Dressing a bear

[Brownie77]

How many folks have let a bear hang? I have been arguing with some guys and we have never let one hang. Get it down skinned quartered and in the freezer. Makes for some late nights.

[Brownie77]

Oh and I would NEVER let one hang.

[almberg]

I always let my deer hang for two to three weeks. Just like the old timers did. Cut the mold off the quarters, butcher and freeze. I've never aged bears though. I would think, given the fatty nature of bear meat, that it would spoil or taint.?

[nik]

The guys that let them hang are probably the same guys that can't figure out why their bear tastes so bad. Once I get mine out of the woods, I put as many bags of ice into it as possible. My the time the bear is cooled down, I usually am all ready to skin and quarter the animal. Brownie77 is right about this leading to some long nights, but the rewards will be much better.

[Archerysniper]

Not only dose the meat spoil but you take a very good chance at ruining the hide if you wanted any mounts or rugs made. My friend owns a meat locker and has given me a key so if I get a bear down I pack it in ice bring it to the locker and skin it thier and hang it in the cooler it depends on were I hunt but have drove an hour or more to get the hide off and the meat cooling down. I also do this early in the archery season for deer since it is so hot thier is no excuse to let the animal spoil because you let it hang during hot weather.

[Boar]

Bad, bad idea letting a bear hang, I have encountered many folks who wont touch bear meat cause of a bad experience with the taste. I can only tell them that they havent had properly handled meat. Meat that has only been taken care of as soon as possible is the most delicious wild game I have ever had. Driving around an showing it off is not good. Kill it, a few good pictures, get it home, skin it, quater it an get it cooled down, some skin it in the feild an haul it out in a bear bag, which helps the imedeate cooling proccess. Boar

[Brownie77]

Well so far everyone has proved me right. But no one listnes to me, I ma just a dumb 32 year old "kid".

[glenn57]

I always let my deer hang for two to three weeks. Just like the old timers did. Cut the mold off the quarters, butcher and freeze. I've never aged bears though. I would think, given the fatty nature of bear meat, that it would spoil or taint.?

thats a no brianer. there is quite a temp change from deer and bear season. even bow hunting early and stick a deer if its warm you need to deal with it ASAP. as much jelly type fat on a bear not only does it need to get cooled down ASAP, but need to get all that fat removed. just some sic humor to please someone, you could always dress the bear in pink camo!

[nik]

Brownie77- I hear you on the "dumb kid" thing. I am only 26 and it is very difficult to be taken seriously.

[charliepete]

I wouldn't even let a bear 'hang' in a walk in cooler. All that fat and fur can insulate the meat too well and you can get rot overnight even in a walk in freezer. I had it happen. Since then all my bears get skun and quartered before heading into the deep freeze. It's only about a 30 minute job to skin and quarter a bear if you know what you are doing.

[Black Bear]

I could go on and on on this topic (got my heart broken on my first big one--left it overnight in a back of a truck and the hide "slipped") but you simply cannot leave the hide on a bear for any length of time. We no longer remove our bears from the woods anymore with the hide on. Winch em' and skin em' where they fall. I skinned or helped skin my 61st bear last September.

[nik]

61 bears! I bet your an expert at getting that hide off. What does it take you, 10 minutes?

[Brownie77]

. It's only about a 30 minute job to skin and quarter a bear if you know what you are doing.

Skining and quartering a bear in 30 minutes, I would have to see it.

[Boar]

Geeze 61 bears how old are ya. you must be a gold mine of bear info. Once my bear is hung me an budd can getter done in about 30 min. or so. not impossible. Boy it's getting close, the blood is getting pumping. Boar

[Muthagoose]

30 minutes easy enough.

This year we are building walk in cooler/processing room. Good meat is why I built the hoist/recovery gear and have freezers at camp.To me there is no finer meat then properly/promptly handle bear. The quicker the go down the better also. helped a neighbor 3 years ago follow up on one the next day.It was dispatched and hanging by 8am,it was nasty tasting all tough/loaded up.

With ya all the way Boar its only days away.Had 3 in the crop field/food plot last weekend, they come in after we planted sunflowers.

I didn't get a tag this year but I did invite 2 friends to join us just so I have more baits to run. Leaving aug 9th for camp

[DoubleLunger]

You can let a bear hang. But only until you get your knife sharp enough to skin.

[youngie22]

I know people who have skinned 60 bear in one season... up to 135... he'd come home and have them piled up in the yard waiting for him!

[harvey lee]

My bear and thats only 3 have all been harvested in warmer weather. They were skun and in the walk in cooler right away. I typically do the same with my venison unless its pretty cool out, then its cut up the next morning.

If your going to do something with the bear hide, make sure you get that cooled down also as soon as possible. One can flesh the hide and get the greasy fat off if they can do that but make sure you do not cut through the hide. If the hide gets to warm with the grease pockets, the hair on the hide will start to slip and may ruin your trophy.

If you have concerns on how to handle the hide for keeping, contact a taxidermist.

Brian of Almberg Taxidermy would be a good one to contact about your concerns and taxidermy needs. Brians link is in his post above.

[BeezeHound]

We have never skinned or quartered ours till the next morning, never had one problem, always very tasty meat. Though they do have 34 degree water running through the body cavity all night from the well.