We have a Bear archery season statewide this year. Aparently they have rebounded in numbers enough that it makes sense to open up the season. Now I saw in the Ted Nugent cookbook I bought today that he has a recipe for Bear, but I have heard people say it doesn' t taste good. Anyone out there eat it? and since I am not sure I would eat it, I am not sure I could kill it. If I do kill It I just can' t let the meat go to waste and I' m wondering if anyone out there has an oppinion on this? I realize the chance of seeing one is slim anyway. I saw a momma cubs a about 12 years ago when I was rifle hunting but I didn' t shoot for obvious reasons.
David

I have two words for you.....Bear Bologna...mmmm.mmm...mmm

I don' t have the opportunity to shoot bears in our regular archery season here in PA. I do however usually see bears during the season. I went north to Quebec to take my bear with a bow and had bologna made from the whole bear...absolutlely delicious, so if you get the opp....go for it...besides they make a great mount or rug and again, the bologna....mmmmmmmm

Take 4 Bear Chops [about 1/2" thick] salt and pepper to taste and brown both sides in an oiled skillet and set aside. In 2 quart pot or Dutch Oven combine 1 can of Campbell' s Cream of Mushroom Soup with 1/2 cup of Creamy Peanut Butter. Slowly heat to a slow simmer then add Bear Chops and deglaze the skillet with a couple tablespoons of Red Wine [your choice] and add to the pot. Make sure the chops are thoroughly covered with the soup mixture. Cover the pot and allow to simmer [stirring frequently if necessary to prevent burning] for one hour or until chops are thoroughly cooked [and probably fork tender].

If you try this recipe, I guarantee that if you properly care for the bear after it is killed, promptly and properly process the meat, you will have a new respect for bear meat and this question will be answered.

Remember however, that Bear are members of the pig family, and all their meat must be thoroughle cooked.

You betcha

Bear hams, slow smoked just like a pig and baked really well....mmmmmm.mmm.

Chops, sausage, roast...they' re all good if done right. Just a pig with big teeth and claws Black bears that is....grizz' s taste bad most of the time.

This first bear became a rug, about 10 good sized roasts and about 60 pounds of summer sausage. Excellent eating!


This second bear is becoming a rug, and we are working off the last of 60 pounds of hot links... even better than the summer sausage... and the roasts and steaks are gone.


I will actively try and get a bear every year now mainly for the meat. Even if it means shooting a 5 footer, I' ll try and get a larger one with one of the other three tags we get every year.

Thanks for the positive Feedback. Now if I do see a Bear I need to consider how the heck I would get it out of the woods. I think that would require calling on some friends.

David

i would get a cart to get him out of the woods. havent tried it yet but when i was up in canada hunting one of the locals suggested cooking bear steaks in a frying pan in the juice that comes from the jar of those sandwich pepper rings. he claimed that the meat just about falls apart ( tenderizes as it cooks) and is delicious. i never heard of this method but i guess its worth a shot.key is to cool the bear down right away. many people wait to have the bear weighed before gutting it. i was told that makes a big difference in taste. the backstrap on a bear is pretty close to deer imo. some people soak it in milk over night in the fridge to get out excess oils. make sure you cook it all the way through because from what i read the meat should be treated like pig because of possibility of tricinossis. good eating[:-]

I enjoy bear meat. Was told, just like you, that it wasn' t very good .. and was really surprised at how good the meat was. I could actually taste a bit of the sweetness of the blueberries he had been eating in the meat.

Proper field dressing is very important.

A tip for getting them out of the woods is a piece of plastic tarp, the kind with metal grommets. They slide real well when they are wrapped in plastic.