Trichinella Spiralis

[KNPV PSD]

So I was fortunate enough to harvest my first black bear while hunting for blacktail deer here in Northern CA.

One of the side benefits of my hunts is that the carcasses go to my dogs that I feed on a raw diet. I have read that cooking to proper temps will kill the worms that cause trichinosis and I am all set for the meat that I will be eating...

My question is on the dogs. Will several months in the deep freeze make the meat safe? I read several articles that say it will in pork but have read that for some reason bear maybe not? Anyone have any science or opinions to help out? Should I just play it safe and not let them have all this good meat?

Thanks for any help...

 

[7mag.]

I have read that freezing kills it, and I have read that freezing doesn't always kill it. I would err on the cautious side and cook it to 150°. Or in your case, don't feed it to your dog's. I'm in no way an authority, but I don't want trichinosis, so I have read up on it a little.

 

[Bar]

Freezing will NOT kill it. Cook to well done for you, or your dog to eat.

 

[Violent Hippie]

Bear are infested with parasitic worms from the research I have done. As a dog owner I WOULD NOT feed raw or even undercooked bear meet to Cujo.

 

[fire652]

From actual research I did before hunt. There apparently are two types of trichinosis. The one that was found in pork would be killed if kept at zero degrees for extended time. The form found in bear does not die when frozen. Always cook bear well done for both you and your animals.

 

[Daniel_M]

Proper cooking is the only sure fire way to prep bear. Treat it like pork.

 

[KNPV PSD]

Not going to risk it with them. Thanks for all the info.

 

[KNPV PSD]

Oh boy...

https://www.facebook.com/StevenRinellaMeatEater/posts/703699453036272

My dogs and Steve could hang out!

 

[Bar]

Oh boy...

https://www.facebook.com/StevenRinellaMeatEater/posts/703699453036272

My dogs and Steve could hang out!

That doesn't surprise me. On one show he killed a bear, and cooked it in the bear fat at camp. It seemed to me he didn't cook it long enough.

 

[CrabbyMcNab]

Steve talked about this on an episode of Joe Rogan's Podcast. The bear he gets trichinosis was most likely an old bear. I believe his statement was, "if any bear was going to have it, this was the one".

 

[justin davis]

So did Steve not cook it properly or what happened?

When I kill a bear I eat it! But I make sure it is cooked same with pork and cougars.

 

[Vids]

I heard him talk about it on Joe Rogan's podcast as well. I believe he said it was the meat they cooked in camp, it must not have been brought up to the proper temperature.

 

[KNPV PSD]

He cooked it but he admits not well enough.

 

[KNPV PSD]

http://youtu.be/Rx5ZKJ0Vozc in depth explanation of how he got it and the symptoms.

 

[Ray]

http://youtu.be/Rx5ZKJ0Vozc in depth explanation of how he got it and the symptoms.

Watched that last night. A good reminder to not eat bear during the hunt. Bring it home and cook it correctly.

Here is another recent Alaska trichinosis story.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/10/26/172668/meal-of-black-bear-meat-leads.html

 

[Brodie]

Wow, I just watched that bear hunting episode with the seal guy and thought they were nuts eating that meat over the fire...didn't look cooked at all

 

[Murdy]

From the USDA website:
"Several species of Trichinella are found in warm-blooded carnivores, omnivores and raptorial birds. In North America, there are five known species or types of Trichinella. These include Trichinella spiralis, T. nativa, T. pseudospiralis, Trichinella T-5, and Trichinella T-6. Trichinella spiralis is most commonly associated with domestic pigs. The other species and types mentioned have low relative infectivity for pigs and are primarily of importance because they occur in game animals (T-5 in bears and other wildlife in the eastern U.S., T-6 in bears and other wildlife in the Northwestern U.S., and T. nativa in Alaska). Both T. nativa and Trichinella T-6 are resistant to freezing. Trichinella pseudospiralis has been reported infrequently from birds, but can infect pigs also."

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/trichinae/docs/fact_sheet.htm

So maybe freezing bear would work in the east, but not in the west? I used to work for a sausage maker, and we did our own certified pork. I forget the temperature, but we had to keep the pork frozen at an extremely low temperature (below zero) for a long period of time (weeks as I recall). The problem I think most individuals would run into trying to certify any sort of meat is they don't have commercial equipment capable of assuring the proper temperature is maintained (plus frost-free freezers warm up periodically, every freezer warms up a little when you open it to get a pizza, and if there's enough traffic in and out . . . ).

 

[Bar]

I think it's better to just cook it well done, and not count on freezing to kill it.

 

[coastalyeti]

Good thread! I'm hoping to get a bear (my first) next week.