So who's doing this?

[tommy]

oh. PHDs.  well then you must be right. 

So you believe in deduction over education?

What are your criteria for credibility? Only things you are in agreement with?

why do you keep making everying so extreme?

have you read any other studies? do you think the entire "educated" community is in agreement with this one study? if you do, that's fine. however, i don't, as i've read other smart people's thoughts on this subject, and they don't agree with the smart people that you agree with.

[lamb]

another story contradicts the safe nature of the feces, even though the findings were questioned. That topic can probably be discussed till the cows come home (cow dung anyone?)

Salerno said health concerns also arose after taking water samples from lakes.

"We'd seen elevated levels of fecal coliform and a human pathogen was found in the feces of geese, so it was a great concern," he said. "And we had hundreds of complaints a year from park users saying, 'My kid came home and had goose droppings all over his hands or shoes' and, 'I used to be able to walk here and now I can't."'

But Feigelson said the claims of health concerns are unfounded and not based on thorough research.

geese story

Still a drastic way to deal with the geese. I don't think anyone here is condoning euthanasia, but an effective method of controlling the population has to be addressed.

[jhlurie]

Will you guys knock it off and resume making fun of 10,000 unqualified gun-happy amateurs running out into the New Jersey woods and getting mauled by annoyed bears?

[Jason Perlow]

Those geese piss me off. They poop like dogs and they make nasty hissing sounds if you get too close to 'em.

[Arpad]

"As NJ is already the densest state in the US, where does it stop? Does it stop when the whole state starts to look like one big city? "

Take a look at Long Island to see what NJ is becoming .

[WHT]

I have no problem with the bears being killed.  I have a problem with 10,000 people, with various unverified levels of expertise, being sent out into the woods to shoot at a type of animal which hasn't been hunted in 30+ years in this area.  Seems like a recipe for disaster.  Other areas with bear hunting make a regular affair of it.

I seem to remember that you can only hunt with a bow or shotgun in NJ. If I am going after something like a bear I want a rifle.

[WHT]

"As NJ is already the densest state in the US, where does it stop? Does it stop when the whole state starts to look like one big city? "

Take a look at Long Island to see what NJ is becoming .

They would have to pave a few of the counties in the south for that to happen. Yhen again look at Freehold.

[tommy]

a friend of mine took down a 300 lb bear. he gave me some of the meat today. i'm looking forward to trying it tonite or tomorrow. mmmmm.

[guajolote]

a friend of mine took down a 300 lb bear. he gave me some of the meat today. i'm looking forward to trying it tonite or tomorrow. mmmmm.

how are you going to cook it? what cut did you get? this will be very interesting.

[Mayhaw Man]

No problem with bear hunting, although I don't think I would shoot one.

I am from serious hunting culture. Men here hunt (so do alot of women), generally, and taking boys and girls and properly teaching them the ropes and ways of the woods and fields are huge rights of passage to adulthood. My own son whacked a nice doe this past weekend (ducks,on the other hand,are a much discussed poor subject here in the Delta ). We eat what we shoot and look forward to sharing this bounty with friends and neighbors. I love it and hunt and fish with great enthusiasm and hope to do so with my boys for the rest of my life.

All that being said, I don't think I could pull the trigger on a bear. In the wild I have only seen a bear twice. Once in Jackson Hole up high in a tree (the thing was huge and I had a backpack full of fried cheesegrits and chicken , thankfully the bear was concerned with his cholesterol more than I was and it didn't come down out of the tree) and once near the family farm. That bear was a small black and I have to admit that while it was suprisingly large, it was cute and fascinating to watch. I would not have had the heart or the interest to shoot it.

I have only seen bear in front of me on the table once. A friend killed one somewhere out west with a bow and brought much of it home in a couple of coolers. It was exceedingly greasy and a little tough. While this could have been poor preparation, I think it was more the nature of the beast.

[tommy]

a friend of mine took down a 300 lb bear.  he gave me some of the meat today.  i'm looking forward to trying it tonite or tomorrow. mmmmm.

how are you going to cook it? what cut did you get? this will be very interesting.

it's already marinated in an "asian" preparation. not sure of the details of that, as i haven't opened the tuperware. i'm not sure what cut it is. i'll ask when i see the guy again. but i'll be sure to report back.

i'm not sure how i'm going to cook it, though. when i take a look at the meat, and inspect it for marbling, toughness, and whatnot, i'll decide. any suggestions?

Edited December 29, 2003 by tommy (log)

[Wiener]

I am interested to hear, too. Having spent quite some time in Alaska, outside of Denali, bear was the least favorable meat to eat. On those rare occasions when a bear would come too close to a house or would constantly harrass people or a community, people would hate the thought of killing the bear because it was so inedible and would constitute a senseless kill . They had to kill the bear for safety and did ultimately freeze the meat which ended up to be their least favorite meal(s) of the winter. I would still like to hear how you prepare it and how it tasted. Do they ever serve it in restaurants in the tri-state area?

[tommy]

Do they ever serve it in restaurants in the tri-state area?

i have rarely if ever seen bear on menus in the tri-state area. although, i probably haven't gone to the places that might serve this type of thing. it might even be illegal. i'm not sure. in other words, i have no idea what i'm talking about.

[tommy]

i've just been told that the bear is already cooked. asian style, with onions, i suppose soy sauce, stuff like that. so, i'll heat it up gently.

[Kim WB]

i've just been told that the bear is already cooked. asian style, with onions, i suppose soy sauce, stuff like that. so, i'll heat it up gently.

Aw, its a shame its been cooked. I would think that Bear should be cooked on an open flame..a big ol campfire..it just seems to fit better than, say, a gentle sautee.

[Rhea_S]

I've had bear a couple of times while growing up in northern British Columbia. My mom cooked it Filipino adobo-style: vinegar, soy sauce, lots of garlic and bay leaf. However, that didn't mask the rancid fat taste and there was definitely way more fat than meat. I have nothing against fat, but bear fat isn't anything like lardo.

[Rosie]

I had bear at the Perona Farm Game dinner a few years ago. It was made into a stew and tasted like chicken! Only kidding. Tasted greasy and like fatty bear. No need to have it again.

This was my post from July 8.

[menton1]

I have no problem with the bears being killed.  I have a problem with 10,000 people, with various unverified levels of expertise, being sent out into the woods to shoot at a type of animal which hasn't been hunted in 30+ years in this area.  Seems like a recipe for disaster.  Other areas with bear hunting make a regular affair of it.

Actually, it was a disaster. They estimate that about two dozen bears were wounded, not killed, and they ran off, so their fate is unsure. Some, though, will suffer for days or weeks with their wounds until they mercifully pass away. What a debacle.

I also saw some of these hunters going out with their 9- year old children and gave the kids guns to shoot with. And people complain about PETA handing out flyers to kids?

[tommy]

I also saw some of these hunters going out with their 9- year old children and gave the kids guns to shoot with.  And people complain about PETA handing out flyers to kids? 

i just don't see the connection. those kids are clearly being influenced by their parents. their parents, i'd imagine, think hunting is reasonable (and i'm not going to pass judgment). however, if you show my child a picture of a skinned rabbit, prepare to hit the pavement, face first. just my opinion. i could be wrong.

Edited December 30, 2003 by tommy (log)

[bigbear]

Eat me.

Sorry..... couldn't resist any longer.

[Franky2Times]

I'm far from being a bear expert but my cousin used to trap them for fur in Northern Quebec. These were smallish brown bears (about 250 lbs) and we ended up throwing pretty much all the meat in the garbage, which was a big mistake. Bear meat can be very tasty if butchered and cooked the right way. Feet and claws are considered a delicacy in lots of Asian countries. The tenderloin is the best part but it MUST be slow braised and finished on the grill. Try this recipe for shanks:

BEAR CONSOMME

1 bear shank (about 7-8 lbs) cut in pieces, all the fat trimmed (be prepared to leave a very good tip and ask a butcher to do it)

1 cup Canola Oil

2 gallons purified water

2 yellow onions, quartered

2 tablespoons Kosher Salt

1 tablespoon black peppercorn

5 whole cloves

1 bunch of fresh Thyme

1 bunch of fresh Marjoram

2 bunches of flat Parsley

2-3 pounds of Ground Bear Meat (as lean as possible)

1 carrot

1 celery stick

1 large onion

1 tomato

10 egg whites

1 bouquet garni

-Brown the shanks in oil; discard all fat and add the water, onions, salt, spices and herbs. Bring to a boil and let simmer gently for about 10 hours. Strain the stock, reserving all meat chunks, and refrigerate overnight. Degrease.

-Clarify stock with remaining ingredients as you would with any other stock.

-Serve the consomme with the reserved meat, grilled corn on the cob and parsley leaves.

[Rosie]

I love that you use purified water!!! Would you cook a NJ bear the same way?

[Pan]

I'm not a huge fan of these birds.  My kids play soccer and the fields in every town we play in are covered with geese shit. 

Sure, that's a good reason to kill all the geese. Especially since their poop is non-toxic and non-disease carrying.

But it's disgusting, and geese are delicious to eat.

Also, there are such huge flocks of them that it would really take a huge campaign to kill them all. I doubt many people are seriously suggesting that. If anything, they'd suggest hunting some of them, and I would support that.

[Pan]

My own son whacked a nice doe this past weekend (ducks,on the other hand,are a much discussed poor subject here in the Delta ).

You mean there are a lot of people down there who oppose killing ducks because they're cute or something? I would have never thought that would be true!

[menton1]

But it's disgusting, and geese are delicious to eat.

Also, there are such huge flocks of them that it would really take a huge campaign to kill them all. I doubt many people are seriously suggesting that. If anything, they'd suggest hunting some of them, and I would support that.

Well, using the same logic, you could say there is certainly an overpopulation of dogs, and they even might be delicious (I wouldn't know.) Who cares if they're cute?

Edited December 30, 2003 by menton1 (log)