Bear Processing

[bjaegers]

I have decided to grind my black bear a young boar about 225 lbs. This is my first BB harvest and have only experienced one other that my father took a very mature Boar a couple years back. I have rendered one batch that gave me about 16 oz of fat. I was wondering if rendered fat has a certain smell to it or if I possibly over cooked it. Also do you use all the fat- some of it is very dense waxy fat and some is more sponge fluffy fat. If someone has experience on what good fat smells like versus a bear that was eating on less quality feed. Also in the grind should I use bear fat, rendered fat, or pork fat? I’m planning on making some Italian, breakfast, and plain grind. Any recipes are also greatly appreciated.

 

[orionthehunter1]

I trim as much fat as I can off in the field and then trim again when I cut it up at home. I pretty much just do steaks out of the backstraps and grind the rest into burger. I don't mix the burger with anything as bear seems to be greasy enough and the burger seems to hold together better than deer or elk which I mix with beef fat to help hold patties together. My bears have all been clean and pretty much full of acorns and chokecherries so I haven't noticed any smell. The fat was thick and white and fairly greasy, but the meat didn't have much of a smell.

 

[bjaegers]

Hey Orion- thanks for sharing your experience with me. I will forgo adding extra fat in the grind. The meat was very neutral smelling and the bear it's self had no stink.
I think I just over cooked my first batch of fat.