Bear Meat Processing Facilities

Butchering big game is not a simple task. If you don’t have the know-how, the time or equipment to do it properly yourself, commercial facilities are available. Be sure to contact a butcher prior to your hunt unless you plan to do it yourself. If you are hiring a Registered Maine Guide, they may have  contacted a meat processor already. The following establishments have indicated an interest in processing black bear. This list is provided for informational purposes only and in no way implies Department endorsement.

Note: Since this publication needs to be developed earlier in the year, some errors may exist in the list of meat processors identified below. The listed, meat processors were confirmed in 2020.

The services each provides are indicated in the Code column and are coded as follows:

• C = Cutting
• W = Wrapping
• V = Vacuum
• F = Freezing
• S = Frozen Storage
• N = Skinning

Hunters for the Hungry Program

Hunters for the Hungry is a cooperative program between The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) within The Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. This program provides a means for hunters to donate all or a portion of their hunt (moose, bear, or deer) to a family in need. Learn more about Hunters for the Hungry on the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry website.