500;

Yes, we eat it and love it.

Daryl's right, tastes like beef, like marbled, aged beef. We eat steaks, chops, roasts, don't grind much but some folks like sausage. I prefer not to "waste" it on sausage.

I've had many people over the house who have never eaten bear, didn't let them know what they were eating and when asked, thought it was beef.

Also, falls apart on the fork. Beyond tender.

One "must" is getting it cold fast. Much of our bear seasons takes place during hot weather. And they are often killed where it takes a while to get them home. Gotta get them cold fast.

We are not required by law to save the meat on bear. Elk, deer, antelope, etc must be saved and used. Bear, cougar, wolf, no.

But lots eat bear and lion. Lion is very good as well. Tastes much like pork.

I like it all.

FB: We keep in shape all year long for the stuff we like so much to do. Nothing's done on the flat around here, and if we want to keep doing this stuff I admit we have to work at it. Way I look at it, I keep in shape for Fall bear season by hiking the canyons bait shooting in the summer and keep in shape for that by chasing hounds in the spring and keep in shape for that by skiing in winter and keep in shape for that by trapping and keep in shape for that by elk and deer hunting and that brings me back to Fall bear season.....