I think I got a good one.

[tommyhawk]

Killed a bear the evening of opening day. I noticed his head, paws and really, everything was bigger than the 2 I’d killed the past 2 years. (3 yrs running!, westside success!)
Anyways, after a grueling break down and multiple trip, pack job, I got back into my solo campsite and crashed.

I left the next day, after a good nights sleep and couldn’t wait to get to a buddies house to show him…all the way, I was hoping he’d hit the 6ft mark. My previous 2 had been 5’ 6” in ‘23 and a really pretty chocolate 5’8” in ‘24.

I get to his house and stretch a tape over the hide, (with the skull in still)
And he reads off, “he’s *censored*in 6’7! And holy *censored* that thing has a huge head!!!” We shared a hug and a couple hi 5’s and I left.

I txt a buddy a picture, and he says, “bud, you better get that skull measured and square that hide.”
Which I didn’t even know how to do.
After learning and measuring, he squares right at 7’!!!After a more careful measurement, he was 88” wide and 80” long!! I got his his skull cleaned and drying, but it looks like it’s gonna land around 19 5/8!

Never measured it without the skull in it, and it’s at the taxidermist for a half body mount.

Couple quick observations-
He had incredibly huge arms and shoulders. Like absolutely jacked. He had forearms, midway as large as my lower thigh. His shoulders absolutely outweighed his hindquarters. (Trust me)
Jet black, no white patch. Very small amount of brown on his scarred up face.
Literally, his flesh smells like the black cap raspberries he was chowing on when I shot him. He’s absolutely delicious.

Quick question- what’s a bear like that weigh? I know he was heavy to move around to break down. Same buddy that helped with the first measurement said, 300+ all day. Substantialy more meat than the last 2, and I guessed them both about 200-230 lbs.
sorry, not a great photo taker.

[ghosthunter]

Good job

[greenhead_killer]

That’s a great bear

[Kingofthemountain83]

Congrats!!!

[Bearhunter308]

Nice bear!

[Dan-o]

Congrats.

That's a tank!

[Scruffy]

Congrats on your bear, that's a nice one.   

You were wondering what it might weigh, it's hard to say.  I got this guy in 2005.  I remember he was 6 ft nose to tail and I think the skull measured 19 15/16" just under book minimum.  I took him to get weighed and he was 390 Lbs field dressed.  Wardens put him around 450 Lbs live weight.

[dilleytech]

That’s a great one. Not a giant but a very respectable bear. My longest hide was 7.5’ skull was 20.75”. 395# gutted. Those big ones are really hard to move around. But the best part is all the fat some of those big ones have!

[Boss .300 winmag]

Nicely done.👍

I’m a member of the 7” foot club as well.😉

[GeoSwan]

How many game bags did that take?

[tommyhawk]

I had 2 of the extra large bags with me. (Almost big enough for me to get inside, you can see them in the background in the photo on my tailgate) I Had all the meat stored in one at the kill site. And used the other to shuttle loads.

Thanks everyone for the kind words.

[lewy]

Any field pics? Good bear

[pianoman9701]

Gorgeous bear. Well done on saving some fawns.

[high_hunter]

Nice work on your continued success!  Great bear and glad to hear he's a tasty one at that!

[Karl Blanchard]

Great bear! Congratulations!

[tommyhawk]

Any field pics? Good bear

I took one awful picture. It doesn’t really show sz. He died on a small bench on a steep hillside. I was standing above him 8-10ft and he was kind of piled up below me. I didn’t want to stop and take time for any photos. I had a ton of work to do and a small amount of time to do it in. Not a great picture taker, I tend to be alone most often, and don’t always share pictures.

[huntnfmly]

Congrats
Great bear and write up thank you for sharing

[Pathfinder101]

That's a great looking bear! 

[bearhunter99]

Great bear!  My biggest was 7' 6" nose to tail. tooth data came back as 21.5 yrs old. He was an old warrior with an old broken leg (basically skin and bone and atrophied to his chest) and missing half his front paw. Winched him to a road and could barely get him in the back of the full sized Blazer.  Field dressed he was 475#.  I truly regret not getting field pictures back then.