Bear Hides

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Ronaround

Question.Keep in mind im asking as i dont have a slightest idea on the answer> Spring bear, mainly around the first week or 2 in may, is the meat decent to really eat as,they just came out of hibernation ,pushing the plug out maybe a week at most?
Is all the waste in the system purged enough for a decent bear meat? lastly when there on some old nasty bait like overripe beaver ,will that not complicate the issue?
my last guide said it wasn't good ,not sure if it was a pain to additionally process or the thoughts from above>

All my bears have been shot in areas with no baiting so can’t judge that. I do know if they have been hit salmon rivers on the coast the meat is effected. I have not had any issues with spring bears do to being shot early but most are taken mid May on

Processing a bear you don’t want any bone or fat left on the meat. Another issue bear meat will taint faster than other game. A lot of bad bear meat stories come from this. How you cook it is another and you won’t find me frying up a bear steak like I would beef or other game meat. The safest way to eat bear for taste wise is sausage/pepperoni. Lots of guys only make bear into sausage

I am getting ready to go to work so I will stop there

[Pathfinder76]

If you have to make something into sausage to make it palatable it’s not exactly a glowing endorsement. This “have to eat what we kill” nonsense is just that. We harvest animals for different reasons from herd management to conservation in addition to subsistence. We need to stop cowing to agenda driven, uneducated, nonsense. As has been mentioned here already, we are living in a society where rules are made because of emotion, not reason.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by chuck

If you have to make something into sausage to make it palatable it’s not exactly a glowing endorsement. This “have to eat what we kill” nonsense is just that. We harvest animals for different reasons from herd management to conservation in addition to subsistence. We need to stop cowing to agenda driven, uneducated, nonsense. As has been mentioned here already, we are living in a society where rules are made because of emotion, not reason.

Not trying to appease the public at all and don’t believe the whole appease the antis with the meat hunters argument. Hunting is too expensive to justify as its for meat. I make no excuses it’s experience and tradition meat, hides, antlers, skulls and horns are just things we get from a successful hunt

I actually like bear for burgers, tacos, stir fry, stew, bbq back strap, hams, jerky and yes sausage. I like bear but not for every recipe. My son prefers bear over deer actuality. There is a lot of people who like it and find more people enjoy bear meat when they have had it prepared right. There has actually been a large increase in bear hunters in BC in the last 10years because people learning bear meat is good if you know how to prepare it

Wish it was hunter’s choice hide or meat because different hunters hunt with different goals, My wife is less likely to even buy a bear tag here in Alberta unless she knows someone who wants the hide but living in BC she shot one about every second year only keeping the meat and sometimes skull

[W921]

Like the other guy said, the fat is gold. Render it down slowly at a low heat. Don't scorch it. Strain it as you poor the rendered liquid into your container. Should look like white hand cleaner when cooled.
I don't think it has a shelf life but I freeze my excess containers for future use.
I was using it on my rawhide horse tack but then I realized how it fixed my dried out and cracked hands every time. Its the best thing in the world for skin. Cures dandruff! Works good with bees wax for black powder bullet lube its also real good on anything leather from boots to saddles.