Bear Photos (Metlakatla, Copper Center: design, area, foundations)

[Metlakatla]

Why?

You'll find out soon enough, I am quite sure. I know CC fairly well....

[aurorawatcher]

I've had Black bear burgers before.


Hopefully CC will take it easy

[Metlakatla]

Hopefully CC will take it easy

Highly unlikely.

[aurorawatcher]

I know someone going to be burried for life with that avalanche

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Well, hopefully people will share their recipes for grizzly meat.



Black bear can actually be good if prepared properly. Someone a couple of winters ago had a black bear roast; he roasted it in a pit like you would a pig. And black bear grease makes the best pie crust.

Uh...you ate a skunk?

Yeah black bear can be good I guess. I've had black bear cured like hams. I just like leaner, less greasy meat if I have a choice. Now the fat is useful stuff, I have some rendered down ready for making soap with...and it makes a nice cake shortening too.

Yes I ate a skunk once. I was hungry for meat and there was a skunk I had caught so...I managed to force most of it down but I'd have to be really desperate to do that again...

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by 60-minutes-II

I second that the picture is too graphic. If a bear ever chose to attack me,
which i thought would ever happen, I would defend myself with a gun. But that is the only reason. I wouldn't ever do overkill of an animal. Brown bears need to grow in numbers before they should be hunted. I know I know, you will come back with HEY! they are many around. But if it isn't 50 000 or more than its not many. And trust me I love meat, my favorite meat is still beef, pig then nothing after that. The other sort of meats rarely taste as good as beef or pig.
I don't really think as any wild animal as cute. Especially if it will kill me with complete ease. But those caribou or moose that get attacked by bears or wolves. Well thats nature for you. Humans shouldn't try to ruin it even more.

Okay, I'll probably be softer on you than CC will be...

Brown bears do not need to grow in numbers in Alaska, overall. There's a lot of brown bears in Alaska. Hunting of brown bears is more tightly regulated than black bear hunting too. Hunting them to extinction or endangerment won't be allowed to happen. And you can't just pick out a random number like 50,000 and say that's how many of an animal is needed. The population needs to remain at or below the carrying capacity of the habitat. That varies by area and even from one year to the next (or even shorter intervals of time).

Raising that livestock to eat is actually worse for the environment than hunting wild animals. Habitat is destroyed (indirectly killing wild animals), among other things, to raise livestock. Humans were meant to hunt (and gather), it's our correct place in the food chain (though sometimes we're also prey...). It's not "ruining" the wilderness when humans hunt.

[Siouxcia]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

So...anyone have any good brown bear recipes?

Have any of you ever eaten grizzly meat?

I'm in Angoon now. I asked a couple of people I work with if they knew of any bear recipes and was told that they don't hunt bear here (Natives). Since I've been here (5 days), I've eaten locally killed/caught seal, deer, salmon, halibut and cockles. There are no moose on the island so I won't get to partake of that on the island.

I've not been here but a few days and am not an expert by any means so take this with a grain of salt. The island is very much a forest except for a small area. I don't see how anyway could raise livestock in any number here. AND, if they did, it would just be food for the hundreds (1600+) bear that live on the island. Hunting and fishing is the only way to get fresh meat other than having it shipped in and paying a fortune for it. I haven't been to the local store as of yet but I was warned that everything will be very expensive. Not a good thing for a community that has little local employment opportunities.

[mongazid]

Black bear is one of my favorite. A thick tenderloin steak marinaded in terioky (sp) sauce and wrapped in bacon then grilled.MMMMM!!!! Then the back quarters I like to hot smoke for about 30 min. then finish it off in the oven. Eat with your favorite BBQ sauce. MMMMMM GOOD!!!!! Never had grizzly yet. But I will try it if I get a chance to harvest one.

[mongazid]

I have heard of guys that grilled some grizzly meat up while on a hunt. It was off a fresh kill and they said it was great so they brought alot of it home. When they tried it at home they said it was very poor. Lesson is: any kind of meat is always better cooked under the stars.

[notreesininceland]

Originally Posted by arctichomesteader

Porcupine wasn't a whole lot better...

Porcupine can be delicious, especially porcupine curry.

I expect the coastal grizzlies to taste gross (on account of their fish diet), but the inland grizzlies should be okay.