning started you can use your hand to separate the skin from the fat. Alot of guys use the knife, but if the animal is recently downed you can actually separate the cape from the fat and connective tissue using firm swiping motions with your hand. You avoid knicking the hide this way. If you have a garbage bag I'd wrap the caped hide up (flesh to flesh) in the bag, double bag if possible, then put the hide in a cool place or if there is water by you can partially submerge the bag to get the hide cool.

Some tips on quartering:
Start with the front quarters - they are the easiest - find the bears armpit and start cutting there while you pull the front leg (arm) away from the torso. You'll find that the bear doesn't have a real shoulder and the front quarters will come off clean and easy.
Then the rears - these are relatively more difficult but the trick is to cut down to the hip joint, find the ball and socket, and then separate the joint. It's hard to describe, but I'd but down to the joint first. Once you think you're down to the hip, start moving the leg around and see if you can feel where the ball/socket is. Once you think you've found it, start cutting into it. Once you pierce the joint capsule you'll hear some tearing and the leg should start coming off the rump. If you can, get your knife between the ball and socket and cut the ligament that holds the joint together. Once that ligament is cut you can separate the joint and then continue to cut the quarter off.

Cut the backstraps off too!

Good luck!!

I still remember my first bear and how much of a total gong show it turned out to be.... you'll learn alot!!!

[Philcott]

Good advice greenhorn. Just start cutting, All that can go wrong is you'll have more stew/burger meat.

Oh, almost forgot...................Good luck D.

[G.A.]

ya im sure this will be a mess for my first one. ive watched many vids and read lots on what i have to do. im sure will be totaly different doing it myself...lol

well about time to go. see if i make it without gettin hit by a car with people staring at me as they drive by, its funny seeing some faces when they see i have a bow strapped to my back...lol, cant wait to get jacked up by the cops...lol

http://i43.tinypic.com/dg2mxl.jpg

[Philcott]

Go get one G.A.

[andrewscag]

Good luck man! I did my first bike hunt a couple of weeks ago and I'm completely sold. Great way to hunt bear.

Also "The Ultimate Guide to Butchering Deer" by John Weiss is the best book on the subject I've read by far. Covers everything from choosing an animal while hunting, how to get the best of the meat (and hide), transportation, and the actual butchering in a very straightforward, understandable way. Will definitely make things go easier and more successfully, and is a quick and easy read. Applies to bear too of course.

[G.A.]

This is my 3rd outing on the bike.
Just finished havin lunch at the peek. Just down the road from me i came up on an older scat. Knew water was ahead and was my lunch time destination. 100 foot further up the road i came up on a fresh scat, im calling it this mornings or yesterday. Skinned over but super wet inside. All berries in this one. First berry poo this year.
theres a turn i the road right here and an old semi covered grass road leads off from it. Heading in soon as i pack up here.
ditched the bike part way up, trails and road were to brutal for that, on foot now

[Philcott]

Find the berries, find the bear. Sit and be patient.

[TexasWalker]

Chootem!!!!

[Scuba_Dave]

Good luck GA!!! Take some more pics if you find your bruin!

[Wullfen]

In this heat, get the skin off as fast as you can, I would do it right away.

[G.A.]

Havent seen the berries yet. I did at the bottom so im thinking yhats the spurce. Up here is still in flower, have salmon berries down lower. I just ventured up all the roads around yhis only water source. Finaly got foot prints in mud....i believe are bear anyways. Couple more fresh poo and a pile of big black fur on the road now to. So im back by the only main water source and im about to set up my ground blind and sit it out till dark. Being the only substantle water yhey have to come back some time. Maybe ill sleep in my blind... Lol. And half the scats are berry and half now are grass. Maybe i have 2 to chose from

[G.A.]

Ive got lots of pics and rinning vid as i can.

[Steeleco]

Put the damn phone down and hunt already, we'll be here after you shoot something. LOL some peoples kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[G.A.]

Feels good to be called kid again... Lol, im sittin so it passes the time. Im on it...lol

[albravo2]

pretty cool. i've never read a play-by-play hunt before.

now you've set the bar pretty high and we're expecting updates during the stalk and between shots.

good luck out there! wish i was there instead of on my couch.

[BearSupreme]

Next time you do a play-by-play hunt you should take bets on when you will see a bear, and when you get a bear. Could be a way to pay for gas :D

[G.A.]

can i come down off this mountain now...its dark and sceery

[huntcoop]

Put down the gamer console it's night night time :mrgreen:

[Ambush]

My advice:

Do not put your hide in a plastic bag! Maybe for a very short time if you really can't stand to get your pack dirty.

You don't need to salt it if you can get it to a freezer in 24 hours, even longer if it's cool.

Bone out the meat and hang in bags, in the shade.

[G.A.]

i left the peek around 7 ish and just sitting down unloading video and pics. bear didnt come around. sat there all that time, every hour or so id take a walk up and down a couple of the roads but nothing more. found the berry patches on my way down, took a diff route...and shouldnt have...waaaay longer around

[itsy bitsy xj]

I was so expecting to see some pics of the bear you got :( But the info that was shared in this thread was great as I'm heading out tomorrow to look for a black bear. I'm thinking of heading up near Boston Bar thru to East Harrison any advise for anyone out there?

I'll be in a pick up truck but should I take some ice in a cooler to get the meat home to Burnaby?

[G.A.]

im spent, this is basicly what i sat on all day

http://i42.tinypic.com/2zs73ac.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/e6sx9s.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/2vl9shw.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/2vmiych.jpg


this was on the way down
http://i43.tinypic.com/ezr6dk.jpg

[itsy bitsy xj]

Nice pics too bad there's no bear in them

[G.A.]

vid of yesterdays hike if anyone wants to see. bit long of a vid..



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQiXug0v9ag

[rides bike to work]

It was fun reading along on your hunt I almost got the same anticipation and hope for a bear sighting which is better than work where I was . Looks like your in good of area as any . Poop pics are always good as well. Just wondering your local the salmon berries in the wack are still green. Do bears eat green berries?

[G.A.]

im doubt they like them green still. even the red ones i ate werent sweet at all yet, and half the bushes still had them green to and some still in flower. i also saw the start of the huckleberries up there.