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.
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
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.
I like it as much as deer meat
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.
:thumbsup: :campfire:
The last Bear I shot tasted like Donuts and Gummy worms :-)
In all honesty they taste great, with the younger ones tasting the best.
I love bear meat, slow cook it all day, your house will smell good and you'll eat like a king!!!!!!!!
Wow! This is interesting!
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.
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.
i got a nice bear off a berry patch last fall.
some of the best game we have had.
makes an awesome chili verde!!
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
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!
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
Another great way to prepare it is to grind into burger and make meatloaf. Really tasty!
QuoteOriginally 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........
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
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.
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
Bear are in the pig family,smoke hinde leg like a ham mmmmmmmm
Don't forget the bear ribs, just as delicious as spare ribs. Cook them the same. Duane
Always remember bear meat needs to be thoroughly cooked through to prevent trichinellosis as with pork. Any moist method of slow cooking will give you a superb meal depending on age and diet of the bear.
I make a mean bear chili. I plan on bringing some up for our Quebec Quest II bear hunt. Hopefully it won't turn into the campfire scene from "Blazing Saddles!" :biglaugh:
I took some steaks from my last bears too. Tastes great!
The secret with bear steaks, is to sear it hard and fast on one side, then flip it real quick so the worms can't get out form the uncooked side ....mmmmmm mmmmm. :biglaugh:
Just kidding. I find it best in sausage or mixed for burger. Venison, pork or whatever you have.
I was like you and didn't know what to expect the first time. My bear was a 362# boar and I expected the worst. When I got home and was processing it I decided to give it the true test. I sliced a big steak off the hind quarter, salted and peppered it, and threw it on the grill. The only wild game I've eaten that I like better is elk. I have had it in roast, burger, stew, stroganaf(sp?) and grilled steaks. It's all good!
Wow! This is great! I never knew any of this. Bear is in the Pig family? Huh! Neat stuff! I gotta get one now!
Always in the crockpot or ground for me. Never had good luck getting tender steaks but I'm a bad cook anyway.
My dad's good friend is a master chef in NY, who happens to LOVE bear, Aparently it taste's very good SMOKED, If anyone requests, I can get some recipe but it may take a while.
Bears (Ursidae) are in their own family, and pigs in theirs (Suidae). Have had the hams smoked though and they are good but dry.
Bears closest reletive is the dog . My family likes bear better then deer . Bear roast and gravy with yorkshire pudding . nothing better . I will not shoot a bear close to a salmon river nothing worse then a fish bear .