16 replies to this topic

[tony]

been thinking of getting a bear tag for this upcoming weekend , but i cant find anything on field dressing a bear and not sure if the local butcher will proses it for me .il prob if i am lucky taking my game to willow glen meats in san jose.

[Divernhunter]

Field dress a bear just like any other big game animal. Then get the hide off it and cut off any thick fat on the outside of it. Then get it cooled as best you can and to the locker. If I am able to get it cooled I wrap it in several old junt sleeping bag for the ride to the locker. If I have far to go I will find Dry-ice and wrap in inside cardboard with duct-tape then put some inside and outside it. Finally wraping it in the sleeping bags. Sometimes an old bed sheet first makes it easier to hold the dry-ice in place before wraping it in the sleeping bags.NEVER haul it over the hood of any jeep/truck etc for even a short trip back to camp. Try to keep it away from any heat source including the top of a SUV.If you are going to to save the hide remove any fat from it and use non-idione salt on the inside. If you are going to make a rug then skin from under head to rectum in the center and nice cut from there to each paw on the inside of the leg.Good Luck.

[tony]

Wow sounds like alot of work.I think i need to dedicate a weekend just to hunt a bear wich sounds good to me, gives me a good reason to go hunting more.ya if i get a bear il be forking out the money to get a rug done for sure.

[CoyoteHuntress]

You will also need to split and turn everything before you salt, this includes ears, nose, eyes, paws down the the last knuckle so the claw stays attached. Do NOT roll it up with the paws and head inside.. always leave them outside.. if you choose to freeze it lay it in your freezer with as much exposed as possible until their is frost on the hair and cool to the touch, then you can roll it up head/paws out and let freeze the rest of the way. Bears are extremely well insulated and if you roll it hot the inside will rot while the outside is frozen...

[4RHUNTS]

Have used Willow Glenn Meats and Los Gatos Meats many times with deer and pigs. I am sure they will process a bear for you.Good luck.http://www.willowgle...m/wild_game.htmhttp://www.losgatosm.../wild_game.html

[CoyoteHuntress]

call and check first though. alot of places wont do bear...

[4RHUNTS]

How come?

[ShooterJohn]

Here is an earlier post on bear meat processors. http://www.californi...?showtopic=5649

[tony]

so i called jeff at willow glen meats and told me they will proses all wild game including bear and he gave me his sell and said if he could he would come open the door so i can drop my animals off.

[tony]

thanks for all the help to guys.

[Divernhunter]

I will try to get a photo of the bear rug from the bears I shot a number of years back. Hunted this same bear for 3 years before I was able to kill him. An large old boar. He was 15.5 years old and tore up several dogs before we got him. Nice jet black bear with some gray around the muzzle/paws. The claws were worn down. It is too bad my friend died so now I do not go since he had the dogs and use to guide before he was injured. Then we just went.

[Divernhunter]

I fianally got the pictures. Sorry that they are not real nice. That is a queen size bed. He was a big, mean, nasty, dog hurting 15.5 year old boar. Took 3 years to get him in a spot I could kill him.  1.jpg   13.63K   35 downloads  2.jpg   14.92K   31 downloads  3.jpg   16.85K   29 downloads  4.jpg   26.06K   34 downloads

[ratassassin]

Wow, nice rug/trophy.

[Divernhunter]

Ratassassin....Thank you I am pretty pround of that bear. He looks good to me and I think back to the hunting it took to get him and my friend with the dogs who has passed away since. Good memories that is what hunting really is about.

[tony]

yes that is very nice.

[BrentB]

Amazing bear...any tips on field dressing a bear?

[whatjeffhunts]

Thats real nice looking.