How to Size Up a Black Bear: 10 Criteria

A wild bear, upon first sight, always appears enormous. That’s why, on your first bear hunt, you shouldn’t kill the first bear you see. Only if your skilled guide suddenly hisses “Take him!” should you consider breaking this rule.

Examining a bear’s physical characteristics is the most reliable way to tell if it is an adult bear worth killing or a juvenile to be avoided. Beyond those indicators, observing the bear’s personality and its interactions with other bears might shed light on its age, size, and social standing.

1. Initial Impressions

A huge bear could be the first thing that comes to mind. However, one shouldn’t always rely on one’s first impressions. It would be difficult, for example, to estimate the bear’s size if there were nothing else of comparable mass in the vicinity. It is quite hard to estimate size in the wild if it goes out into a coastal flat or into a clover field.

Bear hunters might use the bait’s container as an indicator of the bear’s size. In this situation, the outfitter will provide suggestions based on the size of the barrel. Certain length logs are also placed out by some guides. The bear is kept if its length is greater than that of the log.

How many distinct bear species are there?

The World’s Eight (8) Bear Species

1- North American Black Bear (Ursus Americanus): Kermode or Spirit bear, colors: black, bluish-black, brown, and white. The most prevalent bear in North America is the North American Black Bear, which may be found from Florida north through Canada and up to Alaska. It is typical for black bears to go through a black and brown-color phase. Northwestern British Columbia, Canada, is where the white color phase is more uncommon to appear. The black bear eats everything. Their diet consists primarily of plant materials. About 8 years old is when males achieve their adult size. In the boreal forest parts of Ontario, females mate and give birth to cubs from 5 to 7 years of age, and at 8 years and older. Males may weigh up to 280 kg (600 lbs), and sometimes even more. In the wild, black bears can live up to 25 years. Although older bears have been seen, human activity (hunting) prevents the bulk of bears from living beyond old age.

2- Ursus Arctos, the brown bear many subspecies. Alaska, western Canada, and portions of Washington, Montana, and Wyoming are all home to brown bears. Small individual populations can be found all across Asia and portions of Europe. Brown bears are presently seen in good numbers in Russia. Brown bears can be almost-black, brown, or extremely light brown or blonde in hue. Size varies significantly based on region and the availability of food in general. The biggest bears, known as “Big Browns,” can reach sizes that are comparable to Polar Bears off the coasts of Alaska and Russia. The inner bears of Europe’s highlands and the North American Rocky highlands (Grizzly Bears) are often significantly smaller. Bears that weigh 1500 pounds (700 kilograms) or more are currently extremely rare.