Color Phase of WA Bears?

[steen]

My husband shot  dark chocolate bear with a white V on it's chest 13 years ago. I shot a blonde bear a year ago, both from the east side.  I've seen mostly black bears other than that, some chocolates.  I don't think the white on the chest is considered color phase.

[boneaddict]

I never considered a black bear with white on it's chest a color phase bear...am I under the wrong impression?

Two different characteristics, you are on the same page

[huntnnw]

Reason for color phase on the eastside is the dry and usually more open terrain is why they are shades of brown to blend in better and blacks for the westside due to the dark and wet timber and to hide in the shadows better.

[Skyvalhunter]

Has anyone on here seen a blue one?  Glacier bear?

Only pics from a guide I had in Ak that used to guide for them out of Yakutat Ak

[Watimberghost]

I agree with a lot of you guys on here. From what I've seen the color can be very region specific. There are a few spots that we hunt on the eastside where 70+% color phase is the norm. And 3 "big" drainages away we see 70+% black bears.   

Not including the high country west of the pct, but from the foothills of the cascades west to the coast, I have never seen anything besides a black bear.

[Woodchuck]

Different bears, Approx 40 miles apart as the crow flies

[casey58]

We spotted 17 two seasons ago, on the east side 10 out of 13 were color fazed from cinnamon to blond, the west side 3 were black and one blond cub.  This last year we only spotted 2, the 1 on the east side was blond and the one on the west was was black.

[MtnMuley]

Over the last ten years, the color phased bears in my neck of the woods have equaled the blacks.  Some years you'll see more colors and other years you'll see more blacks.  About 50/50 these days I'd say.

[snowpack]

For the wetside I've never seen a bear in any other color than dark black.  Not even a white chest mark.  The only variation has been some have a little brown on the muzzle.  (this is for coastal units)

[RadSav]

Reason for color phase on the eastside is the dry and usually more open terrain is why they are shades of brown to blend in better and blacks for the westside due to the dark and wet timber and to hide in the shadows better.

Why is it every bear I've ever seen in both AZ (about 30) and CA (maybe 18) have been black while better than 50% in Alberta have been cinnamon?  Maybe I'm just lucky and hunt where the freaks live

[Jonathan_S]

Out of the 30-40 bears I had on camera this past fall, I doubt more than 12-15 were black. 

NE bears

Three blonde/red phases and most were chocolate brown.

[mountainman]

95 % colr phase in Arizona, 100 % black in Alaska. Generally, color phase spend more time on south slopes, black on northern slopes. Not always, but generally. Personal sightings "bear" this out

[RadSav]

95 % color phase in Arizona, 100 % black in Alaska. Generally, color phase spend more time on south slopes, black on northern slopes. Not always, but generally. Personal sightings "bear" this out

Hmmm.  That's interesting! 

Brings a question to mind.  Now if a sow has one blonde and one black cub did she give birth to each on different sides of the mountain 

Guess I had a "Hot" spot in AZ 

[REHJWA]

I think it's more like Labs. It's all genetics. 

[6.8mmARHunter]

Has anyone on here seen a blue one?  Glacier bear?

I've never seen one, but they apparently do exist:

http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Glacier_Bear