bear identification

[bdg848]

Does anyone know of a "quiz" for judging/identifying size and sex of black bears? Something like a series of pictures or a video with a bear and then you make a guess and see if you were right. I'm trying to practice judging them but haven't found anything particularly useful yet. Maybe you could post a link to something that helped you out.

 

[Huckleberry Hound]

Several states have bear id tests on their websites that you have to take to hunt bears in areas with grizz. WA, i believe ID & MT, maybe more. Theyre all pretty stupid easy though. The only reason theyre needed is because of color phase bears, but the tests still have some pictures of black blackies, which is pointless. I can kind of understand people making mistakes with colors that overlap black and grizz, but who the hell would ever think a bear with jet black fur could be a grizzly? Should only have color phase blackies on the tests.

 

[KHNC]

Typically, a sow has a light brown muzzle. Some are darker, but you will probably never see anything but a very dark muzzle on a boar. Also, the shoulders are broader on a boar, with a wide stance. You will probably know for sure if you see a mature boar. A sow will have thin "wrists" and narrower shoulders than the butt. In canada, on bait barrel hunts, they use a 55 gal drum. If you can fit the bear in the barrel, its not a mature bear. This time of year, the boars will be fat an fluffy!