Looks like a good size black bear.

[Dean2]

If you guys don't want to keep the hides, hunt them on private land. Hell, you don't even need a tag. It is REALLY easy to get permission given the damage bears do to crops, graineries, Bee hives etc.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder76

It’s a beauty bear regardless. My favourite colour phase still remains black. Their hides are glossy and full looking.

Yeah for me I like the reddish cinnamon phase but have never seen one big enough. A lot of the places I started hunting color phase were very uncommon and never seen one for the first 15 years. Started seeing more as I switched locations and the color phase became more common in B.C.

It’s like just the fact I have only shot 1 5’6” chocolate and every thing else has been black so it would be different

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Dean2

If you guys don't want to keep the hides, hunt them on private land. Hell, you don't even need a tag. It is REALLY easy to get permission given the damage bears do to crops, graineries, Bee hives etc.

Not the style of bear hunt I enjoy and the pursuit itself is more important than just taking a bear. It would seem odd knocking on doors and being restricted to private land.

Under present laws I likely won’t by another bear tag in Alberta and just go to B.C. to hunt them with family if I decide to hunt bears

It is what it is and I haven’t seen any sigh of it changing

[Pekan]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder76

Here are another couple of big colour phases. These two had exceptional hides.

Nice colour on those two.

[reddeerhunter]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

So I talked to my cousin and got proper details. 6’8” was hide off 6’2” is hide on nose to tail. Good bear not a giant. This bear will likely be a 19- 19 1/2 inch skull because it’s not the biggest head

Not the best pics but clear to share these. He is not the best camera man lol






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

6ft bear nose to tail makes 18" p&y net dry


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by reddeerhunter

6ft bear nose to tail makes 18" p&y net dry


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

6’2” measured not guessed so 6” is close. He always uses a tape and never guesses. Once he has the skull cleaned it will be measured and exact number can be given. Knowing the area and the genetics well from measuring a ton of skulls from the area they are very much so bone heads with longer than average noses. On average the boars in the 5’6” range are breaking 18” so I would be in shock if it’s 18”. Most bears in the area are breaking 19” once they hit 5’10”. They are definitely different proportions than most Alberta bears

If you are curious how accurate your guess is on this bear I can let you know what the skull measures out to when a tapes put on it

I know how big my cousins mitts are lol. I also have seen more pictures than I posted

This is just a good bear from the area not a giant.

If you want I can post a pic of my wife’s bear from the area and I bet it will throw you off. Skull sits here was scored by multiple people and the bear had a tape put on it so know guessing on anything. It’s one of those bears that throws everyone off and I know others that passed on it before she shot it

In the end even I am guessing on skull size and can be off too. I am just going off of a lot of experience with the bears in the area and pics including ones not posted. When you are talking small measurements about a skull under flesh & hide going by pictures anyone can be off

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by reddeerhunter

6ft bear nose to tail makes 18" p&y net dry


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just for fun nothing more tell me what you think this bear went body and skull

This is my wife’s from that area before we moved


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Smoky buck]

Here I will add this one too. I also know the tape on this one. Same area in B.C.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by reddeerhunter

6ft bear nose to tail makes 18" p&y net dry


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just a little up date on that bear. We both under estimated it by a lot and even my cousin was thinking it was smaller

Green score 20 3/4

[Lunkerhunter]

This whole thread has been full of amazing photos of large bears. Very neat reading about the genetic influence on bone vs meatheads. Based on smoky’s last photos and description I’m guessing those went book and defied common perception. (I have no clue personally about skull measurements but the melon on your wife’s bear does seem huge)

Great lesson in just hunt for the experience, be happy with the opportunity and the one you fold your tag on and you might just be surprised by what is hidden under the cape when the tape hits it.

The hide rule in AB is kind of whack. “WASTED” is kind of a general term no? Can you bait more bears with it? Feed the magpies? Nurture a Wolfpack? Asking for a friend…


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Lunkerhunter

This whole thread has been full of amazing photos of large bears. Very neat reading about the genetic influence on bone vs meatheads. Based on smoky’s last photos and description I’m guessing those went book and defied common perception. (I have no clue personally about skull measurements but the melon on your wife’s bear does seem huge)

Great lesson in just hunt for the experience, be happy with the opportunity and the one you fold your tag on and you might just be surprised by what is hidden under the cape when the tape hits it.

The hide rule in AB is kind of whack. “WASTED” is kind of a general term no? Can you bait more bears with it? Feed the magpies? Nurture a Wolfpack? Asking for a friend…


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Always support hunting with personal goals and limitations as hunting should be challenging yourself. But that can include harvest goals that in age or score. In the end if a guy tags an animal he is happy with all is good

You can still get a good judge on body size, sex, and a rough idea on skull size with research/experience. But as you see even from this thread experienced guys can guess wrong. Personally I look mostly at body size and sex when judging bears in the field. I still look at the head but I know it’s tougher to judge score. The genetics in different areas can make things interesting too. I hunted bears in a lot of different parts of BC and found they can be very different body and head depending on location

Wife’s bear 5’11” 19 5/8 or 3/4( going by memory as I can’t read the tag because I am in northern BC at the moment)

The muzzle loader bear 5’10” 19 1/8

Those two bears have a very different look but they are similar