Fisherboy0301 0 Report post Posted October 28, 2015 Found out today that my friend mentioned in the floridas bear hunt thread harvest the largest bear taken in the Ocala National Forest. Officially weighed 433lbs. He even made the paper, and I'm sure he will be in woods and water magazine as well! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted October 28, 2015 And the smallest one "harvested" was a 42 pound cub. Of course, that means there's probably quite a few other cubs now unable to ... Ah, never mind. The bear hunt is like a religion, at this point ... you're either a believer or you're not. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mlandry 0 Report post Posted October 28, 2015 How about some pictures? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fisherboy0301 0 Report post Posted October 28, 2015 Mike, I agree that's awful. But as with anything else, there's always gonna be rule breakers. Always gonna be someone who harvests an undersized buck, or keeps an undersized bass. In this case it was an idiot harvesting an undersized bear. Also by this time of year, cubs are being weaned, and able to feed themselves, yes their mother usually stays with them for almost two years, but the few sows killed that had cubs, the few cubs possibly orphaned, not every one of those will die. Have you ever cleaned a fish with eggs? Or kept a spawning fish? Same thing. Except people value a furry "cute" (deadly) animals life more. Here are some pics. One outside his house the week before, the other two day of harvest. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mlandry 0 Report post Posted October 28, 2015 That's a nice size Bear. I find it amazing they are found that far south. Mike Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Swamp Fly 0 Report post Posted October 28, 2015 That is a big boy! I'm not likely to hunt bear myself, but it was time. We will see what happen from here with both population numbers and behavior. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Swamp Fly 0 Report post Posted October 28, 2015 That's a nice size Bear. I find it amazing they are found that far south. Mike Yup all the way south. South Florida can be lousy with them, just talk to folks that live in the east Naples area. I've seen fresh panther and bear tracks on top of each other while I was slogging around the Everglades. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
agn54 0 Report post Posted October 28, 2015 Do you guys eat bear? If so, how does it taste? Also, is the fur much different from the black bears up north? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fisherboy0301 0 Report post Posted October 28, 2015 Agn, bear is straight up delicious! also the fat has many uses in cooking and other things! Id imagine the fur isn't nearly as long or as thick as it would be in the colder north. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crazy4oldcars 0 Report post Posted November 5, 2015 They are re-introducing brown bears into the Big Thicket National wildlife area. Honestly, I have no idea why. As far as I can tell, the habitat has adapted to them not being there, and it's bordered by populated areas. It sounds like TPWD is just asking for trouble. To my decidedly uneducated opinion, it sounds like humans meddling, again. Kirk B. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Adam Saarinen 0 Report post Posted November 5, 2015 But what does it taste like? And what do you eat it with? Just want to know as many others probably do? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crazy4oldcars 0 Report post Posted November 5, 2015 Tastes like chicken! Just kidding. I'm sorry. I had to. Kirk B. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Adam Saarinen 0 Report post Posted November 5, 2015 Yep! And raindeer tastes like raindeer! Expensive, but i love it now & then! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
agn54 0 Report post Posted November 5, 2015 Agn, bear is straight up delicious! also the fat has many uses in cooking and other things! Id imagine the fur isn't nearly as long or as thick as it would be in the colder north. Yea I would imagine it is softer and finer like how our bucktail is compared to northern ones. Did your friend process the hide? If so, you should see if he can give you a patch. You could probably find a ton of uses for it on all types of patterns Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tidewaterfly 0 Report post Posted November 6, 2015 I've eaten black bear from NC, so I would guess it might be similar in taste to that FL bear. I've eaten wild game of many types & their diet does have some affect on the taste of the meat. My father worked with a fellow who was from the Smokey Mountains area of western NC, and when he returned to NC each year, he hunted the bears. It was a family tradition from what the fellow had said. Some of the meat was given to my father, so that's how I got to try it. It's quite dark in color, darker than beef & a courser texture than beef. The only way I can describe the taste is it's generally similar to beef, but a stronger taste. I've had some Elk & Bison too, and bear is closer to them in taste than it is to beef. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
