# When is bear meat best



## bjorns4 (Jan 31, 2022)

I have never bear hunted and I want to try this year. Is there a
Certain season when they taste best? Is a certain food source going to make them better? I’ve heard the meat can be tainted by food source


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## NCHillbilly (Jan 31, 2022)

bjorns4 said:


> I have never bear hunted and I want to try this year. Is there a
> Certain season when they taste best? Is a certain food source going to make them better? I’ve heard the meat can be tainted by food source


When they're fattened on acorns and hickory nuts. Never a really bad time here. Out west, you don't want to eat them during salmon season.


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## bjorns4 (Jan 31, 2022)

That makes sense I’m from the west coast and sometimes they would feed off skunk cabbage and taint the meat. I’m really looking forward to giving it a go. Thank you


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## NCHillbilly (Jan 31, 2022)

bjorns4 said:


> That makes sense I’m from the west coast and sometimes they would feed off skunk cabbage and taint the meat. I’m really looking forward to giving it a go. Thank you


Around here, if it's bear season, they're probably good, unless they've been eating out of a dumpster or carrion. Skunk cabbage only pops up here in late winter/early spring, outside of bear season.


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## bjorns4 (Jan 31, 2022)

Thank you for the info


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## splatek (Feb 1, 2022)

We only have one season here, and it's good during that season. LOL


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## Qazaq15 (Feb 2, 2022)

I've heard the best bear to eat is one that's been gorging on berries.  Alaska may be the only place where berry season and the hunting season intersect.


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## jaydawg (Feb 2, 2022)

When it’s in the back of yo truck….


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## chrislibby88 (Feb 2, 2022)

Qazaq15 said:


> I've heard the best bear to eat is one that's been gorging on berries.  Alaska may be the only place where berry season and the hunting season intersect.


There can be a good bit of blue berries in north GA on those higher elevation rocky meadows. Nothing like the giant patches that you are talking about, but you can get a berry and acorn fed bear right here.


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## Raylander (Feb 2, 2022)

Some of the highest dollar pork in the world is ‘finished on acorns’.. IMO anything that’s main staple is acorns is top shelf cuisine


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## chrislibby88 (Feb 3, 2022)

Raylander said:


> Some of the highest dollar pork in the world is ‘finished on acorns’.. IMO anything that’s main staple is acorns is top shelf cuisine


Even acorn bear scat smells sweet and not fowl at all.


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## splatek (Feb 3, 2022)

chrislibby88 said:


> Even acorn bear scat smells sweet and not fowl at all.



Report back on how it tastes…


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## Raylander (Feb 3, 2022)

I’m picturing @chrislibby88 hunched over in the woods, jabbing a stick into a pile of bear scat, huffing it and smiling.

Makes me lol


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## whitetailfreak (Feb 3, 2022)

A fat fall bear is some of the best meat you'll eat. We fix it at least once a week.


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## crackerdave (Feb 3, 2022)

whitetailfreak said:


> A fat fall bear is some of the best meat you'll eat. We fix it at least once a week.


Tastes like some real high-dollar beef.
I'm surprised more people don't hunt bear,especially with the price of meat in the stores so high.

What's your favorite way to cook bear meat?


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## chrislibby88 (Feb 3, 2022)

splatek said:


> Report back on how it tastes…


 Tastes like AKERNS. 



Raylander said:


> I’m picturing @chrislibby88 hunched over in the woods, jabbing a stick into a pile of bear scat, huffing it and smiling.
> 
> Makes me lol



This I have done before.


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## NCHillbilly (Feb 3, 2022)

whitetailfreak said:


> A fat fall bear is some of the best meat you'll eat. We fix it at least once a week.


If it wasn't for trichinosis, I think a big thick bear backstrap steak grilled to medium-rare would be the primo chunk of meat on the planet.


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## splatek (Feb 3, 2022)

NCHillbilly said:


> If it wasn't for trichinosis, I think a big thick bear backstrap steak grilled to medium-rare would be the primo chunk of meat on the planet.



From everything I’ve read trich is killed by cooking to temp or cooking at lower temps for duration, like sous vide. It should be possible, I just don’t want to risk it with my family. Figure if Libby is already eating scat, rare… lol. But seriously theoretically it should be possible to have a medium rare bear. But I’m not recommending anybody try it without double checking the data


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## NCHillbilly (Feb 3, 2022)

splatek said:


> From everything I’ve read trich is killed by cooking to temp or cooking at lower temps for duration, like sous vide. It should be possible, I just don’t want to risk it with my family. Figure if Libby is already eating scat, rare… lol. But seriously theoretically it should be possible to have a medium rare bear. But I’m not recommending anybody try it without double checking the data


Yep. I always cook it to at least around 160.


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## whitetailfreak (Feb 3, 2022)

crackerdave said:


> Tastes like some real high-dollar beef.
> I'm surprised more people don't hunt bear,especially with the price of meat in the stores so high.
> 
> What's your favorite way to cook bear meat?



Last night we did spaghetti and meatballs with ground bear. My wife's bear chili was a big hit at our Church's chili cook off last Saturday also. Some my favorites are bear-b-que, smoked burgers, sliced backstraps in stir fry with rice and bear roast with taters and cornbread.


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## whitetailfreak (Feb 3, 2022)

NCHillbilly said:


> Yep. I always cook it to at least around 160.



Yep, Steve Rinella learned that the hard way.


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## NCHillbilly (Feb 3, 2022)

whitetailfreak said:


> Yep, Steve Rinella learned that the hard way.


And Janis and the cameraman.


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## whitetailfreak (Feb 3, 2022)

NCHillbilly said:


> And Janis and the cameraman.



Didn't they go months and months without a diagnosis until he put two and two together and had the docs test for trich? I want no part of that mess.


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## crackerdave (Feb 3, 2022)

whitetailfreak said:


> Last night we did spaghetti and meatballs with ground bear. My wife's bear chili was a big hit at our Church's chili cook off last Saturday also. Some my favorites are bear-b-que, smoked burgers, sliced backstraps in stir fry with rice and bear roast with taters and cornbread.


Yall got it goin on!
All of those sound delicious.
Always cook to at least 160 degrees,right?


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## Swampdogg (Feb 4, 2022)

Pressure cooked then deep fried .


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## NCHillbilly (Feb 5, 2022)

crackerdave said:


> Yall got it goin on!
> All of those sound delicious.
> Always cook to at least 160 degrees,right?


One simple way my mom used to cook it a lot that is really good:

Take a tender cut like backstrap, tenderloin, or a tender ham muscle and cut it across the grain into medallions. Pound it out thin with a meat hammer. Salt it and sear it good in a cast-iron pan with a little oil, then lay the black pepper to it, pour a little bit of water in the pan, turn the heat down and put a lid on it. Simmer it a few minutes until the water evaporates. Put it on a plate with some fried taters and cornbread and eat yourself into a coma. This also works great with deer backstrap.


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## Buckman18 (Feb 5, 2022)

I usually give mine to jbogg or killer Kyle. I had a rank one several years ago that about turned me against it.


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## splatek (Feb 5, 2022)

I'm a huge sous vide fan: vacuum seal the meat with some butter/bear grease, seasoning, etc, sous vide for about 3 hours up to about 155-160 internal temp. Take out of vacuum bag, pat dry, season again with your favorite traeger rub, then in a hot iron pan or skillet sear that bugger up crisp on both sides. Fam favorite around here, in fact, I am about to go grab some from the freezer. 

I fed bear cooked this way to a dozen neighbors and their wives, just a little sampler, didn't tell them it was bear. They all ask for more now.


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## Son (Feb 5, 2022)

It's best when someone else is eating it. I've never cared for bear meat.


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## antharper (Feb 5, 2022)

I had some summer sausage made from bear that was absolutely delicious !


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## NCHillbilly (Feb 6, 2022)

Son said:


> It's best when someone else is eating it. I've never cared for bear meat.


You must not like beef or pork, either, then.


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## Son (Feb 6, 2022)

The only bear we had was from the Everglades area, nobody cared for it.


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## NCHillbilly (Feb 6, 2022)

Son said:


> The only bear we had was from the Everglades area, nobody cared for it.


Don't know about Florida bears, but the ones here taste like a combination of beef and pork. One of my favorite meats on the planet.


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## splatek (Feb 6, 2022)

The whole house is down with the COVID and my one year old decided to up the anty and get COVID, Croup, and a double ear infection. So while everybody was laid up I made myself some bear-b-q sliders on fresh dinner rolls and some dried onions.


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## ddd-shooter (Feb 6, 2022)

I will never stop recommending bear b que. Lol looks great!


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## jbogg (Feb 7, 2022)

Fat equals flavor, and Bear has good tasting fat unlike deer tallow. It’s the closest wild game to beef that I have had.


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## EyesUp83 (Feb 17, 2022)

splatek said:


> The whole house is down with the COVID and my one year old decided to up the anty and get COVID, Croup, and a double ear infection. So while everybody was laid up I made myself some bear-b-q sliders on fresh dinner rolls and some dried onions.
> View attachment 1134051


Dang man I hope yall get better quick!!  And there aint nothin like a sick baby.  At least you're eating well!


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## splatek (Feb 17, 2022)

EyesUp83 said:


> Dang man I hope yall get better quick!!  And there aint nothin like a sick baby.  At least you're eating well!



Thanks brother. We are all good now. Took a few off label med and vitamins and just a little lingering cough. Fatigue, but I think that's to be expected. And yeah, we were eating well and generally pretty healthy. It was my second go of it, since the new variant can still get you, but all-in-all it wasn't bad at all.


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## WOODIE13 (Mar 16, 2022)

I really like it cold packed or ground.  Backstrap on bears tenderized with seasoning on it fried/grilled to a medium/medium rare is awesome.

I do like when the wild grapes and soft mast hit good here, they marinade from within.

Bear tacos or grilled burritos are a hit here also


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## mwood1985 (Mar 21, 2022)

I killed one last October in rifle opener up deep in the mountains.And  ive had the bear itch ever since. Some of the best meat we've had in a crock pot roast and on the grill.


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## C.Killmaster (Mar 22, 2022)

WOODIE13 said:


> I really like it cold packed or ground.  Backstrap on bears tenderized with seasoning on it fried/grilled to a medium/medium rare is awesome.
> 
> I do like when the wild grapes and soft mast hit good here, they marinade from within.
> 
> Bear tacos or grilled burritos are a hit here also



I would not cook bear medium rare without a couple of hours in a sous vide cooker, trichinella parasites aren't all killed when you cook to medium rare normally.

Here's a good article that anyone cooking bear should read and follow.

https://honest-food.net/on-trichinosis-in-wild-game/


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## WOODIE13 (Mar 22, 2022)

C.Killmaster said:


> I would not cook bear medium rare without a couple of hours in a sous vide cooker, trichinella parasites aren't all killed when you cook to medium rare normally.
> 
> Here's a good article that anyone cooking bear should read and follow.
> 
> https://honest-food.net/on-trichinosis-in-wild-game/



Interesting article, but 43 cases in 5 years from eating bear, 30 coming from 1 party in California from eating RAW and undercooked bear, hardly an outbreak.

Freeze it (makes it inert), cut it thin, season it and tenderize with spices on it, cook it in a cast iron skillet to @ 140 to 145, check tne thickest portion with a meat thermometer, too easy.


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## DOUG 281 (Mar 22, 2022)

they are good around here about anytime when the season is open. They are fat on candy- peanuts-sweet cakes - corn


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## NCHillbilly (Mar 23, 2022)

WOODIE13 said:


> Interesting article, but 43 cases in 5 years from eating bear, 30 coming from 1 party in California from eating RAW and undercooked bear, hardly an outbreak.
> 
> Freeze it (makes it inert), cut it thin, season it and tenderize with spices on it, cook it in a cast iron skillet to @ 140 to 145, check tne thickest portion with a meat thermometer, too easy.


Freezing will not reliably kill trich. I bet Steve Rinella and his buddies would disagree about eating medium-rare bear. They went through some rough times. It's a shame, because a medium-rare bear steak would be about the best meat on the planet.


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## WOODIE13 (Mar 24, 2022)

But between freezing and cooking to 140 (137 kill the trich) meat is still heating to 5 degrees after taking off the heat source, no issues.

But when in doubt, cold pack it...instant Bbq, soup, stew, chili, tacos...your call

Not the most eye appeasing, but after 90 minutes of high pressure cooking, guaranteed all parasites are dead if it seals.

Black tape signifies black bear, my marker failed me?


NCHillbilly said:


> Freezing will not reliably kill trich. I bet Steve Rinella and his buddies would disagree about eating medium-rare bear. They went through some rough times. It's a shame, because a medium-rare bear steak would be about the best meat on the planet.


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## WOODIE13 (Mar 24, 2022)

1.35 million cases of salmonella...think I'll take my chances with medium rare bear backstrap after freezing, marinating it and cooking to 140 internal temperature.

https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/index.html#:~:text=CDC estimates Salmonella bacteria cause,, fever, and stomach cramps


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## WOODIE13 (Mar 24, 2022)

Did have a Thai dish, raw beef in citrus, vinegar, spices and HOT peppers...wonder if that would kill it?

Cut thin, marinated for 24 hours


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## WOODIE13 (Mar 24, 2022)

Is it the bear meat or cross contamination of hands and utensils?


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## NCHillbilly (Mar 24, 2022)

WOODIE13 said:


> Is it the bear meat or cross contamination of hands and utensils?


Trich doesn't come from contamination. It's worms in cysts imbedded in the meat.


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## splatek (Mar 24, 2022)

In my very limited experience of cooking bear and following the 'cook it to kill tich' idea, I've never had a bad piece. It's a strange meat that tastes great even when cooked all the way through. That being said, a medium, or medium rare bear steak has my mouth watering just thinking about it. 

I can't find the article now, but I think Newcomb, or someone over at Bear Hunting mag had worked out how long to sous vide at various temps to kill trich and other pathogens, I just don't risk it, because my one year old likes it so much I wouldn't want to accidentally infect him. 

Side note: I can't wait until bear season. Finding it hard to get excited about chasing around a big woods bird.


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## WOODIE13 (Mar 24, 2022)

I watched the video you mentioned with Steve Rinella...their cooking of bear was a joke from the word go and there was no way they could get all the meat to the magic 137.

I'll stick to 140 and the meat thermometer.


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## NCHillbilly (Mar 24, 2022)

WOODIE13 said:


> I watched the video you mentioned with Steve Rinella...their cooking of bear was a joke from the word go and there was no way they could get all the meat to the magic 137.
> 
> I'll stick to 140 and the meat thermometer.


They came back into camp in the middle of the night exhausted and starved, quickly roasted some meat on the fire, and ate it. And paid for it. Just remember that it isn't getting it to 137, it's holding it there for a good long period of time. More is probably better.


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## chrislibby88 (Mar 26, 2022)

NCHillbilly said:


> They came back into camp in the middle of the night exhausted and starved, quickly roasted some meat on the fire, and ate it. And paid for it. Just remember that it isn't getting it to 137, it's holding it there for a good long period of time. More is probably better.


Right, it’s time at temperature that kills trichinosis cysts. 137 or 140 will definitely kill trich, if it is held at that temperature for long enough, 125 will kill it, but it may take hours. I know that by time it hits 160 it has been at a lethal temp for long enough to kill everything. 
I’ve heard there is also some research indicating that cold temperatures will kill it. If I remember right warm climate trich will die when exposed to cold temps for a long time, like months in a very cold freezer, but trichinosis in northern climates is more cold resistant. I ain’t chancing the freezer thing though. Don’t care what y’all do, but I’m with @splatek and can’t risk feeding my wife and kids rare bear.


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## longrangedog (Nov 22, 2022)

Even the grease is tasty. I pour it over biscuits.


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