Bear Ham

Joe Hulburt

Active Member
Mar 14, 2011
392
1
Oregon Coast
In case anybody is interested.....

I decided to try having some ham made from my spring bear. I just got it back from Willamina Meat and it turned out great! They are a local company that has made us ham and bacon from 4H pigs over the years and since the kids have outgrown 4H I have been craving some of their old fashioned ham.

This is my first experience with bear ham and I am really pleased with the outcome. Flavor is superb! Being as it was an old boar it isn't as tender as a young hog but I will slow cook the big hams with apple cider in the crock pot. Mmmmm!

Total cost was $26! This was one hindquarter from a 300# bear....


The best ham roast!
 

Colorado Cowboy

Super Moderator
Jun 8, 2011
8,074
4,300
82
Dolores, Colorado
Several years ago my hunting buddy in California gave me 2 front shoulder from a big boar he killed in the Sierras. I stripped it and made jerky out of it and it was really great. The meat was stringy and lean, just right for jerky.
 

6mm Remington

Very Active Member
Mar 27, 2011
964
26
Western Montana
I've had bear steaks from several different bears and they were wonderful. Tender, great flavor, and juicy. A buddy also smoked about a 20 pound roast in a smoker for several hours at low temperature and we had it after work one evening. It was incredible! You could not eat enough of it. Bear meat or at least what I've had has been excellent!
David
 

xtreme

Very Active Member
Feb 25, 2011
859
4
Searcy, Arkansas 72143
Wish I had known about that.It looks super. I did get my processed hind quarters back from local meat processor ($37) and it is very good. Its lean but I dont find it stringy. Back strap and one front quarter, I left in the freezer in Co. How would you process a fall bear? They should have a lot of fat by sept. I have a license for Ar and Co.
 

Wild Country

Active Member
Jan 29, 2012
221
0
OR
That looks really good and just adds a little more pain for not filling my trag in the Snake this year...I have only used Frontier out of Yamhill but if I manage to punch my fall bear tag I will take to Willamina for some ham. Thanks for giving the place you had it done!
 

Joe Hulburt

Active Member
Mar 14, 2011
392
1
Oregon Coast
That looks really good and just adds a little more pain for not filling my trag in the Snake this year...I have only used Frontier out of Yamhill but if I manage to punch my fall bear tag I will take to Willamina for some ham. Thanks for giving the place you had it done!
I have used Frontier a lot for beer dogs and summer sausage with great results but they don't smoke hams. I asked them about it last year.
 

Jerry

Active Member
Feb 21, 2011
248
0
73
Joseph Or
I have used Frontier a lot for beer dogs and summer sausage with great results but they don't smoke hams. I asked them about it last year.
I used to have my hogs processed at Frontier until they had a fire in their smoker and lost several pigs. I had heard they didn't out the smoker back in when they rebuilt.
 

Wild Country

Active Member
Jan 29, 2012
221
0
OR
I used to have my hogs processed at Frontier until they had a fire in their smoker and lost several pigs. I had heard they didn't out the smoker back in when they rebuilt.
I lost a whitetail deer I took in Idaho the year the fire happened and lost all the meat but they made it right for me. They did put a smoker back in but I am not sure if its as big as it was becaseue the last time I had a pig butchered it took longer for the hamd...I guess they could have been busy that month but it is back in!
 

HuntWYODon

Very Active Member
Dec 19, 2011
806
0
Kalifornia
I have always thought making sausage or burger out of bear but that looks dam good and a great idea. Now I'm hungry. Thanks...
 

dito

Active Member
Feb 22, 2011
167
0
Alamosa, CO
I've never really had bear meat aside from this sausage that an outfitter gave me. That stuff stunk up my house something fierce! I've also heard bear meat is nasty so I've never bought a tag.
 

llp

Member
Mar 15, 2011
138
0
Making hams out of bear meat is fantastic. I've turned the hind quarters of several bears into hams over theyears and every one has been quite good.
llp