Trichinella Spiralis

Is bear meat ok for dogs to eat raw?

  • Yes, but freeze for a month.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Yes, but freeze for 6 months.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    23

KNPV PSD

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Nov 5, 2013
Messages
200
Location
Somers, MT
So I was fortunate enough to harvest my first black bear while hunting for blacktail deer here in Northern CA.

One of the side benefits of my hunts is that the carcasses go to my dogs that I feed on a raw diet. I have read that cooking to proper temps will kill the worms that cause trichinosis and I am all set for the meat that I will be eating...

My question is on the dogs. Will several months in the deep freeze make the meat safe? I read several articles that say it will in pork but have read that for some reason bear maybe not? Anyone have any science or opinions to help out? Should I just play it safe and not let them have all this good meat?

Thanks for any help...
 

7mag.

WKR
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Messages
1,412
Location
Buckley, Wa.
I have read that freezing kills it, and I have read that freezing doesn't always kill it. I would err on the cautious side and cook it to 150°. Or in your case, don't feed it to your dog's. I'm in no way an authority, but I don't want trichinosis, so I have read up on it a little.
 

Bar

Banned
Joined
Feb 8, 2014
Messages
1,623
Location
Colorado
Freezing will NOT kill it. Cook to well done for you, or your dog to eat.
 
Joined
Jan 17, 2014
Messages
661
Location
Truckee
Bear are infested with parasitic worms from the research I have done. As a dog owner I WOULD NOT feed raw or even undercooked bear meet to Cujo.
 

fire652

WKR
Joined
Dec 13, 2013
Messages
392
Location
Ohio
From actual research I did before hunt. There apparently are two types of trichinosis. The one that was found in pork would be killed if kept at zero degrees for extended time. The form found in bear does not die when frozen. Always cook bear well done for both you and your animals.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2014
Messages
74
Steve talked about this on an episode of Joe Rogan's Podcast. The bear he gets trichinosis was most likely an old bear. I believe his statement was, "if any bear was going to have it, this was the one".
 
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Messages
4,642
Location
Colorado
So did Steve not cook it properly or what happened?

When I kill a bear I eat it! But I make sure it is cooked same with pork and cougars.
 

Vids

WKR
Joined
Jul 3, 2012
Messages
593
Location
Littleton, CO
I heard him talk about it on Joe Rogan's podcast as well. I believe he said it was the meat they cooked in camp, it must not have been brought up to the proper temperature.
 

Brodie

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 26, 2013
Messages
225
Wow, I just watched that bear hunting episode with the seal guy and thought they were nuts eating that meat over the fire...didn't look cooked at all
 

Murdy

WKR
Joined
Jun 6, 2014
Messages
623
Location
North-Central Illinois
From the USDA website:
"Several species of Trichinella are found in warm-blooded carnivores, omnivores and raptorial birds. In North America, there are five known species or types of Trichinella. These include Trichinella spiralis, T. nativa, T. pseudospiralis, Trichinella T-5, and Trichinella T-6. Trichinella spiralis is most commonly associated with domestic pigs. The other species and types mentioned have low relative infectivity for pigs and are primarily of importance because they occur in game animals (T-5 in bears and other wildlife in the eastern U.S., T-6 in bears and other wildlife in the Northwestern U.S., and T. nativa in Alaska). Both T. nativa and Trichinella T-6 are resistant to freezing. Trichinella pseudospiralis has been reported infrequently from birds, but can infect pigs also."

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/trichinae/docs/fact_sheet.htm

So maybe freezing bear would work in the east, but not in the west? I used to work for a sausage maker, and we did our own certified pork. I forget the temperature, but we had to keep the pork frozen at an extremely low temperature (below zero) for a long period of time (weeks as I recall). The problem I think most individuals would run into trying to certify any sort of meat is they don't have commercial equipment capable of assuring the proper temperature is maintained (plus frost-free freezers warm up periodically, every freezer warms up a little when you open it to get a pizza, and if there's enough traffic in and out . . . ).
 

Bar

Banned
Joined
Feb 8, 2014
Messages
1,623
Location
Colorado
I think it's better to just cook it well done, and not count on freezing to kill it.
 
Top