Hunting Black Bear And Table Fare

[NY Yankee]

Until recently, I haven't had any interest in hunting black bears but lately it has become something I am learning about and now I want to try for one. I was also given an invitation to hunt a piece of land in the Adirondack Mtns that is supposed to have a good number of bears. Im wondering how many eat the bear meat and how it is generally cooked. Any certain parts that are better than others? Any that should just be left for the dog? Etc. I'd like a nice bear rug to hang up too.

[John3]

I've eaten Black Bear meat and enjoyed it. This was an Arkansas bear that was cubed and placed into stew and chilli. I thought it tasted like a lean cut of beef; but with all the spice how do you taste it? I wasn't involved in butchering the bear so I don't know "where" the cubes came from. If like any other animal I would keep the sirloin, rounds ect. I hope to make bear jerky come this May.

John III

[chinook907]

Have eaten quite a bit of it, almost as a staple.  Because they tend to have trichinosis and because I like rare meat and because I'm afraid I may "forget" to cook it fully, I usually can it and get some made into precooked sausage.  It is excellent for burgers, again, just need to cook it thoroughly.

[BUFF]

I like it as much as deer meat

[Brian Krebs]

The flavor of a bear can depend on what its eating. Fish seem to be the worst thing; in some states eating a bear would help you find out your maximum spitting distance.  :(  
 There was a guy who put his bait out last spring within bow range of where I have baited for 6 seasons; and had a bait already going.
 He used dried out maple syrup from his families syrup business. He mixed it with horse feed- containing oats and corn and molasses.
 I took a kid up there on a mentored hunt and he shot a huge boar; and that thing is so good tasting its amazing.
 So; keep that in mind.
     

[xp]

The last Bear I shot tasted like Donuts and Gummy worms  :-)

In all honesty they taste great, with the younger ones tasting the best.

[BowHuntingFool]

I love bear meat, slow cook it all day, your house will smell good and you'll eat like a king!!!!!!!!

[NY Yankee]

Wow! This is interesting!

[Brian Krebs]

easy way to cook it? put a roast or some steaks in a crock pot; add a can of mushroom soup; and a package of lipton onion soup mix. let it cook.
 
 I have often put steaks on the grill of course; but I also put them on the end of a cookie sheet ( I spray it with pan coating); and some frozen french fries on the other.
 I put honey/hickory barbeque sauce on the meat and bake it until the meat is cooked through; and the fries are cooked.
 
 Doesn't get any simpler than that.

[Keuka]

I had it in stew and it was good but honestly, it was at camp and we'd had a few beers. I had a bear steak and even the dog wouldn't eat it. I think it has alot to do with what the bears been eating and how it's cooked.
I live just over the hill from you on Keuka Lake. My neighbor had to chase a bear off her front pourch, back in the fall. Several others have been seen and bird feeders are missing!
From what I'm being told, set up on stand next to a bird feeder.

[homerdave]

i got a nice bear off a berry patch last fall.
some of the best game we have had.
makes an awesome chili verde!!

[Charlie Cole]

Slow-cook it, like 'Fool said. Makes some of the best stew you're ever gonna eat. especially if you rub or shake it with some Montreal Steak seasoning and brown it in (a little!) olive oil first. ENJOY!

My wife claimed she hated "wild" meat, 'till I showed her it's all how you cook it with the recipe above. Next year I plan to show her that soybean-and-peanut-eating young does taste much better than acorn-eating old bucks.

Brian gave me a couple good ideas, too.

-Charlie

[Charlie Cole]

Oh, by the way, Brian, I used to love poking the voices with a Q-tip, too, but then I busted my eardrum surfing and poked the open hole one too many times. Now the voices are gone but so is a lot of other sound in that ear. Doc says scar tissue.

They still ring me up occasionally, but when I answer they never say anything, just keep ringing....

On the upside, I still got another ear. And "selective" hearing!

[JoeM]

My bear was feeding on Choke cherry and acorns and he tasted great.  We had everything from stew, chili, steak, k-bobs, and roast.  My wife (who loves venison,moose &elk)  had a hard time at first trying the bear, a mental thing with it being a predator i think.  But she loved it once she tried it and is actually hoping i can bring another home soon.   Joe

[Bob Walker]

Another great way to prepare it is to grind into burger and make meatloaf. Really tasty!

[BowHuntingFool]

Originally posted by Charlie Cole:
Slow-cook it, like 'Fool said. Makes some of the best stew you're ever gonna eat. especially if you rub or shake it with some Montreal Steak seasoning and brown it in (a little!) olive oil first. ENJOY!


-Charlie

Charlie this is the exact way I cook it, tasty!!!!!!!!!! I let it marinade overnight hen cook it the next day for about 6-8 hours on low in a crock pot, I'm hungry........

[One eye]

The only bear I have shot was in our Upper Peninsula.  We ate all of the meat and it was excellent.  I think it has a lot to do with what the bear is eating in its diet.

Dan

[Blackhawk]

I've taken a couple and eaten the meat from a few others.  Bear meat is "like a box of chocolates...you never know what you're gonna get."  At least, that has been my experience.

However, someone has already mentioned the best odds of getting a good one to eat.  If you get a young one that's been eating berries, it's wonderful.

[Charlie Cole]

And bear stew ought to contain a little brown sugar, a little hot sauce, a little worcestershire, and at least one beer.

Oh, and some veggies and a couple pounds of bear.

But every time I make it like that I don't get to eat much, because it disappears....

-Charlie

[Chopie]

Bear are in the pig family,smoke hinde leg like a ham mmmmmmmm