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Last May, I hunted black bears at my place on Prince of Wales Island with my good friend, Ron Boehme. We didn’t film that hunt, as I was doing a feature about it for Field and Stream. I know Ronny from my hometown, Twin Lake, Michigan. His company, Twin Lake Installations, kept me busy all through college with highly flexible hours and better-than-average pay. His generosity has always impressed me; he once gave me a Dodge van outright, and traded me a Chevy van for a Husqvarna chainsaw. More than once, Ronny actually kept me on the clock when we left work early in order to go grouse hunting – a passion of his. As I mention in my Field and Stream article (April, 2012 issue), Ronny often manages to turn one-flush days into one-grouse days, which ain’t easy.
His bear hunting skills aren’t as developed, but he makes up for it with enthusiasm; he’s the kind of guy who’s got the coffee going before you’re out of your sleeping bag, and he’ll probably be working on breakfast before you brush your teeth (but man, does that bastard snore!)
We hunted bears for six days and located over a dozen of them. I tagged out first, with a medium-sized boar, and then Ronny killed a bigger boar on our last night. Here’s a photo of my bear hanging at my shack, and another of Ronny’s bear on the beach where we killed it.
Ronny had his bear turned into a rug by Mike Hiner, our hometown taxidermist. It turned out gorgeously. Then, he saved the two back hams for his buddy’s retirement party, which just happened a couple weeks ago. He built a new smoker just for the occasion, and then asked me to send him a good brine recipe. I complied by sending him the ingredients list for Michael Ruhlman’s American-style ham as it appears in Ruhlman’s wonderful book, Charcuterie.
After the retirement party, Ronny sent me this dispatch to let me know how the hams turned out. I’ve modified the dispatch slightly, just so that it conforms to basic editorial expectations of grammar and spelling (Sorry, Ronny.) After the dispatch, you’ll see where I’ve added some definitions to clear up any confusion about what Ronny’s talking about. Beer Mountain is the house, or compound, rather, where Ronny bases his crew while working a large, ongoing project in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. At night, cold beers can be found in the hands of everyone present, hence the name.
“Steve: Here are the pictures from the weekend. I brined the bear hams for 5 days at Beer Mountain and then took them over to Lester’s house where the now famous Beer Mountain Smoker resides. Lester made a rub that put a nice glaze on it. He also injected them with about 8 ounces of Coca Cola (It is supposed to tenderize the meat.) I think the Coke heated back up and oozed out slowly to mix with that rub because it really looked like a glaze when it was done, We served it cold all sliced up for the party here. The ham was the talk of the party. When we told everybody what it was, they all laughed and started with the jokes. The new slogan for my place is now, “Come to Beer Mountain and get bear assed.” The one ham served 20 people with some left over. I froze the other ham.”
Below, you’ll see a few process photos from Ronny’s project. –Steven Rinella
Holey Smokes – that looks good, just like a regular ham without the spirals! I’ve never had bear before, and the lengthy process has me thinking…was it more about masking or enhancing the flavor?
Thanks!
Roland
I saw that article over on Field & Stream but life has been biting me in the ass or maybe all over lately so I thought to go back later and read it. Those bear are nice. That was funny about the guy snoring. Just kick him and make him roll over that’s what I would do. Haaahaaahahahah If you really want to mess him up get some marbles and put them in something cold or in the snow. When you want him to move just toss them in his sack. No matter where he goes he won’t be able to escape them because they’ll roll with him. This works great for kids that don’t want to get out of the bed during school time. Not mischievous here by any means. Of course make sure he’s not one that will take a swing at you in his sleep. As far as the car thing, I had a friend that gave me a car after the owner commited suicide. I named it the Hayesmobile. As long as I drove it, it was fine. My dad drives it one time then it catches on fire and burns. He and my mother hid it for a week. lmao.
That is a nice bear. I’ve only seen them in the zoo (black bear) up in Durham, NC but they are here around the house because the DNR move them from town to the game preserve down the road. Oh wait, that’s not true I held a brown bear one time (really nasty lice covered thing) while we were doing radiographs for its spine. It had spondylitis and was in a lot of pain.
Coca Cola works really good because glaze wise it has caramel in it. Well done on your friend for making the most of his meat (not to be funny here but hey take it as it is). I got humor. lmao. You can’t beat grilling either. It just makes your food taste better. I always wondered what bear tasted like. One of my old friend’s man lived up in Michigan. He brought some meat from up there but she said it was antelope because he’d went hunting somewhere. I figured she wasn’t sure where it came from. It was really good. I was cooking venison from the leg muscles soaked in artichoke brine tonight. It was pretty good. I’ll go read that article. Have fun with your endeavors and be safe.
I tried to post this on Field & Stream but an Error Meditation Guru came up so: I WAS DENIED! (Big laugh there. lmao)
) I work out of a tobacco box with a tin roof. Good for writing manifestos~as I have plenty. On a serious note, that had to be the nicest thing that you did for your friend Ronny. Most people would have said, “Dude, I’m sorry you had a lame time. Just take it for a loss and move on.” That’s my brother’s motto. You are righting wrongs all over the place. I know you said that hunt was tough but he was doing something and it wasn’t being handed to him. Some men have to get out there, get there hands dirty, exert themselves and be with their bros. You probably helped that man accomplish a life long dream? Bless your little hunter heart. You keep standing up and act the role model for hunting or just being a ‘man/human being’ you’ll have great things to come. I hope you write more. Somewhere. lmao.
I told you I would come by and read that article Bear Down. Loved it and your writing style as always. I read American Buffalo a couple of weeks ago. You tell on yourself alot between the lines but it was entertaining and informative. That guy didn’t want to get his socks wet? I wouldn’t either or become bear excrement: dilemma there I guess? lmao. That shack is awesome. Its like a scary Man Cave on the Landscape of Nature. I wondered if it came with a banjo? (Just messing with you.
Me and my buddies have been doing smoked bear hams for the past 11 years, can’t beat the taste. Just got back an Aoudad ram ham from the smoker, and despite public opinion about older Aoudad he turned out great.
This looks and sounds amazing. I have not made a ham out of bear before, but guaranteed I will be doing it this month. Now I need to dig out my Field & Steams I have not had a chance to read and look for your story.
I have to get a black bear tag! Hey Steven, in a recent issue of Eastmans Bowhunting Journal, Guy Eastman told a reader “Most people don’t eat bear meat.” Would you straighten him out please?