Hunting and food?

[montana]

What are the best "Fresh eating" parts?( Like tongue{eck!})
Are there some animals you don't hunt?
I ask this, because there are an abundance of black bears running around this year, and many hunters I talk to don't shoot them, because they won't eat them. I know of others that won't hunt moose because they are too big! Some won't hunt deer because they are too "gamey".
If it's in the reg's, I'll eat it! Sometimes even the tongue... but I draw the line at the balls.

[Turbo Al]

I have never shot a bear because I won't eat him, but I surely would like a nice thick black bear fur! Never shot a whitetail because blew every chance I had or picked an elk instead -- hog whitetail buck or elk in same clearcut hummm.
Pretty much everything else is "FAIR" game. I eat the normal parts -- sorry no heart, liver or tougue -- ravens like me LOL'

Al

[Silent Wolf]

I hunt bears, that is my hamburger meat for the winter and leave the better animals deer and others for stew meat!

Nothing wrong with bears...

I think someone has had Parrie Oysters!!!!!!!! Man up Montana

[Cariboo]

With a lot of people the "thought" of eating bears creates a psychological barrier that they can't cross. I have fed people bear meat that was great and they had no problem with until after the meal and I told them what they were eating.

I personally think bear pepperoni is the best one can get.

[the rifleman]

I have enjoyed eating moose tongue, heart, and liver from both deer and moose.
One moose I shot up in the Chilko Lk area, the liver was just awful..(must have had something to do with it's diet perhaps), others have been marvelous. Deer liver has always been quite tasty.

Never tried moose muzzle yet. After skinning heads out for mounting, I can't really see anything that looks great to eat in that part of the animal. I know it is considered a delicacy by some Indians though.
I love beef steak and kidney pie, but have never bothered saving the kidney from any game animal.. Also never have tried prairie oysters yet, but I would give them a try.

Curious? Being that regular pepperoni uses uncooked meat, how can you insure that bear meat is safe to use for making it. Do you freeze the meat adequately, beforehand, or is it some cooked form of pepperoni? I wouldn't think simply spices, and/or perhaps smoking it, would be safe enough?

[Cariboo]

Originally Posted by the rifleman

Curious? Being that regular pepperoni uses uncooked meat, how can you insure that bear meat is safe to use for making it.

All our pepperoni is heated to 160F during preparation. (measured with an internal temperature probe) This is hot enough to kill any nasties that may be in the meat.

[the rifleman]

So Boo, by what means is is heated? Via the smoking process, or is the meat precooked prior to mixing the cure, and casing it??

I really enjoyed some professionally "prepared" bear sausage. Might have been "hunter style" sausage? It was at a Sportman's show, a few years back, where they were handing out samples. Tasted a heck of a lot better than the bear jerky a friend of mine did. His stuff literally through me off bear meat..

Certainly harvesting a bear wouldn't be much of a challenge around here, but unless it was palatable, I wouldn't bother. I might be overlooking a good source of meat..I suppose I could get some sausage done professionally, but it's not cheap! I do have a Big Chief smoker..will that get up to the temps required for safe bear meat?

[montana]

And then there is the option of mixing your ground black bear meat with your leaner venisons to make tasty burgers and sausage. Tom(member) raves about the bear paw soup that I would like to give a try sometime.
I recommend we all take at least 1 bear this season, and come up with some great recipe ideas to share.... not only will we have reduced the growing bear population, but added some tasty table fares! Whadda you think?
Turbo al, you should get your bear rug, don't let the naysayers sway you!

And no Rob, there have never been balls served up on my plate, or any other way!

[saunaguy]

I hunt bear. The last one I had pepperoni, salami and breakfast sausage. All were good.
I have eaten deer from southern Sask and super strong meat. But deer in BC reminds me of New Zealand lamb. And I have had lots of moose in the freezer over the years. It is lean and can be a little dry but tasty. Slow cook the roasts and rare for the steaks and you have it made. I like the ground lean. Many have beef fat added but does not that defeat the purpose of game meat? For organs I have only used the moose heart.

[Silent Wolf]

MMMM Buffalo tounge, is the bomb! It is nice to know a rancher that saves them for me, dont save deer tounge to small, if i ever shoot a Moose it will be boiled skinned and fried.......... Damn Im hungry now!

SW

[Toiler280]

Shot a lot of black bears when I was on Vancouver Island. Used to look for the ones in the berry patches the first week or so of the fall bear season and tag a couple of them. Made burger and sausage out of them and they were delicious. Haven't taken any bears in other locations to date but have eaten a lot of bear taken by my friends. Never had a problem with any bear cuts, burger or sausage!! Good eating and unless the regs have changed (2 bears still in BC??) that would make for a few hundred pounds of good eating!!! Shoot Straight!!

[JRich]

I love venison. It makes great hamburger and this year I'll finally get around to making sausage. I have an odd question to ask. Today I shot a nice 5x5 buck. After field dressing him I noticed a brown liquid oozing out of his neck. I was wondering what that stuff was? It seemed to me like something out of a gland but I couldn't find any info about it. Any answers would greatly be appreciated.