Smoked Black Bear Ham - is it safe?

Diligence said:
....we never ate the bears. My grandpa said “...we don’t eat bear.” So we didn’t. My dad had the same rule, but he told me it was because he didn’t like how a skinned bear looked. Said it was too human for him. He somehow asssociated a bear carcass with a human carcass, and it affected how he viewed them as game meat. I have given several bear (late spring shot) to First Nations folks in northern Saskatchewan (and the old grandmas loved me for it) and they were all smoked into pemmican. As an aside, she field dressed, skinned and butchered one of those bears with a 2” folder with a broken point....and fast!
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There is a lot to that, a skinned bear does look like a human and does have an effect on a lot of us.
 
H4831 said:
There is a lot to that, a skinned bear does look like a human and does have an effect on a lot of us.
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I have heard that many times. Only ever skinned one bear and can honestly say that’s not true. Bears look completely different. They are obviously built to run on all fours. Even the chest is totally different. The paws kind of look like hands when they are skinned but that’s as close as it gets.

Maybe it’s a matter of opinion, but almost anyone should be able to tell at a glance the difference.
 
if I may add anecdote from my old country where legally slaughtered pigs where always tested for trichinosis, but many where killed and eaten bypassing the system and there were cases of multiple infections after weddings, communions, baptisms etc.
Who survived unaffected?, those who drunk a lot of vodka:cheers::cheers:
 
After 2 years of seeing this bear on trail cams, my buddy finally caught up with it. Island spiker in the rear for reference. We'll be doing a couple of hams....


 
H4831 said:
I have no interest in any meat that has to be brought up to a certain temperature, to be safe to eat.
In the boon docks of northerly Canada during the great depression, where most people lived on wild meat, they didn't eat bears.
Neither do north American native Indians.
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i gotta respectfully beg to differ with you there .... and i kinda do so knowing you been there done that in far more places than I..... but as far as North American Native Indians go, the Carrier's hunt and eat bears, this I know for sure.
 
VanIsleCam said:
After 2 years of seeing this bear on trail cams, my buddy finally caught up with it.
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You forgot to mention that the Bugger was EATING those damn trail cameras for the past 2 years! 4 in total - last images they collected were his massive jaws wrapping around the camera! Finally he made the big mistake!!

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Chatted up the fellow who makes the hams. He is extremely experienced butcher btw. Said to hold the product going into hams (or cured sausage) in a cold freezer for 35 days - apparently kills off the tich & most other potential nasties. Given how tender and nice flavored the tenderloins were, I suspect those hams will be downright incredible!! :)

45ACPKING said:
mmmmmm look at all that fat...... the best pastry on the planet is made from that :)
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Fat Indeed! Over 165 lbs of the stuff!

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Just The Fat Mam:

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And you are Bang On 45 - best pastry lard EVER!
Also excellent for cooking anything you would use oil for, and a fine leather preservative!
None of this Beastie is going to waste!

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Cheers,
Nog
 
VanIsleCam said:
You through processing all the fat now!???
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Yep. Three cases of lard later I gave the balance (almost half) away to some that will use it. :d

medvedqc said:
... trich can not killed by frost. please cook well the part of the bear ...
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By most freezers true.
Mine is a lab model, designed and runs true at minus 25 all the time.
Nothing but viruses can survive.
For everyone that doesn't have something similar, COOK!!

Cheers,
Nog

https://honest-food.net/on-trichinosis-in-wild-game/
 
I would still be careful even with your super cold freezer. Trichinella nativa - the arctic strain of trich that can be found in Canadian Black Bears - can remain viable even after being frozen at −18 °C (0 °F) for four years.

Personally I would just ensure an bear products be heated to 165 F (75C) during their processing. A ham cured and heated to temp while, or before, smoking takes all the chance out of the equation.
 
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