avg bear weights in washington

[wheels]

just wondering what the average weight of bears by areas of wa like coast north east and so on , which may have the largest

[PolarBear]

If you go by what folks post online the average is around 400 pounds!    In reality there are more bears killed that are under 200 than any other size.   

[duckmen1]

I'd say 150 to 175.
I've killed 3 and the biggest was 250.
Smallest was 125.
Biggest I've seen was 400 plus pounds during late spring early summer

[deaner]

If you go by what folks post online the average is around 400 pounds!    In reality there are more bears killed that are under 200 than any other size.   

yeah and the avg whitetail posted online dressed out at 260 , even the little forked horns

[wheels]

maybe i sh bould have asked this question what part of state has the largrst bears

[D-Rock425]

You can find big bears throughout the state.  I not sure anyone part of the state has bigger bears than the other.

[Eli346]

 A friend of mine shot a bear 5 years ago that was a full body, skinned, headless, and paws taken off that was 378 lbs weighed whole at the butcher. Only reason we took it in to the butcher is it was shot the day before we left for deer season, modern rifle. I don't know what a skull and cape weigh but I'm guessing at least 70 lbs. It was shot in October in western Washington in Satsop GMU. It's in the NW Big Game books at 19 3/16".

[deadyote]

My  biggest bear weighed in at 137 lbs hanging at the butcher.  Not sure what it would have weighed live.  Someone smarter than me would probably have a guess at the live weight.

[billythekidrock]

My  biggest bear weighed in at 137 lbs hanging at the butcher.  Not sure what it would have weighed live.  Someone smarter than me would probably have a guess at the live weight.

Most estimators I have seen say 16% added will give a live weight and over time I have seen that to be pretty close on most that I have killed. So about 160lbs live is a fair estimate.

[Timberstalker]

My  biggest bear weighed in at 137 lbs hanging at the butcher.  Not sure what it would have weighed live.  Someone smarter than me would probably have a guess at the live weight.

Most estimators I have seen say 16% added will give a live weight and over time I have seen that to be pretty close on most that I have killed. So about 160lbs live is a fair estimate.

So you are saying the head, hide and guts only would has weighed 23 lbs?
That seems a bit askew.

[billythekidrock]

My  biggest bear weighed in at 137 lbs hanging at the butcher.  Not sure what it would have weighed live.  Someone smarter than me would probably have a guess at the live weight.

Most estimators I have seen say 16% added will give a live weight and over time I have seen that to be pretty close on most that I have killed. So about 160lbs live is a fair estimate.

So you are saying the head, hide and guts only would has weighed 23 lbs?
That seems a bit askew.

No, guts only. I apparently I was still sleeping and missed "at the butcher". On a bear that size the head/hide would weight about 50lbs.

So probably in 215-225lb range live.

[Timberstalker]

My  biggest bear weighed in at 137 lbs hanging at the butcher.  Not sure what it would have weighed live.  Someone smarter than me would probably have a guess at the live weight.

Most estimators I have seen say 16% added will give a live weight and over time I have seen that to be pretty close on most that I have killed. So about 160lbs live is a fair estimate.

So you are saying the head, hide and guts only would has weighed 23 lbs?
That seems a bit askew.

No, guts only. I apparently I was still sleeping and missed "at the butcher". On a bear that size the head/hide would weight about 50lbs.

So probably in 215-225lb range live.

Makes good sense with what I have encountered on the bears I have killed.

[D-Rock425]

That weight sounds about right.

[JohnVH]

Ive only shot one, but we boned 100lbs of meat off it, according to a scale.  Not sure on live weight. The taxidermist said it was above average size. It was a fair bit bigger than another guy that was bringing one in while I was there.

[washingtonmuley]

 

If you go by what folks post online the average is around 400 pounds!    In reality there are more bears killed that are under 200 than any other size.   

[jackmaster]

The biggest we got was 556 lbs about a mile outside of orting  but mostly the one we killed were 150 to 250, we have killed a couple that tipped the 300 lb Mark, my little brother killed one that didn't quite make 100 but it was the best eatn bear out of all of them.

[wheels]

i have second question how about qaunity or oppertunity

[RadSav]

Weight has a lot to do with time of year and berry crop by area.  An August bear in a bad berry year will be considerably smaller by weight than the same bear in October during a good berry year.  Skull size is a different story all together.  You can refer to the Washington record book for good information on best locations by skull size.  Washington seems to have good bear most everywhere.

As far as opportunity I would venture to say it's easier to find bear in the NE and high cascades due to concentration of food source and visibility.  Although I believe the coast has more bear per square mile.  I have not read the states published reports in that regard so that is just my personal opinion.

[rasbo]

165 to a little over 200 has been the average for me,I have one the weighed 350 gutted,he was a dog bear...the wetside has a ton of bears,being where they are comfortable is a real plus and knowing some routes the males work for breeding really helps..this one was taken at 10 feet,sorry for the pic I didnt have a digital camera at the time

[Hangfire]

According to the book Black Bear of Washington by Richard Poelker and Harry Hartwell ( 1973),  There is a tremendous difference in size of Black bear of the same age. The mean live weight of 5+ year old males was 220.6 pounds, females of the same age was 142.4 pounds. Examples of the size deviation  for 3 year old males captured in June ranged from 68 to 165 pounds. One 3 year old male captured in September weighted 358 pounds. Male cubs captured in September ranged in size from 18 to 60 pounds.  The largest male weighted was 444 pounds. The largest female was 246 pounds. They remarked that size was not a good indicator of age or sex.

Of interest is the color of Black bears. The coastal bear were very high percent black phase, while west slope of the cascades more brown color.

The study was mostly western Washington.

[Gutpile]

I read somewhere that the average is 200. I've never actually weighed one but 3 of my 5 were five footers and I'd say pretty close to 200.

[wheels]

thanks for all the good info

[MtnMuley]

165lbs is what I'd say the average non-cub/juvenile bear in Washington state is.

[Jonathan_S]

Most bears I see killed are 160-230ish.  Anywhere in that range is normal and anything larger than 250 is a good bear.  300+ is very good and 400+ is almost non-existent, it is a true trophy. 

The weights you'll read on here are greatly exaggerated... "Keep in mind I'm 6' 5" 260 lbs so this bear is bigger than it looks."

[mountainman]

Unless they are actual weighed numbers..

[Jonathan_S]

Unless they are actual weighed numbers..

What I meant was, overall weights should be taken with a grain of salt.

[Buckmark]

maybe i sh bould have asked this question what part of state has the largrst bears

Quinault indian reservation, they have a way of fattening them up...

[JackOfAllTrades]

maybe i sh bould have asked this question what part of state has the largrst bears

I have seen some pretty large bears in Skamania area. One I took down that way squares just over 6'. Never put a scale on him in the field, but had 200 on the hook at the butcher. Rainier National Park has some brutes. I've seen some much larger in the north/central cascade high country. Don't expect the big heads as the norm (like what's on Vancouver Island), the gene pool seems to be different.  I have seen some real brutes in NE Wa. but on the same day seen smaller ones.
 
Some of the credible publications list the average adult male in the 190 pound range. Anything smaller would generally be an immature or under nourished animal. A male larger than that would approach a quality bear for Wa. (Hide and color phase not withstanding) A black bear in Wa. more than 300 pounds would be a real trophy here. -And they do exist in just about all areas of the state. There just aren't as many of the big ones.
 
-Steve

[boneaddict]

165-180 would be a good average, as stated, there is a lot of variety.  Some of us are better at finding groceries than others.   The boyz tend to be bigger.  The big ones are where you find them.   The average on huntwa and in magazines tend to be about 100 pounds heavier than they really are.   A 300 pound bear is a trophy in this state.  Best way to win a contest guessing bear weights, take your best guess, then knock 50 pounds off.

[Jonathan_S]

Best way to win a contest guessing bear weights, take your best guess, then knock 50 pounds off.

Only 50?   

I recall last fall Bearpaw saying that a lot of bear weights he would estimate are off by 50%

[Hornseeker]

I had the good fortune of growing up hunting hounds in the late 70's all through the 80's right up to the 96 ban... My dad and a few of his buddies hunted hard, 3+ days a week during any open season, whether it was bakc in the day when there were spring seasons or damage hunts on through the fall. The cool part was, we weighed every bear we killed... there were a few years that only meant 8 or 10.... and there were years that meant 30. I think overall, I looked at about 200 bears hanging on a scales. My dad and his buds probably saw another 200+ with another layer of buds extending that to several hundred more bears on scales. I say that, just because they all talked and shared weights and such... plus the hound clubs had big bear contests... so they usually had a big one weighed with a witness so they could turn it in...

The vast majority of these bears were 130-175 pounds, no guts. There were 60 pounders... and there were 400 pounders. The bears we called "big" seemed to always be about 220-240 pounds and they were rare for sure. I remember a 375 and a 404. There was one bear from Sultan that we, very regrettably, did not weigh... he was undoubtedly over 500#... had 11 inches of fat on his back...

Most of these bears were killed in one of three locations, Stampede, Snoqualmie Tree Farm, or NE around Cusick.....

Anyhow... big is gutted over 200 for me... huge is over 300. anything bigger than that is just awesome... I know a guy in cusick that has a picture of 3 bears hanging from his apple tree... from 2 days of hunting... the biggest was 396, I think one was 358 and the other 348.... That was an unreal couple days.

[wheels]

mentioning heads  wats good size range

[RadSav]

mentioning heads  wats good size range

When shooting heads I like 'em inside 150 yards.  But it sure makes a mess of the skull mount

Oh, size range! Anything over 18" is usually one heck of a nice Washington bear. Or anywhere for that matter!  I see pics every year of 20" bear here in Washington, but they are definitely hard to find.  I've measured well over 100 bear from Oregon, Washington and BC.  I can only remember five that broke 20" and definitely only one over 21". My spring bear last year was one heck of an old bear and only went 17 2/8".  I'd shoot him again any day as he's one fantastic bear!  So nice that he will be full size in the house soon!  My biggest Washington skull was a bear I only shot to put out of his misery.  He was old, almost toothless, wormy and had very little hair on his face or legs.  I bet he didn't weight 150# in October and wouldn't have made it through the winter.  I was surprised when the green tape said over 20"!  Quite the nice reward for a mercy killing.

[Hornseeker]

Im with Rad on heads... those bigger boars we killed... that weighed 225 on up through the low 300's commonly had 17 3/4 to 18 3/4 inch heads. My dad plugged a 375# bear in the NE that had a 20 1/2 inch head... I dont think of all the many hundreds of bears we and our compadres killed and we heard about...not ONE made all time boone (21"). That is a HUGE noggin....

I read a book by Ralph Flowers, but cannot remember the details... he measured a few skulls in his days and I am thinking he didn't have any booners either...

[DOUBLELUNG]

If you go by what folks post online the average is around 400 pounds!    In reality there are more bears killed that are under 200 than any other size.   

yeah and the avg whitetail posted online dressed out at 260 , even the little forked horns

You mean those big, old declining regressors?