Who cares if parts of bears killed on damage complaints are sold, it only makes sense to try to defer the cost of getting rid of them........I think they should be considered vermin instead of big game when they are a problem and have to be removed/neutralized. I wish there was a market for the mice I kill in my carage !

I ran into this thread a little late, but here is what I know about the bears killed on damage control hunts, this being told to me by Enforcement.

The depredation hunters are allowed to run bears on private timber property and onto/into public property. They can kill two bears per permit. If damage continues property owner can ask for another permit, allowing the killing of two more, and so on. Once a bear is killed they are required to remove the bear and take it (hide/skull/claws intact) to a butcher and taxidermist in the Centralia area. The butcher cuts / wraps the meat for local food banks and the taxidermist sells the hides.

Now this was all told to me by a rep for the F&G Enforcement over the phone so I don't know how much is fact and how much is PR.
That being said, I have never heard of an auction or sale of bear parts, never heard of bear meat being given away at food banks and I have heard from depredation hunters who state that they can not touch bears after they are killed.

I'm not sure I believe the food banks part of it.

They're not selling it but I know to sell meat they have to be FDA inspected which also entails having an inspector on site while the killing is taking place. Don't think the FDA has people running around the hills.

I'm pretty sure that isnt necessary sinker... I've had friends donate deer and elk from personal hunts before.