Is this a boar or a sow?

[billy molls]

Hello fellow bear hunters! You are looking at an Alaskan brown bear. We all know that boars are generally bigger than sows. What sex, and how big do you think this brownie is?

Alot of the fun/challenge of brown bear guiding is that you are never 100% sure of what you have shot until you walk up on them.

Hunting Dall sheep used to be my favorite type of hunting, but now that I am a bit older, a bit more patient, and I seem to mind 40 mph winds and week long rains less, hunting brown and grizzly bears has to be my favorite.

So tell me what you see in these pics!!!! thanks!

 

[bearguide]

looks like a sow to me, but it could be a young boar. it is always hard to tell. so i would look for a bigger older one

 

[IrishnId]

I would say a sow. Just something about the shape of her head. Seems a little pointy and not squared like a boars.

 

[Blayne St. James]

Looks like a real young boar, really hard to tell though. Guessing 7ft

 

[luke moffat]

I am the worst judge of bears ever!! Unless its painfully obviously I do the shoot and lift the leg method to determine sex.

 

[Jdog]

I am the worst judge of bears ever!! Unless its painfully obviously I do the shoot and lift the leg method to determine sex.

I am the same Luke...I have shot 7 bears in my time and prior to shooting them, most of them were "monsters" and boars...none turned out to be huge and most were sows!

Oh well, I don't discriminate, if it's legal and within range, it usually gets an arrow or some lead thrown at it.

 

[luke moffat]

You think thats bad Jdog, when I was 17 and my brother was 15 we went out behind the house while our parents were out of town to where I shot a moose a week prior and just before dark:30 a bear popped out and it was such a dark bear and being as we never shot a bear we initially thought it was a black bear, upon walking up to it we were VERY wrong, #7 B&C grizzly of all time earned us a trip to Kansas City Award show 2 years later. That was the first bear we ever seen shot, and the parents were a little less than impressed that we went bear hunting while they were a few hundred miles away, but my judging skills have only slightly improved since then.

 

[billy molls]

I had the advantage of seeing the live bear, and I think everyone is pretty well spot on. I am fairly certain this was a sow, 7.5', Maybe a bit more. (This pic is from the AK peninsula where the bears get BIG!)

The thin ankles certain say that it is a younger bear, and that short neck and "dog like" face, make me pretty confident that it was a sow. But, obviously no one really knows for sure! thanks for the opinions! I like Luke's method of determining sex,,,, just too bad that guys that pay $20k for a bear don't fell the same way!! ha!

 

[rebecca francis]

You think thats bad Jdog, when I was 17 and my brother was 15 we went out behind the house while our parents were out of town to where I shot a moose a week prior and just before dark:30 a bear popped out and it was such a dark bear and being as we never shot a bear we initially thought it was a black bear, upon walking up to it we were VERY wrong, #7 B&C grizzly of all time earned us a trip to Kansas City Award show 2 years later. That was the first bear we ever seen shot, and the parents were a little less than impressed that we went bear hunting while they were a few hundred miles away, but my judging skills have only slightly improved since then.

That's pretty funny Luke. Makes me wonder what my kids are doing while I'm away.

 

[luke moffat]

! I like Luke's method of determining sex,,,, just too bad that guys that pay $20k for a bear don't fell the same way!! ha!

HAHA. thanks Billy, I am positive the guys shelling out that much coin would be more than a little ticked off at my method.

 

[Rent Outdoor Gear]

Looks like a typical mature sow - big in the kaboose, relatively short legged and short snout. Looks like she's well fed...