The bear is a creature similar to humans

Semën Trifonovich Urkachan points out that you don’t kill such an animal [a bear] lightly, unless you’re truly hungry. "Because, in essence, it is like a human being. It has somehow only become an animal. A bear thinks about everything the way a human does. That’s why you should never speak badly of him thoughtlessly – because he hears and understands everything. […]

Once, a woman made a mistake. After skinning a bear’s paw, she said she would use it to make soles for her husband’s boots, because they would then be especially durable. The day after next, the already fully grown bear cubs approached the boots, after they sniffed out this path – you have to be very sensible and cautious when dealing with bears […]

When gutting a bear, you must be very cautious with the many worms (trichinella) that are often found in bear meat. You have to slice it quickly across the grain before the worms disappear. To be safe – or if you’re unsure – you should cook the meat for a long time, until it comes away from the bone."