Goose Egg on Spring Grizzly

[DrMike]

Well, I drew a goose egg on spring grizzly. Hopefully, I'll be able to spend some time afield, however, looking for blackies. It has been a couple of years since I shot my last bear. I passed on several last spring and was gimped this past fall, so I didn't have the opportunities I would normally have had. I'm getting itchy, however.

 

[Guy Miner]

Mike - you're able to make good use of bears? Black or Grizzly?

I'm not hunting bears this spring, didn't get drawn for the spring hunt, but it's Over The Counter tags for fall bear (season starts August 1st)... But I don't need another bear rug/bear skin around the place, and the meat, while good, isn't nearly as good as venison to my taste.

Does anyone actually eat grizzly? Just curious... Seldom hear it discussed. Black bear meat is decent, makes very good sausage.

Mostly though, I'll admit, I simply enjoy the heck out of hunting them. It's quite different for me, than deer hunting...

If you're not drawn for spring grizzly, do you have better odds next year?

Guy

 

[gerry]

Hope you draw a fall tag Mike.

I chose not to apply for spring this year since I would like to see if my wife can connect on a nice blackie which would be her first animal. A younger friend drew a tag and wants to try for a grizzly with his bow so I hope to head out with him a few times.

Some people eat grizzly but most don't, the meat in the spring could be as good as black bear I would think. The one time I ate fall grizzly wasn't very good since they get into rotten fish at that time of year here. There is a push to ban grizzly hunting here so we may have to start taking out the meat in order to keep the season. The meat from black bears must be packed out of the bush and it has been that way for quite a few years now, lot's of people eat black bear in B.C. grizzly not nearly as much.

 

[NWBlacktail]

Interesting…

I guess I like the 'idea' of hunting grizzly, but mainly for the excitement of hunting dangerous game. There are't too many animals in N.A. that really require all the horse-power some of our rifles possess. :mrgreen:

I have heard that the meat can be kind of nasty.

 

[super-7]

Just curious Dr. Mike how many years in a row have you come out blank on spring Grizz?
I hope that you guys can keep the hunt alive for many years . They closed in Alberta on false numbers and bogus science, don't let it happen there .!

 

[DrMike]

Guy, I always bring out the meat from my bears. We have to bring out the meat of black bear, though we are not required to take the meat from grizzly. I found grizzly to be much like black bear, though it can be more stringy. Taken over a patch of clover or off a hillside covered with mountain blueberries, grizzly can be quite tasty. I enjoy black bear, though I would be inclined to make summer sausage this year. Fresh bear ribs are pretty good, however. Ground makes an awesome three alarm meat loaf.

We've hosted a wild game dinner in years past, and may do so this coming year again. One of my most memorable wild game dinners occurred when I took three of my award winning (well, it would have been award winning if any awards were to be offered) three-alarm black bear meat loaves. All the dishes were labelled so there would be no surprises to those sharing the meal. Of course, there was the usual--moose, elk, whitetail, mule deer, grouse, goose, duck, bighorn sheep, mountain goat and even mountain lion. I brought the only bear dish that evening. An ob-gyn visiting from Vancouver looked at the meat loaf, held his nose and took a very small piece. He exclaimed that since it was a "wild game" dinner, he would try just a little. I watched that man go back at least three times for large helpings of bear meat loaf. Teriyaki bear was always a big hit when I was pastoring a Chinese congregation in the Lower Mainland. So, yes, bear can be made to be quite good if one is selective in harvest and careful in preparation.

Super-7, it has been three years since I last drew grizzly. It is difficult to draw for a couple of years after a draw as the odds are tilted. This would have been the first year to draw again. It is entirely likely that I will draw in the Fall.

Good luck on all your ventures, Gerry. Hope the young fella connects on his bow hunt. I sure hope you and Maria tag a nice black bear. It is always a rush for me to tip a bear.

 

[HomerOz]

G'Day Fella's,

Dr Mike, sorry to hear you missed out on your opportunity to hunt Grizzly bear, BUGGER!
Better luck with the Black Bear hunt!!!

Good Hunting!
Homer

 

[SJB358]

Sorry you didn't draw Mike.

I've eaten a few of the black bear I've taken. Been slow roasted for the most part and they were pretty good tasting, but some folks say I'll eat anything! :twisted:

 

[DrMike]

Hey, it is the luck of the draw. Black bear is quite tasty, especially if taken off a grain field or if they have been grazing on something like mountain raspberries or blueberries or kinnikinnick (bearberry). I confess that it was about bear number seven when my wife asked, "Are you allowed to shoot anything else?" "Well, yes," I replied somewhat mystified at her query. "Then do it," she stated emphatically. Bear is still fine dining, but she is less fussy about it. Psychologically, the knowledge that it is bear doesn't set well with her. Still, we eat it. Much is given away to others; none ever goes to waste (though quite a bit goes to waist).

 

[sask boy]

DrMike, if I get up there for Moose I am looking forward to trying your bear bratwurst it should be great on the BBQ .
I am still not sure if I am going to get out for bear this spring I sure hope too :!:

Blessings,
Dan

 

[6mm Remington]

Sorry to hear that Dr. Mike.

 

[DrMike]

I'm not terribly disappointed. It is part of the hunting game as played in our province.

 

[wildgene]

Sorry you didn't draw Mike.

I've eaten a few of the black bear I've taken. Been slow roasted for the most part and they were pretty good tasting, but some folks say I'll eat anything! :twisted:

..."Thuringer" (summer sausage) is your friend... :mrgreen:

 

[JD338]

Mike,

Hope you can draw this fall.

JD338

 

[DrMike]

Thanks, Jim. I'm saving one last special hunt for the far north. I want my knees to be fully healed so I can make the arduous trek. That draw is a surety because it is so poorly subscribed. Odds are about 0.3 to 1.0 since it is fly-in, jet-boat in or go in with horses. I would set aside three to four weeks and get serious. The odds close-by are pretty challenging at times. I've lined up a boat, so maybe this coming year. Gotta' do it soon, however, as age seems not to be delaying its advance. :shock:

 

[truck driver]

Thanks, Jim. I'm saving one last special hunt for the far north. I want my knees to be fully healed so I can make the arduous trek. That draw is a surety because it is so poorly subscribed. Odds are about 0.3 to 1.0 since it is fly-in, jet-boat in or go in with horses. I would set aside three to four weeks and get serious. The odds close-by are pretty challenging at times. I've lined up a boat, so maybe this coming year. Gotta' do it soon, however, as age seems not to be delaying its advance. :shock:

I know that feeling ( advancing age ). Just back from Kauai Hawaii and couldn't hike the forest to see the Black Tail deer but did take a chopper trip to view the water falls and the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. It was a beautiful trip but only did a little hiking due to the weak ankle. But I did get to see a lot of the island and watched the Whales frolic in the ocean, had one breach with in 50yds of our catamaran, what a thrill.
Sorry Mike didn't mean to steal your post I was just trying to relate to your mobility problem.

 

[DrMike]

No problem, Rodger. You know we steal one another's threads on a regular basis. Glad you were able to get the helicopter ride, at least.

 

[truck driver]

Thanks DrMike, we had a ice and snow storm the mourning we left and they had a 12" snow storm while we were gone so I missed to weather events while I was gone. :mrgreen:

 

[Vince]

Dr Mike, good sir, your knees are precious, as you well know, and while we can get the bone mechanics to put in all sorts of iums, plutonium, titanium, forgotitonium, runfarium, none will better your own blood and bone. Push hard but be concious of pushing too hard and reinjuring yourself.

Vince

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk

 

[DrMike]

I'm babying these knees, Vince. The hard part now is sitting. I'm editing television programs this week, and the sitting is very hard on my knees. I hope to be moving more next week.