First bear would have made state record book

[billythekidrock]

Well I shot my first bear last aug on opening day in the first three hours. It was a good size bear that was around 300 live weight and the paw was 6" across. I just had the skull measured and it was 18 11/16 but has a crak so it can be counted offical. It's cool that it was that big for the first one I've shot.

Congrats.

[DaveBTS]

My bear last year had a scar on the side of his nose; and a subsequent fracture to the skull. Because the fracture had fused/healed, it was able to be scored. Plus, it makes for a cool looking skull mount.

[rasbo]

wow ..I shot a bear a few yrs back that came after me while hiking in for deer,I shot the bear at point blank range in the face with a 270..we tracked the bear for a mile and a half until rain kept us from finding anything...The last sign ended up near eatonville..that would be something if that was the bear,he was right at 6inches across the pad

[carpsniperg2]

  that would be crazy right there

[saylean]

Archery I think is 18 inches for state book
Modern is 20 inches I believe...

of course, maybe he got it with a smoke pole. 

grats on a fine sounding bear...now wheres the pics!

State minimums are quite a bit smaller in some cases. The 20 inches you quoted is for BC.
WA State min for rifle is only 18.5.
Archery is 18 and Muzzy is 18.

Demontag already corrected me Billy!

Thanks for the clarification guys...I couldnt remember right..

[Michelle_Nelson]

You mean it had a crack and couldn't be officially scored?  What kinda crack and do you have pictures of the crack?

[demontang]

Yeah both the bones that you measure the width on have cracked in two now that it has set and dried. I think that I boiled it to long Its not to big of a deal Im sure ill shoot another bear. Ill try and get pics of it on here today or tomorrow.

[DaveBTS]

Rasbo- he would have been a well-traveled bear to get to where I shot him from Eatonville. My buddy saw this bear 3 times in one week and never could get a shot at him. I shot him at 32 yards, then he ran to within 6 feet of me. Quite a rush.

[rasbo]

Rasbo- he would have been a well-traveled bear to get to where I shot him from Eatonville. My buddy saw this bear 3 times in one week and never could get a shot at him. I shot him at 32 yards, then he ran to within 6 feet of me. Quite a rush.

COOL.I really hoped to hear of this bear being found or tagged

[Copperwood]

I want a bear so bad. Nice job