Why is bear so underrated?

cdn1canhunt said:
No desire to hunt bear. It’s an animal that is a top predator it generally has little wariness of humans and must be enticed by bait to a place to be able to hunt it. It is not a prey species with natural instincts to be wary of predators mainly because it has none. When hunted in areas where they are most prolific they are generally unafraid of us human hunters as they rarely encounter man due to the isolated area in which they live. I know some will argue that they are wary. But I’ve watched to many videos of bears climbing tree stand ladders to check out hunters or look directly at them, ignore and lumber to a bait barrel to chow down to believe that they even care we are there. They are an apex predator. It is hard to find challenge in hunting something that has little fear of anything other than one of its own.

just my take but I’d rather hunt something that is a prey species and is instinctually wary and no I don’t hunt over “bait piles” And yes I hunt over or near crop fields but I’m not going to argue if that is deemed as baiting ….and yes I have eaten bear and yes it is tasty..I just have no desire to hunt for one.
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You hunt over bait piles in Ontario. We do not in BC. Your lasso is a bit too wide partner.
 
cdn1canhunt said:
No desire to hunt bear. It’s an animal that is a top predator it generally has little wariness of humans and must be enticed by bait to a place to be able to hunt it. It is not a prey species with natural instincts to be wary of predators mainly because it has none. When hunted in areas where they are most prolific they are generally unafraid of us human hunters as they rarely encounter man due to the isolated area in which they live. I know some will argue that they are wary. But I’ve watched to many videos of bears climbing tree stand ladders to check out hunters or look directly at them, ignore and lumber to a bait barrel to chow down to believe that they even care we are there. They are an apex predator. It is hard to find challenge in hunting something that has little fear of anything other than one of its own.

just my take but I’d rather hunt something that is a prey species and is instinctually wary and no I don’t hunt over “bait piles” And yes I hunt over or near crop fields but I’m not going to argue if that is deemed as baiting ….and yes I have eaten bear and yes it is tasty..I just have no desire to hunt for one.
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Interesting take. I guess by that logic you wouldn't find hunting coyote or wolf challenging?
I don't think basing one's opinion on hunting anything by watching videos is a good way to get an accurate picture. Hopefully you get an opportunity some day to actually hunt bear and your perspective might change.

And perhaps the more experienced bear hunters will chime in here but imo the bolded part of your post couldn't be more off base, at least in Ontario.
 
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jlovie said:
I've always been curious as to what cuts of meat you get from a bear? I know roasts and shank type cuts but do they have backstrap and tenderloin cuts similar to deer and moose? Does anyone ever cut their roasts into steaks? I've never heard of a bear burger but I assume that's a thing?
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I’ve cut small steaks and medallions from the backstrap and fried them as is after some salt/pepper and oil, my favourite is to pound them thin and make schnitzels. Bear burgers and sausages are amazing as well, same with the ribs. Best bbq ribs I’ve ever had.
 
If you hunt far enough form cities, the bears will not have hate garbage, and the taste is more "foresty".
I use it all as ground meat. Since it has to be cooked well done, I don't get steaks or roasts. It get too tough for my taste.

What prevented me from hunting bear was the AB regs that say you have to save the hide
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In QC you have to keep the gallbladder and the paws with the hide, up until you get to the butcher.
But you can dispose of the hide with paws if you want.
 
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Bear schnitzel and katsu is a winner for sure, round roasts from the rear legs sliced thin are very good. Frying the “steaks” like pork chops is good too. Not to mention braising them in gravy, pot roasts, smoked roasts etc. The burgers and sausages are great too, probably the best wild meat for this application

Didn’t get my bear and season ends today, damn. Need to retire :dancingbanana:
 
I'm watching with interest...seems like either you love it or you won't touch it. Sorta like Prairie Oysters or sweetbreads... except you can get those in a good restaurant in Cowtown of course.
 
My dad hunted in the early 70's when I was really young. I don't think he went very many times but on one occasion him and his partner harvested a big black bear and I remember the picture of it completely skinned with the paws removed laying on a flat deck trailer. To me at that age it looked like an alien LOL I can still picture it in my mind all these years later. My dad never hunted again but at least he kept his rifles to hand down to me and my younger brother (303 and 22). He said the skinned bear reminded him to much of a human when it was hanging after processing. I got into hunting in my late 20's totally on my own but have only taken 2 bears in 25 years of hunting , both were confrontations while camping with the kids and out hunting deer. I always buy a bear tag , every season since i started hunting so if I do 'need' to shoot one at least I am legal in an open season. The first one was a Harrison lake bear that kept hanging around in a semi circular area about 100 yards out. Popping up and watching us over the young pines that afternoon and evening. I got up really early the next morning and got the fire going and heard a noise behind me and when i turned, the bear was maybe 40 feet away LOL I tossed a rock and it took off but kept hanging around out at that 100 yard mark. I took the rifle out because we did have kids and my dog with us. My decision was that if it came into that 50yard zone one more time, it was getting a 180gr .303 round from the very same rifle my dad hunted bear with in my toddler days. And so it went that way and I harvested a bear..... it wasn't very good LOL
Second bear I had to shoot was on a day out deer hunting in the mountains above pemberton bc, I came into the edge of camp, returning from my morning solo hunt on foot to come upon a big blackie that was trying to get into my K5 blazer with my dog inside. Same rifle, same bullet, same result LOL That one was really good eating.
We have bear fairly often at a friends place and it's usually Tacos. My wife wants me to get a bear so I have been kinda trying the last 2 seasons but never seem to connect with a bear that I want to shoot. There are still a couple weeks left in our season and the wife wants to go to the burns this weekend and pick morels so I'll be going with rifle and tag in hand so ya never know.
Bear fat for cooking.... this fat is prized for baking pastry, especially if their diet contains high amounts of berries and things. Coastal bears with fish diets are to be avoided.
You have to render the fat to a liquid, strain very well and refrigerate until it hardens into a solid. I have a bakery background and have rendered bear fat from fall bear and used it for pastry...... you gotta try it.
 
tokguy said:
I'm watching with interest...seems like either you love it or you won't touch it. Sorta like Prairie Oysters or sweetbreads... except you can get those in a good restaurant in Cowtown of course.
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Another reason I take the ring road when heading East,lol.
Black Bear in the fall in wild blue berry patches is the sweetest meat you will eat.
Bushpig comes to mind when discussing B-B recipes.
The tallow from the rendered fat makes a spectacular pie crust, just ask any French Canadian who lives outside of the big smoke.
Rob
 
FLHTCUI said:
Another reason I take the ring road when heading East,lol.
Black Bear in the fall in wild blue berry patches is the sweetest meat you will eat.
Bushpig comes to mind when discussing B-B recipes.
The tallow from the rendered fat makes a spectacular pie crust, just ask any French Canadian who lives outside of the big smoke.
Rob
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Oh, come come now. You'll eat bear, don't get squeamish on us now.
 
Made some bear maple bacon sausage tonight with a spring bear. Simply fantastic.
https://www.realtree.com/timber-2-table-wild-game-recipes/maple-venison-breakfast-links

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My aversion to eating bear meat is the possibility of prions in meat. Bears are apex predators so they would absorb any prions in the food chain. For instance, what happens if a bear eats a deer with chronic wasting? I have no idea.

Honestly my phobia probably isn’t well founded. I’m not aware of any cases where this has happened. Then again, someone could become ill with something and doctors have no idea what caused it. There is all kinds of diseases that haven’t been identified.

Edit- The post above looks delicious
 
Sunchild2071 said:
In my case, culturally innappropriate. And if I cannot use the entire animal, I am not going to take it down.
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Presumably it is your culture that prevents you from using the entire animal? Unencumbered by that cultural bias, I use as much of a bear as I do any game I hunt. I'm not saying it's wrong but I guess the same could be said by anti-hunters....their culture makes hunting anything inapproriate. Again, I'm not saying that's wrong, I just don't fully understand that perspective.
 
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