Bear meat is worth the trouble

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Several years ago – after consistently hearing that bear meat was at best gamy and at worst inedible – I had the chance to test it for myself during a mid-winter ice-fishing excursion on Green Lake.

That bear, which was shot by Bill Lander of Dedham, turned out to be the best wild meat I’d ever tried. Bill’s brother, Chris, simmered it in butter, with just a bit of salt and pepper, and it was delicious.

How delicious? After gobbling down chunk after chunk, fresh out of the pan, one of us ended up fumbling the final morsel of bear meat. We all watched, horrified, as it bounced across the grimy floor of the ice shack.

It didn’t bounce for long. All three of us scrambled for it, and the thought of actually discarding it never crossed any of our minds.

Hygienic? No. Tasty? Yes.

Last week, I shot my first bear, and guide Tylor Kelly taught me that when it comes to cooking bear, the preparation is the key.

Kelly believes in trimming all the fat out of a cut of bear meat (and most other wild game) before tossing the meat into the pan. His method of cooking was simple and easy: Add plenty of butter, and some salt and pepper. Simmer slowly until entirely cooked.

I can tell you that his method works: The bear we shared after my successful hunt may have been the tastiest meat – wild or otherwise – I’ve ever tried.

You can bet I’ll follow Kelly’s instructions before cooking up any more of my bear.

One of the most common questions I’ve heard since returning from the hunt is this: What are you going to do with your bear?

I’m learning that there are folks who have heard that bear meat isn’t worth their trouble, and who wouldn’t try it on a bet.

That’s their loss … and it helps explain why so many otherwise avid hunters have never been on a bear hunt.

While I’m sure I’ll end up with an attractive mount as a result of my successful first foray into bear-hunting, I ended up with more than that.

I’ll soon have plenty of meat to get me through the winter … and I already have stories and memories I’ll cherish for years.

To many, fishing is purely a spring-and-summer sport. Rods and reels are dusted off in April, and by the time Labor Day arrives, all the tackle has been dragged back to the basement or garage.

Increasingly, however, that’s not the case.

Fall fishing has become quite popular, and anglers who decide to head out in September and October often find conditions that are very similar to those they encounter during the best fishing days in May.

The best part: They rarely have to contend with the large crowds they face during early season fishing trips.

Dan Legere, a Registered Maine Guide from Greenville, checked on Friday with good news for those anglers who might be looking to do some river fishing in his area.

Earlier in the week, Legere had sent an e-mail in which he enthusiastically offered some tips for fall fishing … while pointing out that the water level in some of his favorite rivers would create less-than-optimal conditions for wading.

Legere’s Friday update contained better news.

“Today the flow on the East Outlet [of the Kennebec River] has gone to 1,836 [cubic feet per second] and tomorrow it will go to 1,100 cfs until Monday, probably,” Legere wrote.

Earlier in the week, the East Outlet had been running at 2,700 cfs, which makes it virtually unwadeable in spots.

At 1,100 cfs, the river can be waded easily and safely. And Legere had more good news.

“On Monday there will be a meeting of fisheries and the Kennebec watershed folks. They are going to come up with a plan that will allow more fishable flows for the remainder of the season,” he wrote. “Generally the water level in Moosehead is drawn down by mid-October, which, this season, with all the water, would mean unfishable flows on the East Outlet for most of September.

“We’ll know that plan sometime next week, but for the moment there will be excellent wading flows through this weekend,” he wrote.

One final tip from Legere: If you’re interested in fishing … and someone else in your family isn’t … this may be the right weekend to head to Greenville.

The town’s International Sea-Plane Fly-in is going on this weekend, and there will be plenty of activities on tap in town and at the airport.

And for more information on daily water flows at any of the dams on the Kennebec, Legere advises you to call 1-800-557-3569.

If you’re wondering whether you’re going to have the option to shoot an antler-less deer this season, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has your answer.

The DIF&W held its any-deer lottery on Friday, and results of that drawing are available on the department’s Web site: www.mefishwildlife.com.

More than 76,000 names were drawn this year, so chances are pretty good you’ll find yours on the list.

As for me? Well, a quick glance at the list makes it seem as though every Holyoke in Penobscot and Hancock counties wound up with an any-deer permit this year.

Every Holyoke, that is, but one.

That’s right; my skein of bad luck on DIF&W lotteries continues.

To steal a phrase from Red Sox fans everywhere, “Wait until next year.”

Got a bear story? One of my favorite things about the outdoors is returning after a busy (and hopefully successful) day afield and swapping stories with others who share the same interests.

I figure that sitting around a campfire – or for that matter, curling up in a comfortable chair – and listening as enthusiastic hunters and fishermen tell tales about the ones that got away … and the ones that didn’t … serves as the perfect capper to a day spent outdoors.

Come hunting season, those stories often make their way here, either via e-mail or phone. I always look forward to those messages and calls, and equally enjoy passing those stories along to you.

With that said, I need your help. Across the state this month hunters from across the nation are sitting in tree stands, waiting for the chance to bag a Maine black bear.

If you’ve got an interesting bear-hunting story, I’m interested in hearing it … and possibly passing it along.

Perhaps a young relative shot his or her first bear … or perhaps they simply saw their first bear, and had some interesting things to say about the experience.

Perhaps you bagged the bear of a lifetime … or watched as a burly warily avoided your best efforts.

Maybe something funny happened … or something poignant took place … or maybe you just saw something you never thought you’d see in the Maine woods.

If you’ve got a story, I’m interested. Give me a call or e-mail me here, and I’ll offer up a sample of the responses in a future column.

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.