Offer some Advise on Butchering a Blackbear?

Skippy

Skippy

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A friend and myself are going to go on an early season blackbear hunt this fall. THis will be the first time either of us actually go on a deticated blackbear hunt. Judging by the lasr few years, the weather is going to be warm in September-October, so I'm wondering how long is too long to keep a bear hanging?
Also, we've never butchered a bear either, I've done plenty of deer and moose, but don't know what parts of a bear suit what cuts.

Basically I'd like to know what your routine is once you've got a bear down in the field. Idealy we won't be too far from our camp's lake when we drop one and will drag it to the shore after gutting it and grab it in the boat. If it's too big I guess we'd ad-lib quartering it and get it to the camp that way.

What do you guys do with blackbear?
 
For Blackbear I just turn them into sausage so I don't bother with different cuts. but I can't imagine that they are any different that other animals.

Get the hide off ASAP, not only is it Black or dark brown its really thick and will rot your meat very quickly. If its warm out your going to have to take care of it very quickly

Brambles
 
bears = stewing or sausage, no real rhym or reason to getting teh meat off

make sure all of the fat is off of them, and don't bother nickle and diming them, at least not ontario bears.

I just had bear stew last night, it was damn good
 
I'v never had bear but from what I hear either you like it or you don't. Maybe i will be lucky enough to get one during this spring bear hunt.
 
Gut, skin and cool the bear carcass as quickly as possible. Remove all fat from the meat. If you cool the fat quickly you can render it for lard.

Bear roasts and steaks, stew and burger are popular. Well trimmed, lean bear meat can be ground with pork fat to make breakfast sasuage and the meat can be used to make all kinds of differnt sausage as well.
 
Great advice from everyone, I have spent till the wee hours skinning Black bear, and when their in the 4 and 5 hundred lb range its nice to have extra hands involved.
If you shoot one in the evening , get at it then , don't wait till morning. Even quartering it up and get it to a cooler if you can.
Good luck on the hunt!
Frank
 
I am no fan of bear meat. Sausage maybe, but steaks and such its just not my thing. BUT, a coworker of mine had one of the hinds smoked like black forest ham and it was really really good.
 
Speaking of this, when butchering, what parts constitute the "ham"?

I'd like to try having one done, though I presume you would need to hot smoke and fully cook it?
 
Here are the best directions I can offer in butchering a black bear:

1. Select a bear with a very nice pelt (unrubbed with thick, shiny hair).

2. Skin the paws and head out (carefully as to avoid cutting the hide).

3. Roll the hide up into a garbage bag and get it to a freezer/taxidermist

4. Load the carcass up into the pickup.

Here is the most important step to ensure you remove all edible portions of meat from the bear, so pay attention:

5. Drive to the nearest landfill and kick the entire carcass out for the crows (grin)!!!

280_ACKLEY
 
Thanks for taking this meaningful thread and trash it. Even the thought of dumping a bear is just wrong, if you don't eat it or know someone who does don't hunt and honestly do not comment either. My father is going on his first bear hunt this fall, I hope I can meet up with him but school comes first. I know how to butcher deer but not bear and no local butchers will do wild game anymore. If anyone knows how to make the proper cuts that would be great, if you turn yours into sausage that is great too and I would like to hear about it but please do not even joke about dumping them.
 
Silverado said:
Speaking of this, when butchering, what parts constitute the "ham"?

I'd like to try having one done, though I presume you would need to hot smoke and fully cook it?
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The hams are the taken from the rear legs, with the butt half being the upper part of the leg and the shank being the lower leg (knee down). Both are quite nice but the butt half tends to be meatier. You definetly need a hot smoke unless you plan on finishing the ham off in the oven. Like I said I'm no fan of bear meat, but my coworker/friend is and says he prefers the meat to deer. He recommends fall bears taken from the grain fields and far from the municipal garbage dump. Most farmers who are losing 50 acres of oats to bear damage will gladly let you take a poke at one.
 
Fox said:
Thanks for taking this meaningful thread and trash it. Even the thought of dumping a bear is just wrong, if you don't eat it or know someone who does don't hunt and honestly do not comment either. My father is going on his first bear hunt this fall, I hope I can meet up with him but school comes first. I know how to butcher deer but not bear and no local butchers will do wild game anymore. If anyone knows how to make the proper cuts that would be great, if you turn yours into sausage that is great too and I would like to hear about it but please do not even joke about dumping them.
Click to expand...

In Alberta hunters are only required to tag the hide of a black bear.

It is legal to "dispose" of the carcass by whatever means you choose.

We all have our own ethics with no call to judge others.:cool:
 
When you sre buthchering , don't forget the limph nodes just under the front legs ( okay, in the armpits!!)

Don't be too arlarmed when you get the hide off, you will see why I said "armpits"!:D

I have done about a zillion bears over the years, and all the advice i given here is good.
One thing I remember doing late one spring was hanging two carcasses in a friend's garage and draping them with poly, with an airconditioner turned on full blast on the floor below them!
Both critters were excellent , BTW.

The lard from a bear makes fantastic pastry, bur as was already stated , sours the meat very quickly.

Cat
 
Mumptia said:
In Alberta hunters are only required to tag the hide of a black bear.

It is legal to "dispose" of the carcass by whatever means you choose.

We all have our own ethics with no call to judge others.:cool:
Click to expand...

At oe point BC didn't require the meat to be recovered, either. I'm guessing it was changed 10-15 years ago to 'justify' bear hunting.

There is still no requirement in BC to recover the meat of the rest of the fur bearers, such as grizzly, cougar, coyote, lynx, bobcat, wolf, wolverine....etc.
 
Gatehouse said:
At oe point BC didn't require the meat to be recovered, either. I'm guessing it was changed 10-15 years ago to 'justify' bear hunting.

There is still no requirement in BC to recover the meat of the rest of the fur bearers, such as grizzly, cougar, coyote, lynx, bobcat, wolf, wolverine....etc.
Click to expand...
You'd think having the buggers in your yard and in the dumps might justify hunting them eh?

I think the reason for "harvesting the carcass by choice" is because the Black is such a bottom feeder (so to speak) Its an opportunist so I'll eat anything.
 
Mumptia said:
You'd think having the buggers in your yard and in the dumps might justify hunting them eh?

I think the reason for "harvesting the carcass by choice" is because the Black is such a bottom feeder (so to speak) Its an opportunist so I'll eat anything.
Click to expand...

Your wife is a really bad cook?:cool: ;)
 
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