Spring Bear

[upstate88]

I got a Hood tag! and my hunting buddy drew an Imnaha!

 

[malakajim]

Never heard of 'spring bear'.

Black yes.

Brown yes, but I'm guessing 'spring bear' is the same as black?

Yes, black bear. Spring vs Fall season controlled hunts.

 

[Master17]

Yep. Spring Black Bear.

 

[Master17]

Mine is for Pine Creek

 

[clearconscience]

Good luck! Stay Safe!

 

[MilitantBEEMER]

Got mine too!! Hoping my hunting buddy got his!!

 

[MannyGlocks]

Mal. and Master, thank you both for your responses.

More questions, please: I watch Alaskan family shows and in them they shoot black bears for their meat.

I wonder, how does it compare to beef? Or pork even?

Or, is it completely unique in flavor/texture?

Thanks!

 

[BaggerRyder]

Mal. and Master, thank you both for your responses.

More questions, please: I watch Alaskan family shows and in them they shoot black bears for their meat.

I wonder, how does it compare to beef? Or pork even?

Or, is it completely unique in flavor/texture?

Thanks!

I think it compares to beef more than pork. Neither of the bears I've killed had any sort of "gamey" flavor.
If cooked correctly it is delicious. Trick is cooking it at the recommended 160 degrees without over cooking it and drying it out. Best way for me is with a sous-vide cooker and then a couple minutes on an iron skillet.

 

[Master17]

I think the most important is getting the fat off and cooling the meat as soon as possible after dropping it.

 

[alphapygmy]

Heading out on the last day of deer season I found bear tracks on top of my tracks going in that morning so I put in for spring bear and got drawn. Trask unit...

 

[Master17]

Nice. Get him.

 

[alphapygmy]

Heading out on the last day of deer season I found bear tracks on top of my tracks going in that morning so I put in for spring bear and got drawn. Trask unit...

Decided to go bear hunting on Wednesday as the season is almost over. Tired, hungry, and not paying much attention to anything but my feet I was heading to my lunch spot. In the shade where I couldn't see because I was in the sun I almost walked into a very large jet black bear walking away from me down the road, eating grass as he went. He didn't hear me as there's a creek right off the road making noise and the wind was in my favor. I rarely shoot things anyway but I was nervous my down loaded 308 with 130's might not be up to the job as he was a BIG one. I sat on the other side of the road 25 feet away and thought it over and decided not to shoot him. He finally winded me and crossed to my side and went up the hill into the timber. I ran up the road about 50 yards to a cutback old skid and waited for him but he saw me and turned around and waddled into some very thick reprod into which I did not follow.
Went home conflicted, great experience with the biggest bear I've seen. Came back the next day with my 30-06 loaded for elk so no issue with firepower but all I found was one of his scratching posts. He had torn the top off a 15 foot fir tree at about 7 feet and used the bottom half for a big scratching post. Never found anymore signs. Headed back to the truck around 4 in the afternoon. At the last bend in the road before the gate and my truck there is a cougar walking up the road towards me. We see each other and I jump to the side of the road behind a small tree to mask my outline. When I stood up to try and get a shot off he turned and bounded into the reprod. Found his tracks in the road by the truck, it was only a juvenile about 2/3rds grown. Decided once again not to go into the very thick reprod looking for more things that bite back.
Didn't fill my tags but it was a very exciting couple days. I'll be getting a fall bear tag and I will have the 280AI I'm building done by then ready for deer, bear, and cougar.

 

[Oregonhunter5]

A .308 with 130 is more than enough. If you shoot near his armpit as they step forward it's lethal. Many any bears have been taken with the 30-30. I know a guy that works at les schuab in junction city that uses a .243. Shoots a lot of bears..