How to Skin and Butcher a Black Bear with Steven Rinella

A Guide to Hunting Black Bear

Famed hunter and explorer Daniel Boone once killed 155 black bears in a single year. He brined and smoked the meat and sold it as “bear bacon.” Today, most American hunters who do hunt bears will kill only one or two in their lifetimes. For them, bears are regarded as a novelty species, something to break up the monotony of a lifetime of whitetail deer hunting. For some hunters though, black bear hunting becomes a highly anticipated annual event...

How to Hang and Skin a Deer

As long as you’ve got a place to hang it and the muscle-power necessary to lift it, the hanging method is a clean and simple way to skin your big game animals. Unless you’re saving the cape or hide for taxidermy purposes, use the following procedure. Hang the animal by the neck or the base of the antlers, with the noose tucked up tightly behind the ears. You can also hang an animal upside down, by the gambrels. Everything is pretty much the same...

Four Ways to Kill a Fall Black Bear

If you’ve failed to tag a deer or an elk and now you’re trying to salvage your fall hunting in order to maintain the honor of your family name, why not go after a black bear? You don’t have to plan for years in order to put some bear steaks in the freezer. Many states offer over-the-counter bear tags and seasons that run through the end of October and beyond. As the saying goes, “the dream is free, but the hustle is sold separately.” Here are...