Thread: so watcha do with 4 lbs of Black bear backstrap?

All me meat used to hang in a cooler for 30 days before it was cut and wrapped. Aged they call it. No need for a knife to cut my t-bones all you need is a fork. OMG melt in your mouth good. My butcher did a friend of mine a favor and left it for 60 days. Poor guy had bad teeth and gums. Didn't need either to eat that meat.
I used to be like you pixel, lots of jerky all the time. And the secret is in the brine :<0) I noticed you didn't mention that.

I too make deer jerky when I can kill them. It does not last long. I make a soy/worch brine and let it sit for about 18 hours then dry it. My kids destroy it.

I've had beef,deer, Moose, and Caribou jerky and love it, but I would be very leery of eating Bear Jerky because of the possibility of Trichinosis in uncooked/undercooked bear meat. In California black bears, it is very common. Had a friend who almost died from it. Unconscious for 6 weeks, muscle tissue compromised, years of cysts causing hives and other skin problems. Turned his hair white.

Is it possible the brine might kill the Trichinosis? I'll eat just about anything that other people do, but not bear unless it is fully cooked. I also used to eat traditional Yup'ik Eskimo Fermented Fish Heads (Salmon), but the last batch killed a friend and almost killed my brother-in-law last summer because of Botulism. Not for me any more.

I would appreciate anyone else's experience/knowlege on Trichinosis and bear meat. I make some great breakfast sausage with it in with Moose.

Have never had a problem with it,but is your call.

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

I only shot the one,it was not in a garbage dump,The blacks in my state (bears) get to eating acorns and the meat gets really tainted and bitter.
Have no clue what the one I shot was eating,maybe some bad stuff.

Acorns! Now I know what that disgusting taste was.