Elk, wait BEAR!

[theGinsue]

I never ate bear. Is it tasty?

No... Greasy, stringy awfulness.

I'm going to have to dispute this judgement.

The answer depends on where the bear has been getting his food. If the bear gets much/any of his diet from garbage then the meat will be horrible (in my opinion). If the bear gets his diet from rooting around in the wild the meat generally (in my experience) takes pretty good; especially grilled.

[roberth]

Hey Boo Boo - you're a pic-a-nic bass-ket

[gnihcraes]

well, I'll try to get a piece of him if the gang doesn't eat him all up while still in elk camp. haha

[Hummer]

so I was up archery elk hunting with my father and a few others.

Apparently a few noises I thought were my dad getting ready to go out again, was a bear goofing around in camp. Guess I shouldn't be so comfy in my camper and sleeping bag.

Muddy paw prints on truck as he was chewing on the antenna I guess. This is after he played with a few items around my camper. (inches from where I was sleeping) haha

My dad got up after hearing the noises and found boo boo goofing around outside his camper. So he grabbed the bow and took care of the problem. (he had a license)

Was about 125-150 pounds.

Attachment 60983

Good work on the bear, and congrats to your dad. It's one less problem bear for the CPW officers to deal with. The bear over population has been a huge drain on the CPW.

Many bear hunters report the meat is delicious. As theGinsue said, it depends a lot on what the bear has been eating, how carefully the meat is cared for in the field, and how it's prepared. Don't know myself because I've never killed or eaten bear. But, I've bought a bear tag nearly every year hunting since age 15 when a CO bear tag cost $5.00.

Every year while deer and elk hunting I actively hunt bear, find their scat and follow their tracks. I try calling some every season but have only once seen one bear during elk season. I take an elk almost every year and on average a bear feeds on my elk before I get it all packed out one year in three.

Every year I tell myself that this year is the year I'll kill a bear. So, this year, I'm going to get a bear. It'll be payback for all those years bears have chewed on my elk.

Edit to add that I've probably seen a hundred bears in 8 western states and provinces, black bears, Toklat silver bears, Kodiak and Katmai brown bears, and inland grizzlies, just never in season with a tag in hand. This year is going to be the year....

[gnihcraes]

I know where there is a bear gut pile, and a guy sitting in a tree stand next to it... one advantage of killing something. They figured it would be an elk gut pile, but the bear came first. ha