Is bear edible?

[mdunc8]

I know people eat it, but is it good? I've been thinking about doing a spring hunt, but I don't like the idea of shooting one if I'm not going to eat it. Would burgers or brats be decent?

 

[lilbiggun]

I like it. A good berry bear makes some outstanding sausage. My last bear I had the whole thing made into breakfast sausage. great on pizzas, s'getti and just plain ole breakfast.

 

[fowladdict]

I haven't had it yet, but I heard spring bears don't make good dog food. I've heard fall bears make good burger and brats.

 

[Gerald Martin]

The bears I've killed have all been either good or great. I've killed three boars, all in the spring and they were fine. Just remember to cook it well done to avoid the potential of trichinosis. Here in Montana you can send a sample away for a free test.

I like make burger, summer sausage, and roasts. I've even had my processor brine and smoke the hindquarters. We would slow bake it in the oven for about 6 hours. That was excellant!

Nothing wrong with bears in my opinion. One key to good meat is getting it cooled off ASAP. I like to skin them as soon as I can.

 

[Moosie]

I'm going to go with it taste like Crap..... But I am going for bear number 9 or 10 this spring

 

[ringer]

I think it is OK but not great. I did like mountain lion a lot. Ate them both on a hunt in Idaho and it was a spring bear.

 

[elkkill2006]

I like bear alot. I just took out a smoked bear ham for Christmas. I also have sausage made and stakes out of the back straps.

 

[Lawnboy]

Add lots of ketchup!! Gotta laugh at the sausage comments though. What meat doesn't taste good or better with 30%+ of pork added.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Of course it's edible - nearly anything is. Haven't you seen 2 chicks, one cup?

 

[SWWA_Ben]

Of course it's edible - nearly anything is. Haven't you seen 2 chicks, one cup?

That's just wrong to make me remember that video

 

[----]

I think size/age must make a big difference. The three bears I've ate were really pretty good. One was roughly 160 pounds, one 180 and the other was maybe 220 or 230. The steaks on the bigger one weren't great but the burgers fine. The roasts on all three were absolutely awesome, the best game roast meat I've had by far.
All three bears were less than five years old, fall bears, and living in berry patches, so probably ideal scenarios for them to taste good.

 

[arffdog875]

I had Bear roast from a #350 fall bear that my buddy got. The meat was pretty good but a little tough! I would eat it again, maybe pick a smaller bear.

 

[sweetnectar]

I don't believe any of the "it taste good" stuff. Just slip a little into the garbage can once a week like everyone else has to do that gets a bear. I've even heard stories of dogs turning their noses to it. There is a reason the know one enjoys a bear stake cooked up plain. Instead, everyone tries to hide the taste in sausage, or sauce.
Somehow the fish and game for Montana made a law you have to eat the bear meat if it is healthy. If I'm meat hunting I'm looking for elk. If I'm hide hunting I'll hunt for bear.

My experience and stories come from bears eating on rotting carcass.

 

[Gerald Martin]

sweetnectar, I've only eaten bears that were feeding on grass in the spring. I can honestly say that none of my bears tasted strong or bad.

 

[shoots-straight]

If I remember right, as I skinned the last bear I shot, I noticed a white cyst under the hide on the bears back. I cut into it a wiggle worm fell out. Just saying!

 

[greatbasin]

If I remember right, as I skinned the last bear I shot, I noticed a white cyst under the hide on the bears back. I cut into it a wiggle worm fell out. Just saying!

That was a bot fly larva.
Every bear backstrap I have ever eaten has been mild and tender. Infact more like beef than either deer or elk.

 

[Moosie]

Mdunc, Remember, Some people that say bear taste good also eat rabits, squirels, and road kill possum.... like the worm comment.... "I'm just sayin'...... " !!!!

 

[muskox]

I have shot 3 bears. Two have tasted good and the third like crap. The 2 which tasted good were fall bears. One was a younger bear 272 lb. about 3 to 4 years old. The other was 10.5 years old about 350lb. with the age confirmed by a tooth being submitted to the Manitoba fish and game. The final bear which was shot in spring was even older based on his tooth wear. His canines were broken off and his remaining teeth were worn almost to nothing, and his skull was official measured at 20 8/16. His age based on those criteria was in the range of 15 years. I guess I lean toward the conclusion that fall bears are better to eat but the only spring bear I shot was so old I hate to commit to that theory. A side note is bear makes excellent ham. Bear are related to pigs and can be processed into ham. My kids like making hamburgers with the ground meat, but I love making a hindquarter into ham.

 

[sweetnectar]

I'm thinking the wiggle worm would taste better then the bear meat....but I'm just sayin.

 

[BiggWimm]

I have eaten a lot of different forms of bear. All of my bears have been tasty, fall or spring. That being said, I don't shoot bears off rotten salmon streams due to the fact that they can sometimes have bad flavor. I have made ground sausage out of my bears, ribs, steaks, and roasts. I have even cooked one over coals in the ground for a party. Excellent. I highly recommend eating bear!