Trichinella

[Carrion Carrier]

Hi all,

I've been interested in doing a bear hunt the past few years, but have been really turned off by the prospect of contracting trichinosis. I know most people don't get really sick, but the idea of having roundworms eating my, and my families, muscles is a little too much for me to stomach (literally). I know that proper cooking can kill the worms and destroy their spores, but I have found it challenging to be sure a meat is truly at such a high proper temperature without way overcooking it.

According to the MT FWP (via Steven Rinella) the bears in my area are 100% trichinella positive by the age of 6. I know there's testing and you can "waste" the meat if it's positive. That said, I would feel really terrible putting all of the time and energy into killing/packing a bear to just dump it.

Do you guys send a tongue sample in for testing? Are there facts I'm missing? I really would like to hunt (and eat) a bear, but I'm nervous about it. Hoping to maybe get a different perspective from some of you bear hunters out there.

Thanks

CC

 

[----]

Just assume they have it, and cook it through like pork or chicken. I don't bother with testing.

It isn't as lean as deer and elk, so it doesn't need to be cooked rare to be edible. It doesn't make great steak anyways, more suited for burger and slow cooking, where it's really easy to cook all the way through.

Are you in Missoula?

 

[noharleyyet]

I am reminded of Greenhorns recipe.

 

[sethkuhl]

Also from western MT have shot 6 bears been in on another 15 one of mine was 17 years old, never had one test positive for tric, Still cook thoroughly just in case, (do you trust FWP) Don't have tric yet, and my breakfast sausage recipe is better than store bought! Gerry Stroot of superior meats, smokes me some amazing bear hams, Bear is my favorite wild game to eat!

 

[mdunc8]

I'm sure Steve did his homework, but I would talk to the biologist about the prevalence around you if it's something you're worried about. I thought I was told that it was about 10% where they don't overlap with griz and a little higher where they do (I'm not sure how much higher though). Thought about heading east where the prevalence would be lower?

You might as well get it tested for peace of mind. It's free.

I really enjoyed the brats from mine, but I didn't care for the meat otherwise. I'll definitely be tagging along with buddies on their hunts or take someone who wants to go, but I don't think I'll be shooting another spring bear. Maybe a fat one in the fall if it's in the middle of one of my huckleberry patches.

 

[whiskeydog]

If you cook it thoroughly there is no worry. My brother used his Traeger grill to make his last into some really great jerky. The bear I shot last year was cut into strips, soaked in brine, cooked at 200 deg for 5 hours and then put in a bag for dog treats. No waste and no chance of getting trich with either method of cooking.

 

[jryoung]

Trich dies at 137 degrees and there is some evidence that a deep freeze (5 days or longer) can partially kill it too. It's really nothing to worry about IMO as bear meat is great for low and slow cooking/roasting.

 

[theat]

100% for bears over 6? That is a pretty bold statement. I have shot 7 bears and been a part of many other successful bear hunts in western Montana. Only one of my bears tested positive and none of the dozen or so of my friends bears had tric. Almost all of them were over 6 years old too. I make most of mine into sausage and roasts.

 

[MontanaWild]

Ya the 100% statistic being thrown around is completely false. My brother shot one this past spring that was 9 or 10 and came back negative for trich.

 

[Carrion Carrier]

Are you in Missoula?

Close. I'm in Mineral Co. At 3,000 people and 97% public accessible land I like it just a little better

Will you be on the bus on Monday? Maybe we could chat.

 

[Carrion Carrier]

Thought about heading east where the prevalence would be lower?

You might as well get it tested for peace of mind. It's free.

I really enjoyed the brats from mine, but I didn't care for the meat otherwise. I'll definitely be tagging along with buddies on their hunts or take someone who wants to go, but I don't think I'll be shooting another spring bear. Maybe a fat one in the fall if it's in the middle of one of my huckleberry patches.

I'm just not a travelling hunter. I don't know why. I'll travel to Dillon for a day on the Beaverhead, but really like to get my meat close to home.

I hear you about the value of a nice, fat fall bear. To me the most valuable part of the bear is the greasy oil because I can't get that from another animal.

 

[Carrion Carrier]

100% for bears over 6? That is a pretty bold statement. I have shot 7 bears and been a part of many other successful bear hunts in western Montana. Only one of my bears tested positive and none of the dozen or so of my friends bears had tric. Almost all of them were over 6 years old too. I make most of mine into sausage and roasts.

To be fair, it has been a year or so since I read Scavenger's Guide to Haute Cuisine. A great book BTW. Does anyone else remember the quote? I believe he said 100% trich + on bears >6 y.o. from the Bitterroots. That may have meant the westside of the BR valley. To me, the BR's go all the way down past Noxon.

 

[Carrion Carrier]

Anyway, you guys have helped me to at least not expect that I will be dealing with a trich+ bear and I may have to give it a shot. Too many things to hunt in the fall to try for bear, but I expect to be killing a turkey in April and would love to have May to chase bears on the state line.

 

[Carrion Carrier]

I think I may just concentrate on shooting a small bear. Better eating, less chance of trich, and not 100's of lbs of meat I haven't had much of - a good trial.

 

[Carrion Carrier]

Trich dies at 137 degrees and there is some evidence that a deep freeze (5 days or longer) can partially kill it too. It's really nothing to worry about IMO as bear meat is great for low and slow cooking/roasting.

Just to clarify - Trichinella adult worms may killed by that temperature, but the encapsualted larvae need to be cooked to 165° (really hotter, because meat thermometers are not all that accurate). Dear lord, they are nasty!

 

[jryoung]

Where did you find that info. The USDA notes that cooking should be at 140 for one minute which is slightly above nearly everything else on the web from the CDC and others. It's really a moot point though because any bear I cook is going to be at least 200 degrees for at least three hours.

In the US there are only 10-11 cases of trich a year, roughly 25% of the number of people that are struck by lightening.

 

[jryoung]

Funny enough, Steve just posted this today. He noted that it was "two counties" that had 100% of the bears test positive over 6 years old.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2ulsLOPgNQ&feature=em-uploademail

 

[Carrion Carrier]

jryoung - my info came from the CDC, here: http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/trichinellosis/gen_info/faqs.html

It states 165° minimum, but there are four different types of trich and each is a little different.

Just ran into this today. I have been lining up bear ham and bear bacon recipes while trying to convince my Wife that adding a bear to the freezer is a good idea.

http://www.petersenshunting.com/2011/06/03/steven-rinella-the-bear-facts-on-trichinosis/
He says the two counties are Sanders and Lincoln Counties.

Anyone ever make bear bacon? Is it possible with a spring bear? Is there any fat on them coming out of hibernation?

 

[theat]

Some spring bears will have a thin layer of fat but usually not much. I did kill one that had about an inch thick layer but that was by far the most I have seen on a Montana spring bear.

I have killed three bears in Sanders County, they were all older than six (one was 12) and according to FWP none of them had Trich.