Cooling and care make bear the tastiest of Maine wild game meat
The only bear hunter I knew growing up was our neighbor, Billy. We just always figured the reason he did it was because he seemed to possess a chromosome that prevented him from not participating in every type of hunting or fishing opportunity available.
Nobody else around the area had an interest in it, including all those in our close-knit hunting circle. It wasn’t that folks were opposed to baiting, the hard work involved, the warm temperatures of bear season or the killing of bears.
The aversion was always to the meat, which many described as greasy, gamey, off-putting or even in some cases, unpalatable. Additionally, butchering was often described as unpleasant and there was a terrifying claim that when skinned, bears resemble the form of a human body.
After a thorough, comprehensive, first-hand culinary review of several years, I couldn’t agree less. Bear meat often gets an undeserved bad rap.
In my early 30s, I decided to try bear hunting for myself and have never looked back. Bear baiting is a school of hard knocks when one chooses to teach themselves the ins, outs, do’s and don’ts. But after a couple seasons, I found myself standing over a beautiful 160-pound sow.
I’d done my homework with regard to proper care of the carcass and by the following morning, all four quarters, two backstraps and a healthy pile of meat for the grinder was chilling perfectly on the shelves of my fridge. A short while later, I set to work butchering when curiosity overtook me.
I dusted several dark red pieces of backstrap with salt and pepper then laid them in a hot cast iron pan glistening with olive oil. A few minutes later, I took my first bite and was nearly speechless. It was easily the finest game meat I’d ever had and I was hooked.
In our home, we look forward to bear hunting every year. It’s the hardest, most laborious hunt of the year, but we value bear meat far too much to fathom going without.
I find it disheartening and frustrating when I mention bear meat to someone and they quickly proclaim their distaste for it. Most times, their judgment is based off a single experience, which is likely easily explained: improper care and butchering.
The generally warm temperatures of Maine’s bear hunting seasons call for quick recovery after the shot and immediate action after the transportation tag is affixed. A deer killed on a crisp 25-degree November morning can sit in the woods for hours, or maybe even overnight, then hang in appropriate conditions for days without issue.
When it comes to bears, though, there’s no time to waste, as spoilage can begin within a couple of hours in warm conditions. Even on a “cool” 50-degree night, the timeline is limited to just a precious handful of hours.
Getting a bear cooled down quickly is of normal concern to a successful hunter. The easiest and most responsible course of action is to get the animal to a wild game butcher. It’s very likely they will have a large walk-in cooler and after a few days to a week, you pay them and pick up your meat.
I think it’s important to understand that not all butchers are created equal and, unfortunately, I believe this likely accounts for far more unpleasant bear meat experiences than realized. Subsequently, I strongly urge those capable of butchering to roll up their sleeves and take care of their own animal in order to get the very best out of it.
Thick layers of fat, and furry hide designed to insulate during the winter need to be removed as soon as practical to allow the meat to begin to cool.
Bear meat is delicious if cooled quickly after harvest and properly butchered and prepared. (Courtesy of Chris Sargent)
I also fully advocate for breaking the bear down into quarters as soon as possible to be placed in a meat cooler, a fridge or in coolers on top of ice rather than choosing to hang a whole carcass. Preferably, this would be completed at least within the first 12 to 18 hours, if not almost immediately.
Butchering can take place relatively soon after the meat has appropriately cooled. There is no need for the meat to hang for more than 48 hours. I’ve found no great benefit to aging bear, as there is with deer or moose.
A bear’s skeletal and muscular structure differ slightly from that of deer, moose, or other ungulates but the nuts and bolts are basically the same. That allows for straightforward butchering and processing practices.
It is important to remove as much fat as possible from the meat. Bear fat is wonderful stuff that on its own has many amazing uses, but is likely to cause unpleasant flavors if left on the meat and can even turn rancid after a few months in the freezer.
So, yet again, Billy had it right. All those years ago, while most of the crowd turned up their noses at greasy, gamey, terrible bear meat, he had the woods to himself, a smile on his face and a full belly.
I often hear enough how unpleasant bear meat is that I sometimes question whether I’ve simply willed myself into believing otherwise out of deep-seated reverence and adoration for the animal itself. But then I look at my clean plate, wish there was more and once again I’m convinced there’s nothing finer.