Best Time of year to take a Bear

[rj23nyr]

Hey, this is the first season that I plan to take a bear.  Reading all these threads gave me some more questions. 

I read on one thread, a taxidermist told a guy his bear would gain up to 75lbs in the next month or so.   I want to know, what are the reasons not to wait until they have more meat on them?  Maybe some guys want to get the bear before someone else does or they don't really need the meat?  I'm curious how the meat taste would change through the season.

 

I'm really interested in the meat.  If the taste don't agree with me, at least my dog will eat like a king.  That's why I think I'd rather take a bear as late in the season as I could.  Thanks for your advice guys.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

It isn't meat. It is basically fat reserve.

 

and as a rule they are what they eat for meat taste. If the bears are frequenting a dump I wouldn't eat it. Natural forage and crops make for a wonderful meat that I actually prefer over venison. The last one I got spent the summer in a corn field and it showed. mmmmmmmmmm

Edited September 29, 2014 by Culvercreek hunt club

[rj23nyr]

Okay that makes sense.  Berries vs acorns vs corn vs trash would all turn out different. 

 

Has anyone ever used the fat for cooking or making sausage?

[Culvercreek hunt club]

when you see it you won't even want to touch it. I can imagine you could render it some how, but not for sausage use. It's kind of like warm jello that isn't set up all the way. Nothing like beef, pork or venison.

 

I have always cook the bear meat raised because my grandfather swore it was the grease that made it taste bad.

 

If your bear is on berries, grasses, nuts and crops, you have good eating.

[rj23nyr]

Yes, I've heard it's not the type of fat I'm used to.

 

I messed up and put this in bowhunting section instead of the bear section of the forum.

[BKhunter]

I believe it was a Steve Rinella book that I read where he talks about rendering the fat and saving it in mason jars. He spoke very highly of bear fat and said it was one of his favorite prizes from a bear harvest. I believe it was his meat eater book, but I have to go back and take a look.

[Futuretrash]

I love Rinella, but man on the Rogan podcast he talks about his whole Trichinosis ordeal, WTF! It's right out of a science fiction movie. "Real Problems" as Cameron Haines says.

[Five Seasons]

disclaimer: never hunted bear.

 

but i have a cabin up around Racquet lake. Bear are not easy to hunt is what I hear at the bar haha. So I would take one whenever the opportunity arrived. Then as I got better I'd be more selective. Many apply this to deer hunting.

[BKhunter]

He talks about this more in his book and I believe also describes the process better, but I found this for you:

 

http://themeateater.com/2012/bear-fat-recipe/

[A Sportsman]

To the original poster, when to take a bear? When you can. Wondering about extra meat and other hunters is not worth effort or even a second thought.

[jjb4900]

get yourself a large raccoon and skin it out.......then picture something 10-20 times larger, that'll be what a bear will look like when you butcher it, and more than likely taste like.

[brador7]

Most of the weight a bear is gaining now is fat, but that like most other animals this will affect the taste one way or the other depending on its diet. It also depends on the care of the meat and cooking styles too. To me this the biggest mistake a lot of people make when it comes to hunting. Steve Rinella from the Meat Eater as others have mentioned has excellent resources about bear, bear fat, and game care in general. Google The Meat Eater and he has videos up there and on YouTube.com. Good luck

[rj23nyr]

To the original poster, when to take a bear? When you can. Wondering about extra meat and other hunters is not worth effort or even a second thought.

 

Thanks.  I've come around to see this point of view. 

 

I stopped by a friends the other day while he was skinning a bear.  Smelled like a dumpster diver and I understand the difference in their fat now - that oily, slightly viscous consistency. 

[steve863]

get yourself a large raccoon and skin it out.......then picture something 10-20 times larger, that'll be what a bear will look like when you butcher it, and more than likely taste like.

 

 

It even has an eerie human look to it once you skin it out, with it's arms to side in a human like fashion.  Thus, I would NEVER eat one no matter how good some people say the meat could taste.

[A Sportsman]

Interesting Steve863, I like my bear best served with fava beans and a nice chianti. Tht tht tht tht tht tht.

Seriously a non dumpster mountain country bear is good eats. Only cut I didn't like was the chops. Next time, chops will be deboned and cut into stew meat.