Bear Meat Choices
A lot of hunters will tell you that they do not like black bear meat and that it’s not good to eat. That is not the case. When and where the bear was killed, along with what the bear’s diet was, all greatly affect the taste and quality of the meat. For example, I find spring bears to taste better than the strong, wild flavor of the fall black bear.
I really enjoy the taste of bear sausage. I have tried bear steaks, bear ribs, bear hams, and bear roasts, but have found bear sausages to be the best. I even prefer bear sausage to deer sausage. I bring my boned out bear meat to the butcher after the hunt, and have him make it all into sausages such as pepperoni, farmer, dinner, Italian, Ukrainian, and salami. I even get jerky made out of the hindquarters once in a while.
If you would like to save the hindquarters for a ham, inform your butcher of this, and he will cure them for you.
Remember to cook the bear meat as if you are preparing pork to avoid trichinosis poisoning.
