First time trying bear

[moosehunter3-0]

I found a roast in the freezer from a bear I shot in 2011, so I tried it today. 4 hours in the slow cooker and it was good to go. I'm not really a fan of roast to begin with, but it wasn't bad at all. If you put a bear roast and a deer roast on two different plates I couldn't tell you which was what. Not sure if I'd bother cutting the chops out of my next bear, but I'll definitely take the hind quarters.

[bird_dog]

Spring bear is delicious. Try putting a roast into brine overnight, makes is super moist.

[Hogie135]

You need to put it in a slow cooker for 10 hours. Throw in carrots and veg and potatoes with 2 packages of slow cooker seasoning and it will come out fall apart delicious.

[bcpappy]

I went out looking for a smaller blackie this spring and made everything I could into roast. Where your supposed to cut into chops I left the cuts big as I could just for the slow cooker. Always comes out falling apart, makes great "pulled pork" style sandwiches. I like bear roast better than moose roast.

[KegRiver]

It is really no different then pork so far as the animal's diet goes. And like you say, texture and flavor comes close to most other red meat.

I haven't eaten a lot but enough to not turn it down is it is offered to me.

I might even butcher one for myself one of these days. Only, not s spring bear. I was raised to believe that the best bear was one that had been feeding on berries and oats. In other words, a late summer or early fall bear.

I do know a family that eat bear taken any time bears are active, and they seemed to have no preference. Maybe there is no appreciable difference.
But I'm old school, I stick to what I know unless I have good reason to try something new.

[moosehunter3-0]

This was a spring bear shot over bait. I wasn't using garbage for bait though lol.

[bird_dog]

Thats interesting KegRiver. I've heard the very opposite, supposedly the lack of fat makes for a milder flavor. I've only shot a bear in the spring, so I cant compare meat quality to the fall harvest. Would be great to hear from someone who has had both.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by bird_dog

Thats interesting KegRiver. I've heard the very opposite, supposedly the lack of fat makes for a milder flavor. I've only shot a bear in the spring, so I cant compare meat quality to the fall harvest. Would be great to hear from someone who has had both.

That would be interesting.
As I said, my preference is more tradition then experience based.

I suspect that what I was told was based more on experience with domestic livestock then on experience with bears.