Bear Oil

Photo:  Creative Commons, 2.0

Both black and grizzly bears were highly prized by the Lewis and Clark Expedition – primarily as a source of high-quality protein. But not only were bears an important food source, they were also a valuable source of oil and fat.

One of Captain Lewis’s journal entries mentions the amount of oil harvested from a bear kill in August 1806: “a white bear came within 50 paces of our camp before we perceived it…we seized our guns…it was a female in fine order, we fleesed it and extracted several gallons of oil.”

The men would have used the oil for waterproofing, lubrication, insect control, and cooking. Today, bear oil is also used to soothe and moisturize skin, for pain relief, hair and beard care, and for a variety of cooking techniques. Author Jim Garry in his book, “Weapons of the Lewis and Clark Expedition,” states that, “Old timers I have worked with in the mountains relate that once you have used bear grease, lard and even butter pale in comparison.”