Fletch's N.J. Black Bear 2017 Adventures....

["J"]

Actually I'm feeding him less this year.... Going once every two week's up till first week of Oct. with only a backpack full... Day or two prior to the opener I'll take a full jet sled in... I want them to get a taste but not fill up their stomach, so they come looking for more... Last year I think I over fed them and they became nocturnal or didn't come again... They totally threw me a curve last year... So this year we'll try something new...

Rich, you have location on your side as far as being back in far enough the average persons not going too ruin your hunt... Like out conversation earlier today, you know what didn't work last year and know what you need too do this year... It's going too happen, just looking forward too he hero pictures is all...

 

[Fletch]

Rich, you have location on your side as far as being back in far enough the average persons not going too ruin your hunt... Like out conversation earlier today, you know what didn't work last year and know what you need too do this year... It's going too happen, just looking forward too he hero pictures is all...

"J" Thanks for the encouragement... Like I said today, if I score I'll bring bear steaks out in the fall to whoever wants to try them.. I know Ric (Finelyshedded) asked to try some... Yes been walking in for miles from way back in the 60's when our Dad had us climb the Laurel Mountains of Western Pa... Sometimes I, along with others question why I have to go so far in?? Esp. the younger generation... LOL Guess its in my blood.. I hope it happen's as this may be our last hunt since Christie will be done... If it don't, I had fun, and that's what its all about... But I got a feeling the cards just may fall in my favor...

 

[giles]

Being able to adapt and overcome, that'll separate you from the others. That's awesome!

 

[rooster85]

What part of jersey?

 

[Fletch]

I hunt Stokes State Forest which is in zone 1...Sussex County.... Area is very big.....

 

[Big_Holla]

Actually I'm feeding him less this year.... Going once every two week's up till first week of Oct. with only a backpack full... Day or two prior to the opener I'll take a full jet sled in... I want them to get a taste but not fill up their stomach, so they come looking for more... Last year I think I over fed them and they became nocturnal or didn't come again... They totally threw me a curve last year... So this year we'll try something new...

That was the advice I got from an old timer up in the UP of Mich when I tried it back in the day. Said you put too much out they can come back any time and not worry about it being there. Less = more competition.

 

[Big_Holla]

Also, a good thing to use is grease or cooking oil, say from KFC. Bear get it on their paws and soon are tracking it back through the woods bringing other bears.

 

[Fletch]

Big Holla....last year I put out grease..as you said let them track it around... Like you said feed them less so they come more often and during daylight hours....

 

[MK111]

Bear meat is great eating. eat it when we hunted Sask. and when I got one in AK.
Funny thing when we hunted in Sask. in 1990 the boys got 3 bears. Every local person in the small town drove down the alley to see the crazy guys from the lower 48 states cleaning bear. To them bear meat was worse than 5 day old road kill. The local priest asked for couple serving but 'please don't tell anyone'. We had to sneak the meat to the local butcher shop to freeze in the middle of the night so no one would see it.
Then we wanted to grill some outside but my cousin's wife wouldn't permit it to cooked in her house. So my cousin went over and got the neighbor's grill when he wasn't home as he wasn't going to use his own grill.
Damn go eating.

In Sask. the outfitter bailed with doughnuts, KFC grease, scrape meat and bones from a butcher shop and honey.

 

[Boarhead]

We did a bait in Alaska and packed in Halibut heads and grease from the restaurant in Cordova.

 

[Fletch]

MK111.... Not sure why a lot of people say yuck to bear meat... Every bear we have got has tasted great... I remember dropping off a bear at the butcher and bumping into a guy that just dropped off a deer... First words out of his mouth was... can I buy some bear roasts off you?? First off its illegal to sell it and second I'm a nice guy.. So I told the butcher to put a couple bear roasts in with his deer meat... Guy was tickled pink... When I picked up the bear meat on Thanksgiving I was headed over to my nieces for dinner since my wife was at her parents in Cleveland... Two of my nieces friends were there and overheard my brother asking me if I picked up the bear meat.. One of them exclaimed "YOUR GOING TO EAT BEAR MEAT???" So I showed my brother how great the cuts of meat looked and the same lady says: I gotta admit those do look very good... I fired up my nieces grill and threw on a steak... Shortly after I coaxed her into trying a piece.. You know she asked for a couple steaks to take home... LOL

Just like deer, the taste of bear meat will greatly be determined by what the bear was eating... Therefore a bear that eats a lot of garbage will have a foul taste to it... One part of the bear I don't like is pork chops... I think this may have to do with the bone marrow getting on the meat when they are cut on a band saw....

 

[Big_Holla]

I do think there is a difference in taste on bear if it's a spring bear or fall. Something about the bears coming out of hibernation and all the fat reserves might be the reason to me. Now I've had Michigan fall bear meat before and thought it was pretty good.

The outfitter we used in Saskatchewan years ago on a spring hunt used KFC grease mixed with oats in one barrel and another was mostly meat scraps where they would hang a beaver carcass when you hunted. Guess there is something with the beaver castor that bears will go nuts for.

 

[Fletch]

I do think there is a difference in taste on bear if it's a spring bear or fall. Something about the bears coming out of hibernation and all the fat reserves might be the reason to me. Now I've had Michigan fall bear meat before and thought it was pretty good.

The outfitter we used in Saskatchewan years ago on a spring hunt used KFC grease mixed with oats in one barrel and another was mostly meat scraps where they would hang a beaver carcass when you hunted. Guess there is something with the beaver castor that bears will go nuts for.

I've heard that beaver's were a very good bait...However I have no source to get beavers but can get donuts and I know they love DONUT'S... Donuts are the favorite bait the Pa. Game Commission use in a culvert trap when then want to catch a bear... Last year I mixed some bread in with the donuts and came back the next day to find every donut gone but the bread remained...

 

[switchhitter]

Thanks for taking time to post this thread, I will be following along

Greg

 

[giles]

Flavor comes from what the bear eats. Someone trying to eat a salmon bear is going to hate bear meat forever. Go up in the hills and take one living on berries...they are gonna keep that shit a secret! That's some good eats. My grizz was a spring bear. We had to pressure cook it for hours to be able to chew it. Tasted fine, but it was like eating bark.

 

["J"]

Flavor comes from what the bear eats. Someone trying to eat a salmon bear is going to hate bear meat forever. Go up in the hills and take one living on berries...they are gonna keep that shit a secret! That's some good eats. My grizz was a spring bear. We had to pressure cook it for hours to be able to chew it. Tasted fine, but it was like eating bark.

That's good info right there... So a bear on a vegetarian diet tastes a lot better.... Good to know if I ever become a cannibal lol.... Or a zombie....

 

[giles]

That's good info right there... So a bear on a vegetarian diet tastes a lot better.... Good to know if I ever become a cannibal lol.... Or a zombie....

Rich's bears are gonna taste like donuts[emoji23]

 

["J"]

Rich's bears are gonna taste like donuts[emoji23]

mmmm doooonuts!!!!

 

[Fletch]

OK... So what flavor does everyone like??? Let's see we have Honey Glazed... Boston Crème... Jelly... The new Smores donut... LOL... On a more serious note: I know someone that had a body shop and was talking to him today about winches... He says I have an electric one with a 50 ft cable... Great I have a little Honda generator to run it... Just have to keep moving it from tree to tree... Its in the garage now... Putting as many tricks up my sleeve that I can...

 

[Fletch]

mmmm doooonuts!!!!

"J" You better watch your cravings for donuts..... See what they did TOO this bear last year.... Some serious weight gain...