What if I just want Salami?

[BigRackLover]

From the regs"

"It is unlawful to allow the skin of any bear or cougar to be wasted, destroyed, spoiled or abandoned."

What if I'm not at all interested in a bear rug? Can I donate the hide to someone? What are my options to 'not waste'?

Anybody know?

[james_m]

Thats a tough one.......but I'd suggest giving (I would SELL) it to a taxidermist. They'll just mount it and sell it for profit.

[deanmc]

Are you hunting a spring bear for meat?
I am not a fur hunter either.
I would wait for fall to hunt a meat animal.

[BrownBear416]

From the regs"

"It is unlawful to allow the skin of any bear or cougar to be wasted, destroyed, spoiled or abandoned."

What if I'm not at all interested in a bear rug? Can I donate the hide to someone? What are my options to 'not waste'?

Anybody know?

If the hide is good a taxidermist will usually take it off your hands.

[BigRackLover]

Are you hunting a spring bear for meat?
I am not a fur hunter either.
I would wait for fall to hunt a meat animal.

What does the 6 month sleep do to the meat?

I plan on making sausage/salami/jerky ... will a spring bear taste that bad if I do that?

[WTHunter]

I have donated bears hides to Halford in Edmonton before. Donate if you want.

[BrownBear416]

What does the 6 month sleep do to the meat?

I plan on making sausage/salami/jerky ... will a spring bear taste that bad if I do that?

Bear meat is not that good at any time IMO...

[deanmc]

What does the 6 month sleep do to the meat?

I plan on making sausage/salami/jerky ... will a spring bear taste that bad if I do that?

I have never tried it to be honest. :o It is one of those things I was told not to do and never questioned.

Maybe it will be fine. Would likely be quite lean. Do you have any pork fat to mix with it? I think you will have to add some kind of fat. Please let us know how it is. I am very interested now.:wave:

[deanmc]

Bear meat is not that good at any time IMO...

I have eaten young bear that had been feeding in an our oat field for several weeks. In my opinion it was some of the best wild game i have eaten.

A dump bear or a salmon bear is not worth killing IMO.

[Redfrog]

Sell the hide.

I've eaten lots of bear. Some cooked and some made into salami and pepperoni. It was all good.

I prefer spring bears cause I'm lazy. Spring bear will have less fat to mess with so dressing is easier. A fat fall bear means when you field dress you leave the fat on the hide to be fleshed later or you leave it on the meat to be cut off later.

I also use the gutless method to field dress, saves a lot of time and mess, when it's warm and the biting flies are bad. Get's your meat to the ice quicker.

[double gun]

I know an old local who loves bear meat, but wouldnt give the hides away. He took them to one of the tannerys in edmonton(cant remember which one) and they bought it raw. Dont know if they still buy, but when he was doing it, they gave him between $50-$125 depending on size. None of the taxidermists I know whould give you a dime for a raw bear hide....most have several "little" rugs that the owners wont pick-up.

[209x50]

Bear meat is not that good at any time IMO...
X2!

[duffy4]

I've eaten spring bear and enjoyed it. The burger has some fat in it that is different from venison type fat. It makes great chili con carnie.

Fish & Game Association has a hide donation program in the fall, I think they will take spring bear hides as well. They sell them to Halford Hide and the money goes to a fund used to purchase land for wildlife habitat protection. You can hunt on these lads as well.

[Rackmastr]

X2!

x3! Spring bear meat is great as well as fall bear meat!

[Nerdapres']

Someone told me a skinned bear looks just like a human. Wouldn't get me to eat any. I'll stick to deer sausage.

[buckmaster]

Someone told me a skinned bear looks just like a human. Wouldn't get me to eat any. I'll stick to deer sausage.

x2, It looks very similar!!!

[jaylow?]

kinda looks like a short guy with a barrel chest and huge arms.
ive never tried it , the whole tric thing kinda freaks me out a bit.
if i get a bear this spring , maybe try it out , thats a big maybe though.

[Rackmastr]

kinda looks like a short guy with a barrel chest and huge arms.
ive never tried it , the whole tric thing kinda freaks me out a bit.
if i get a bear this spring , maybe try it out , thats a big maybe though.

Pork carries Trichinosis as well.....yet it seems most people arent 'freaked out' by eating pork that is dressed and processed by someone else.

Its easy enough...cook the meat and you're fine.

[Castincowboy]

I've eaten spring bear and enjoyed it. The burger has some fat in it that is different from venison type fat. It makes great chili con carnie.

Fish & Game Association has a hide donation program in the fall, I think they will take spring bear hides as well. They sell them to Halford Hide and the money goes to a fund used to purchase land for wildlife habitat protection. You can hunt on these lads as well.

That's the best use if you don't want IMO.:D

[jaylow?]

Pork carries Trichinosis as well.....yet it seems most people arent 'freaked out' by eating pork that is dressed and processed by someone else.

Its easy enough...cook the meat and you're fine.


tric in modern farming setups in pretty uncommon. its more common in home raised pigs that eat lots of scrap. or in developing countrys where the pigs are fed raw garbage. this is what wikipedia tells me , so who knows?

[Rackmastr]

tric in modern farming setups in pretty uncommon. its more common in home raised pigs that eat lots of scrap. or in developing countrys where the pigs are fed raw garbage. this is what wikipedia tells me , so who knows?

I bet Wikipedia doesnt tell you that getting trichinosis from a bear is also very rare....heh. A healthy bear is just as safe to eat as a healthy pig.

Hell....you can get salmonella from chicken too if not prepared right....but that doesnt stop me from enjoyin it!

Eat it....you'll love it.

[jaylow?]

I bet Wikipedia doesnt tell you that getting trichinosis from a bear is also very rare....heh. A healthy bear is just as safe to eat as a healthy pig.

Hell....you can get salmonella from chicken too if not prepared right....but that doesnt stop me from enjoyin it!

Eat it....you'll love it.


alright.....ill eat it.;)

[Rackmastr]

alright.....ill eat it.;)

Haha....I just read what I said and it did sound blunt...lol

Honestly I've told a lot of friends how good bear meat is and they all love it now....for sausage it cant be beat....

[cardiacphil]

Well My 2 cents....BEAR roast is Fantastic..thats why I shoot them...Never tried spring bear I like to let them eat over the summer and get nice and big then shoot'em in the fall...

dont eat a dump bear though :)

CP

[calgarychef]

Good question, I've shot bear for meat before too and didnt want the hide. I made bear stew at work one day and gave it away to about 30 or 40 people, only one didn't like it. Many people told me how nice it was. By the way I also worked for the Albert Pork Producers, there hasn't been a case of tricinosis in Alberta since the 50's.

the chef

[dmckay]

Funny how if you are thinking of a question for a thread and you wait long enough, someone asks it. Great question BigRackLover. I was wondering the same thing. I've had bear sausage before and it was soooooooo good! If I get one this spring, it will be for meat. I was also thinking of trying the tanning myself. if someone tries doing a rug and it doesn't turn out, can they just discard the hide? Another one to ponder.

[BigRackLover]

I have donated bears hides to Halford in Edmonton before. Donate if you want.


I called Halford, they are not interested. They said "we don't take bear hides".

Called F&W they said to get it tanned and then sell it.

Tanneries in Edmonton:

Western Fur Tannery (469-9345)
Edmonton Fur Tanners ((471-2255)

Alberta Trappers Association (Westlock) takes raw hides off your hands. You have to be member ($35) but they'll send if off for sale and recoup the loss if the hides are selling good (which they are at this time)

Heading out to the stand tonight, hopefully some bruins come in.

[Cal]

Every hunter I know from the island says bear is good to eat, I wonder why so albertans wont even try it?

[JohninAB]

I have had salami made out of bear beofre. Was alright but I won't be shooting any bears in the near future to get a bunch made up.

[maximus]

Shot my first bear last year. Went for the meat of it and it was fantastic! Garlic sausage on the bbq and slow roasted roasts w/ the fixin' are absolutely stallar. It tastes like a cross between beef and pork. I recommend trying it out to those that are still on the fence.