Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Bear Hunting => Topic started by: tjthebest on June 02, 2014, 10:44:44 AM

Title: Bear. Size?
Post by: tjthebest on June 02, 2014, 10:44:44 AM: Here is a bear on my trail camera. Ears look pretty small. Seems like a pretty big one? What do you all think? Compare it to a bobcat and a deer in the same spot.
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: h20hunter on June 02, 2014, 10:52:59 AM: I'd say fairly average....decent little shooter if you can find him away from any bait. I'd pop him.
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: TheFewTheProud on June 02, 2014, 11:09:51 AM: What is the attractant you are using?
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: jkononen on June 02, 2014, 11:50:10 AM: Looks bigger than average to me.
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: Dhoey07 on June 02, 2014, 11:52:56 AM: Looks average, he's no belly dragger but I wouldn't hesitate to pop it
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: skagitsteel on June 02, 2014, 11:54:29 AM: hard to say from that angle, get some more pics! At least average or a little bigger I would say
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: kodiak 907 on June 02, 2014, 12:06:37 PM: Quote from: jkononen on June 02, 2014, 11:50:10 AM
Looks bigger than average to me.

:yeah:
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: tjthebest on June 03, 2014, 11:01:54 AM: Cant remember what the bait was. Some sort of apple flavor block thing. Trying to attract deer with it but this guy showed up.
Here are some more pics.
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: Decker on June 04, 2014, 11:31:32 PM: Be careful hunting in that area. As far as I know, baiting includes getting pictures of bears which you intend to hunt, even if it's not right over the bait. If you're in the area, and shoot it, you might get popped for illegal baiting.

Looks about average, MAYBE a little over.
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: RadSav on June 05, 2014, 02:27:26 AM: Monster? Probably not, but definitely above average. You have to remember this is a spring bear. So you have to pay a bit more attention to the head, shoulders and muzzle. This bear has a great head and muzzle. Reasonbly good shoulders too. Add another 80 or more for fall weight...dang nice bear!
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: Alpinehunter on June 05, 2014, 07:46:00 PM: What are you guys calling average?
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: RadSav on June 05, 2014, 07:58:23 PM: Quote from: Alpinehunter on June 05, 2014, 07:46:00 PM
What are you guys calling average?

From what I see on this and other sites...I think most call 250# average.

In reality the average black bear, according to my NW bio sources, is 130-150#. So that is what I generally call average. When guiding Oregon our average harvest weight was right around 200#. But we passed on a serious number of small ones. Biggest was 548# when we got it to the Bumble Bee factory. Smallest was 85# after the guy swore he had shot a 300# bear :o Ooops! :chuckle: Just by dumb luck, I suppose, we never did tag a sow.
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: Bofire on June 05, 2014, 07:58:36 PM: I'd guess 5 foot maybe, no more than 180-200 in this pic. I think that weight generous. I think that I heard somewhere "average' here is small 5 foot and 200.
Carl
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: billythekidrock on June 05, 2014, 08:01:10 PM: Quote from: Bofire on June 05, 2014, 07:58:36 PM
I'd guess 5 foot maybe, no more than 180-200 in this pic. I think that weight generous. I think that I heard somewhere "average' here is small 5 foot and 200.
Carl

I was thinking about the same. 200 max.
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: Alpinehunter on June 05, 2014, 08:07:15 PM: Radsav I believe your right on the money at 130-150. That being said, you'd be crazy to call that bear average. I know one thing. I'd hang my tag on it.
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: RadSav on June 05, 2014, 08:31:36 PM: I think Bofire is right as to weight in the pic. I also think he could be pushing 250-260 come October. Maybe even more if we have a good berry year!
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: tjthebest on June 10, 2014, 10:10:26 AM: The round clump of bait was the size of a softball. He is definitely a shooter in my books. thanks for the opinions guys!
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: pjb3 on June 18, 2014, 06:36:11 PM: WOW, some big differences in opinion on weight of that guy, I'd say 175
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: huntnnw on June 18, 2014, 11:43:03 PM: That bear is under 200lbs
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: bearkautz on June 19, 2014, 12:35:22 AM: 125-130 with guts . little 3 year old . I would let em go .
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: RadSav on June 19, 2014, 02:57:46 AM: Quote from: huntnnw on June 18, 2014, 11:43:03 PM
That bear is under 200lbs

Do you think he is smaller than 180? What weight do you think that deer is?

I was thinking that doe on the hoof is more than 75# I'm not the spring bear expert you are, but I was still thinking he is 6" taller than she is and maybe 125% heavier. If she is 80# that would put him at 180#. I am assuming you are more experienced than I am with spring bear. So I wanted to see how close the two of us are to one another.

Length of his ears to his nose is really good using the deer's head as a solid reference. Ears are well located too. That is what makes me think he will put on so much weight come October.
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: huntnnw on June 19, 2014, 03:05:23 AM: Id say it weighs around 150ish or smaller...hide is decieving right now...the leg hair is 6-8" long making spring bears look alot bigger.. back not so much as it lays down, but the butt down to the pads it is really thick and long and so is the front legs from arm pit to pad. The pic where he is turned head on really shows how narrow he is u minus the hide and he starts getting pretty small...they lose a ton of weight over winter. He will gain 40+ pounds now till October tho.
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: RadSav on June 19, 2014, 03:42:41 AM: Wow! I wasn't expecting that! I did notice how narrow he was. Very little fat for sure. But 150 or less, really!!! I would have never guessed that light! I've killed a lot of verified 150#ish blacktails and thought he would out weight them for sure. Though I suppose if you figure that deer at 75# instead of 80 and then take 125% that puts him at 168. So off by 18# from there I expect is reasonable. Thanks for responding so fast as I am always curious your thoughts when it comes to bear.

Even our control bears we darted or killed in the spring on the Oregon coast carried fat and had a reasonable girth. These skinny sleepers up here often times get me out of my comfort zone. They just look funny to me in the spring. Hopefully tjthebest will stick him this year and we can at least get a real fall weight on him! Would give us an idea how close we were :dunno:
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: rasbo on June 19, 2014, 03:59:47 AM: short and stocky,healthy looking bear 235 lbs,nice melon for a young guy
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: huntnnw on June 19, 2014, 04:00:53 AM: hes very short too
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: huntnnw on June 19, 2014, 04:03:10 AM: now if this was a fall bear pic Id say 200ish..you really cant see hair in the pics (length) whats under that hide is the decieving part in the spring.
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: RadSav on June 19, 2014, 04:10:09 AM: Quote from: huntnnw on June 19, 2014, 04:03:10 AM
now if this was a fall bear pic Id say 200ish..you really cant see hair in the pics (length) whats under that hide is the decieving part in the spring.

Like this guy! I thought he would go 250+ when I shot him in the spring. 205 maybe 210 is all he was! (if Dale's scale was accurate) ;) Pic is not long armed. My chest is probably 12" away from his chest. I weigh 235 on a good day!
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: jkononen on June 19, 2014, 06:25:57 AM: Looks like he's about to hit the dirt again with that strap slipping off his head.
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: RadSav on June 19, 2014, 03:08:41 PM: Quote from: jkononen on June 19, 2014, 06:25:57 AM
Looks like he's about to hit the dirt again with that strap slipping off his head.

Slippery little buggers! :chuckle:
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: WSU on June 19, 2014, 03:16:44 PM: It looks just like every bear my buddies and I have ever shot. 350+ lbs!
Title: Re: Bear. Size?
Post by: tjthebest on June 25, 2014, 08:46:37 AM: Adding a SOW and cubs. Same place just different angle.