Goose Egg on Spring Grizzly

[sask boy]

Hi DrMike, sure hope that your schedule lets up to the point you can get your knees back in shape.
Lifting you up in prayer my friend!

Blessings,
Dan

 

[Oldtrader3]

DrMike, My right knee is really bad also from a motorcycle accident in the 1970's. What rifle caliber were you hunting grizzly with? Was it the 9.3x62? Well sorry that you did not score!

 

[Thankful Otter]

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.

Wow, this is just great Dr Mike. Great Dishes! good luck this fall and next year for sure when you will be walking well again

 

[DrMike]

Cheyenne, the game dinner is always a hit with people in this area.

Charlie, I'm fortunate in having quite a variety of cartridges that can be used for grizzly and/or black bear. I'll likely focus when I next get out for grizzly on the 9.3X64 Brenneke, the .358 Norma Magnum or the 35 Whelen. I like these medium bore cartridges--they hit hard and work wonders on calming agitated bears. Actually, I would be just as comfortable with the .30-06, 325 WSM, 8X68S, 338 Federal, .358 Winchester or .356 Winchester; all work well on game.

 

[Oldtrader3]

I am just surprised that you remember all of the calibers that you own? I only have (6) CF rifles anymore. Keeps me out of trouble. Plus we sold our double lot in Oregon. Maybe that will instill the I wants in me again?

 

[salmonchaser]

In Alaska the rules are very strict regards all edible meat gets packed before head and horns. Strictly enforced but contrary to rumor, if your team is together, all the meat is on people's backs and the head and horns are at the front of the conga line, your ok. The exception is grizzly (Brown) bear. You're required to salvage head, claws hide, but not the meat.
I've helped skin a few grizzly in late summer/ fall when they've been on fish and it's a nasty job. The oldtimers tell me the meat is beyond bad.
I never tried it.

 

[DrMike]

Yeah, I would be less than enthusiastic about dining on a bear that had been on either fish or on winter kill. They can smell pretty bad in the first place, and the meat would have to be pretty grim. Taking one off of an oat field or out of a patch of dandelions in the spring, they aren't bad.

 

[salmonchaser]

Across from our place on the Naknek is a tundra basin about 1/2 mile radius surrounded by a low ridge. When we have a northeast or east wind my shorthair will alert on grizzlys from inside the lodge, before we can see them crossing the ridge. The dogs will run down to the dock and bark like mad unit they can see the bear, then they go nuts. Amazing how strong they must smell.