Meat Care and Avoiding Spoilage

Once you have harvested your bear, it is important to cool it down as soon as possible. The insulation from a bear’s fat layers and thick hide can cause bear meat to spoil more quickly than other large game. To preserve the meat, you need to cool the carcass immediately using blocks of ice in coolers, refrigerated coolers, etc. and get it to the meat processor as quickly as possible. It is critical that you cool the meat and carcass to 40 degrees or below. Temperatures higher than 40 degrees will result in the loss or meat due to spoilage. This is something that it very important to consider and something that you need to plan for, especially in remote regions of the state that may have less resources available.

The quickest way to cool the meat is to field dress the bear right away. If you do not have access to a cooler, or if you are hunting in warm temperatures, consider removing the hide and quartering the bear to start the cooling process.

With its thick coat and round body, a bear is much more difficult to drag or move than a deer of comparable weight. And bears, on average, also weigh more than deer. With help, you may be able to drag the bear out whole but you also have the option of quartering it. A large drag sled, tarp, or a game cart designed for retrieving game will not only make the removal easier, it will protect the meat from debris and protect the hide from snagging and losing hair. Many people plan to use the hide for taxidermy such as a mount or a rug.

Prior to registration, all edible meat, the head, and evidence of sex must be presented for registration. The viscera, hide, lower legs and rib cage, including the ribs, spine and pelvis, are not required to be presented for registration but must be disposed of where they are not visible to a person traveling on a public or private way. Bear ribs are excellent eating so don’t leave those behind.