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.

 

[7PRC Pharmacy]

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.

 

[bushwhacker1975]

where in canada are you going

 

[fowler1416]

Northern SK.

 

[danhuntingmi]

Field Judging Black Bears - DVD - Richard P Smith

Field Judging Black Bears - DVD - Richard P Smith

richardpsmith.com

 

[bushwhacker1975]

Northern SK.

Never been out there my buddy has gone to alberta 2x. Be careful i know his outfitter out there says 5-6 bears a night but when u get there it's sows with yearlings or one bear coming and going. I'm sure not all are like that. New Brunswick has sone giants and where i go i dont realky care to see yearlings i'd rather see nothing while waiting for the big guy. I feel like not seeing something for two -3 days means he's just guarding that bait. I've had night where i thought were perfect but nothing don't give up tho and trust your guide

 

[Maxhunter]

Ground shrinkage is pretty common for bear hunting especially first time hunters. I look at the bait barrel and if they can fit into it there to small. Also look at the ears smaller bears have big ones. Here’s a small bear and a really big one.

 

[Startleflinch]

That is a huge bear there on the right

 

[fowler1416]

Aren't they all smaller this time of year, or have they ben out and eating enough put some good weight on?