CA Bear!

[jlong17]

I finally did it. After years of trying to get one of these guys, it finally happened. It should be a while to hear back from fish and game with regards to his age, but the biologist said it's one of the better bears he has seen in this area for some time. My cousin is a bear guide in Alaska, and when he hike in to help me pack out he was very excited. I didn't know if he was big or not, considering it was my first bear. My cousin was estimating around 400 lbs, and the skull measured just shy of 20". I guess California has something going for it!?
After the processing was all done, my wife was extremely surprised (as was I) with how good it tastes! I will certainly add bears to the list of hunts I do each year. How many of you guys render down the fat for cooking or other purposes? I will be doing that today or tomorrow.

 

[Sask hunter]

Congrats!

 

[BradA]

Congratulations does look like a big bear and great hide on him. We welcome all bear hunters and so do our deer !

 

[GoGriz]

Great looking bear - congrats! CA bear is on my list to give a try in the next couple years!

 

[TheJason]

Wow! That's a great bear. Congratulations.

 

[B&CTom]

That is an outstanding bear, congrats! I’ve always liked smoking the hind leg and making a “ham” of it, and prefer bear over everything else for sausage products. Good stuff!

 

[Arcola]

Nice bear!! Plenty of meals there. Definitely save at least one ham. We grind most of our bear meat these days. It’s super versatile in ground beef recipes but far outshines beef. Makes for excellent taco or chili meat. I usually keep a few muscle groups for jerky too.

 

[Moserkr]

Great CA bear! Congratulations! Enjoy it, rendered fat and all.

 

[David58]

I don't know the best way to render the fat to tallow, but if you end up with any extra tallow I will buy it from you. I mix it a bit with beeswax for patch lube in my muzzleloaders.

David
NM