So who actually eats bear?

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Apr 4, 2020
I’ve always wanted to hunt black bear and just became a Wyoming Resident this year so now I have the chance to. I’ve always thought of a bear as a predatory animal due to having a lot of my cowboy and ranching friend having problems with them killing calves and sheep. I’ve never even thought of eating one and everyone I’ve talked to says there dogs wouldn’t eat it. I read the Wyoming regs and it says you have to have proof of sex attached to the hide and the skull but not required to take the meat. Honestly I see it as a predator hunt, not a big game hunt like elk and deer. Is it worth taking the meat?
 
I was friends with a taxidermist back in my school days and we took many bear quarters off the hands of hunters that felt the same way. Potatoes, carrots, onions, bear and broth is great.
 
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I could understand if this conversation was about wolves or cougars but not taking bear meat would be an absolute travesty. The meat is a great contrast to all the super lean ungulates we eat. It has a fair amount of fat/oil in the meat which makes it far more desirable for summer sausage, pepperoni sticks, roasts, cook down, pulled bbq sandwiches, smoking, canning, breakfast sausage... I use it for anything except steaks. Take the 4 quarters, neck, and back strap and remove as much fat off the deboned meat as possible then prep and freeze it how you would any other animal. You won’t regret it.
 
YES - I've had the good fortune to get to eat on about 4 different black bears and the meat was tremendous. A buddy smoked a huge roast one time that was amazing and I've had steaks and sausage that was also just excellent.

Grizzly Bear - I was so blessed last fall to get to hunt a grizzly bear on the North Side of the Brooks Range in Alaska. I got a nice boar that was a bout 12 years old (age by teeth has not been completed yet). My guide and I removed one of the back-straps from the bear and let it cool and age for 3 days. We cut it up into steaks and rolled them in flour and cooked them in butter. Salt and pepper and it was really good! It tasted just like the other black bears I've been able to feast on. I regret not taking out at least the rear quarters, back-straps, and tenderloins.
 
Ive never had bad bear meat living in farm country. I have friends who don't live in farm country they say anything 3 year's old or so is tough and goes into sausage. It makes very good sausage.
 
I shot a black bear in 2016. Packed it out and hiked back in (still hunting elk). We kept some of the back strap and fat and rendered the fat and cubed the back strap and fried it in the fat in the msr reactor. It was awesome! I then made summer sausage, breakfast sausage, and some roast out of it. I thought it was great. Took it to work and everyone loved it there too. I don’t know if I would say the same about grizzlies or brown bears, but as far as black bears go, they get a big thumbs up from my friends and myself !
 
I love it. Closest wild game to beef. We do roasts, canned and ground... no steaks, that’s what deer and elk are for.

I didn’t bear hunt for a long time due to the opinion of some describing the meat, then I decided to kill one and form my own opinion, we love it, nothing not to like, nice mild game meat.

corned bear is excellent, bear enchiladas, shredded bear taco, canned bear, etc... tons of great bear recipes
 
I'm not a fan of bear meat.

I killed one in late August years ago in ontario. When we skinned it you could see the worms pull back into the meat. A local took the loins and hinds to eat. Not sure if he survived or not.......lol
 
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