2019 spring bear is almost here!!!

45ACPKING said:
Hey Ted
If ya don't mind me asking..... for table fare and sausage making.....which do you prefer spring bear or fall bear?
I ask because I've never eaten a spring bear , only fall bears and I imagine they would taste different after a winter of hibernating vs fall when they are extra fat from heavy feeding.
Not sure if this is true or myth but I have always gone on the premise that spring bears are better for taxidermy and fall bears better for eating but I have not harvested many bears in my lifetime so my experience is limitted.
Vowing to get serious about bears this year though as I keep having close encounters in my favorite deer spot
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We have eaten both, but most have been Spring bears simply because that's all we are hunting then, so rarely need to take one in the Fall. I do remember one bear a friend of mine got in October, though. Travelling down the river, we spotted the bear back off the shore a bit. He went after it, and it dropped right where it was standing. An average size black, it had been eating in a huge patch of high bush cranberry. Stomach was bursting full of them. It had probably been there for several weeks, and was rolling fat. That was one of the sweetest-tasting bears I ever tasted. The rendered fat tasted like sweet butter.

Other than that bear, I really don't find much difference. Most of our bears are berry and root eaters, and they are almost as fat in early Spring as they are in late Fall. We don't shoot them in late May because they are getting pretty gaunt, and the hides rubbed.

The most important thing, as you know, is proper care of the meat in the field the same as any animal you intend to eat. Most of the bad-tasting bear stories come from someone saying, "Let's try some of that!", several hours after everyone has heard the story, and taken all the pictures they wanted.

Ted
 
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thanks for sharing Ted

had some local fall bear tacos the other nite and the wife was telling me I need to get out and get a bear for the freezer.
I told her she needs to turn off the TV and go get her own damn bear haha
 
Just curious if bear meat compares to anything domestic or any other type of wild meat? Like most animals I’m sure the younger the better eating? Is a huge old bear even worth keeping the meat? In Alberta you legally just have to keep the hide and head because the meat is considered non edible to the government.....never hunted or shot a bear before,curious though.
 
To me, good bear tastes like pork; not bad but bland and boring. We almost never eat it ourselves anymore, but often keep the backstraps and hindquarters. I’ve got a guy who will pick it up along with any other surplus meat and distribute it to a few famillies that aren’t in a position to be picky.
 
Whitetail Junkie said:
Just curious if bear meat compares to anything domestic or any other type of wild meat? Like most animals I’m sure the younger the better eating? Is a huge old bear even worth keeping the meat? In Alberta you legally just have to keep the hide and head because the meat is considered non edible to the government.....never hunted or shot a bear before,curious though.
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I find it quite tasty, better then venison in my opinion.
 
45ACPKING said:
Hey Ted
If ya don't mind me asking..... for table fare and sausage making.....which do you prefer spring bear or fall bear?
I ask because I've never eaten a spring bear , only fall bears and I imagine they would taste different after a winter of hibernating vs fall when they are extra fat from heavy feeding.
Not sure if this is true or myth but I have always gone on the premise that spring bears are better for taxidermy and fall bears better for eating but I have not harvested many bears in my lifetime so my experience is limitted.
Vowing to get serious about bears this year though as I keep having close encounters in my favorite deer spot
Click to expand...


The spring bear is nice and lean, not much fat, does not sting. Very good meat.
 
about the black bear meat we did few blind tests: with elk, moose, caribou, deer, black and grizzly meat and each time the first one to be gone was the black bear meat ...
 
medvedqc said:
about the black bear meat we did few blind tests: with elk, moose, caribou, deer, black and grizzly meat and each time the first one to be gone was the black bear meat ...
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A few years ago during our deer cut up day we smoked a Moose roast and a bear roast side by side with all the same seasoning. The bear was the favourite of the two by everyone there, even the non hunters.
 
medvedqc said:
about the black bear meat we did few blind tests: with elk, moose, caribou, deer, black and grizzly meat and each time the first one to be gone was the black bear meat ...
Click to expand...

I agree... our two big wild game dinners, one a family event and one a community event, the bear dishes were preferred over deer or moose... it has a very nice texture and flavour... I have eaten an awful lot of bear meat.
 
It is unseasonably warm and bears are likely awake now.

There is no green grass, what would they be doing and eating? There is still a bit of snow in places.
 
Other than what they can find scrounging around, they are living off their fat reserves for the most part. Very little of the fat is used during the winter. That is why they are so fat when they first come out of torpor, then rapidly loose weight.

The difference between a bear taken up here in late April, and one in late May is markedly significant. In spite of this very early Spring this year, it will be not too bad for them because the Southern slopes are already starting to green up.

Ted
 
Thanks Ted

I was thinking of going to a few south facing river breaks areas and looking for them in a bit if this weather continues.

If they are not eating will you find them in the sun?
 
there is also all the frozen berries, roots and before that they need to clean the digestive system that is plugged. we are starting to see green as Ted said it wont be long before they feed good and hunters will be out ..
 
conor_90 said:
Thanks Ted

I was thinking of going to a few south facing river breaks areas and looking for them in a bit if this weather continues.

If they are not eating will you find them in the sun?
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They are everywhere when hungry.

Take your best binoucular and spotting scope, and spend lots of time with the glass. You will find them.

Ted
 
Why not? said:
Other than what they can find scrounging around, they are living off their fat reserves for the most part. Very little of the fat is used during the winter. That is why they are so fat when they first come out of torpor, then rapidly loose weight.

The difference between a bear taken up here in late April, and one in late May is markedly significant. In spite of this very early Spring this year, it will be not too bad for them because the Southern slopes are already starting to green up.

Ted
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This will give you an idea of how fat they are when they first come out of the den.



Ted
 
Definitely starting to see the first signs of green in my lawn, sparse but it's there.
We're at a bit over 3000ft elevation here outside of 100 mile and still -5 to -10 overnight
might try scouting this weekend, got some real nice south facing clear cuts not far down the road.
 
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