First bear hunt

[fowler1416]

going on my first black bear hunt in a couple months. are there any good tips or resources for determining male vs female? shooter vs non shooter? This will be in Canada.

 

[HouseCL]

type into YouTube “field judging black bears” and you will find plenty of info

 

[StuckoYota99]

If you're hunting over bait it may be a bit easier to judge. But HouseCL is right check out YouTube and search it up on forums. Doug Boze is a good resource too.

Look at the ears compared to the head. Small ears - bigger bear
Big ears - small bear.

Dominant older bears walk around like they own the place. Smaller younger bears are skittish and constantly look around for threats.
Younger bears have long gangly legs like puppies. Older bears legs look shorter and their bellies are closer to the ground.

Be patient and take your time.

 

[medvedyt]

as written be patient take the time and on a bait wait as the youngers (aka smaller) will come first when the bigger one will come do not make any noise the other ones will leave on a rush then you will know he is the boss of the place. always remember bears look bigger than they are really are and take some areas to check the size like a barrel or big piece of wood and if you can and have the time shoot another one just in case. do not rush to look for it wait and take your time again.

 

[mike.adams.467]

You will probably think the first bear you see is big, if you haven't seen one in the wild before. These guys give you sage advice. Watch a bunch of videos and do research, or you may be disappointed after you pull the trigger.