Weight of boned out black bear

[goldenarrow]

Hey I know this is kind of a strange first post but I was wondering what a average boned out black bear weighs? This will be my first season backpack hunting and I don't want to shoot a bear so far back that I can't get the meat out before it spoils. I would also be taking the head and hide. I will be hunting archery season in CA. I think I could get a buck out in one trip but I am not sure how many trips I would need to make to get a bear out. Thanks

 

[fillthefreezer]

bears i have packed out, skull hide and paws + boned meat included have ranged from about 120-180. these are washington bears. from 5.75-almost 6.5ft.

 

[goldenarrow]

Ok so that sounds like a minimum of two trips possibly three.

 

[TRIPLE]

An average to large bear is a two trip ordeal with gear. Obviously a slug can take three and a dink can be done in one, but it's almost always two trips. If you do shoot a bear, I'd suggest braking it down quickly (take his coat off and bone it out) and draping the hide in shade to cool for a bit to get some heat out. I'd then load the boned out meat in your pack and get ready to hurry the hell off the mountain. Before your ready to leave, loosely fold the hide in some thing waterproof (garbage/drybag) and submerge in a running water source. Pack out the meat and come back for the hide and your camp.

 

[Justin Crossley]

Triple pretty much nailed it.

 

[7mag.]

An average to large bear is a two trip ordeal with gear. Obviously a slug can take three and a dink can be done in one, but it's almost always two trips. If you do shoot a bear, I'd suggest braking it down quickly (take his coat off and bone it out) and draping the hide in shade to cool for a bit to get some heat out. I'd then load the boned out meat in your pack and get ready to hurry the hell off the mountain. Before your ready to leave, loosely fold the hide in some thing waterproof (garbage/drybag) and submerge in a running water source. Pack out the meat and come back for the hide and your camp.

I would listen to this guy, he may have shot one or two back country bears.

 

[fillthefreezer]

I would listen to this guy, he may have shot one or two back country bears.

haha... ya..

 

[SDHNTR]

The head and hide will likely weigh a lot more than the meat and will alone be about all you can carry if its a big bear. Be real sure you want to haul that out with you. It will surely make for at least one extra trip. Granted, I've only killed a couple bears. One huge and one much smaller, but in each case I was surprised by how much that hide weighed.

 

[badkneesbro]

An average to large bear is a two trip ordeal with gear. Obviously a slug can take three and a dink can be done in one, but it's almost always two trips. If you do shoot a bear, I'd suggest braking it down quickly (take his coat off and bone it out) and draping the hide in shade to cool for a bit to get some heat out. I'd then load the boned out meat in your pack and get ready to hurry the hell off the mountain. Before your ready to leave, loosely fold the hide in some thing waterproof (garbage/drybag) and submerge in a running water source. Pack out the meat and come back for the hide and your camp.

Hope this doesn't sound stupid, but what kind of water proof thing would you use? A big dry sack? I plan on hunting bear myself for the first time.

 

[goldenarrow]

The head and hide will likely weigh a lot more than the meat and will alone be about all you can carry if its a big bear. Be real sure you want to haul that out with you. It will surely make for at least one extra trip. Granted, I've only killed a couple bears. One huge and one much smaller, but in each case I was surprised by how much that hide weighed.

Yeah that's why I asked. I don't want to find out the hard way after I have a bear down.

 

[goldenarrow]

Hope this doesn't sound stupid, but what kind of water proof thing would you use? A big dry sack? I plan on hunting bear myself for the first time.

I have heard "contractor grade" garbage bags recommended.

What zone are you hunting? I am a couple of hours north of you.

 

[badkneesbro]

I don't know which zone I want to hunt yet. I just got back from a trip above Kennedy Meadows in the x10 that didn't look so good. If I get a chance Im gonna check the area around the cottonwood lakes, but I think for that high up a guy would just about have to hunt during deer season because of the earlier snow causing road closures. I have seen a lot of bears in the "Golden Trout Wilderness" in the d8 where I always go, but its a lot of uphill to get the bear out. I may just have to man up & get it done. Ive talked to the fwl biologist for this area but he always says to stake out the dumpsters of Kernville & Lake Isabella. With a name like "goldenarrow", I suspect you may be looking to arrow a bear. Im not into the bow & arrow thing yet.

 

[goldenarrow]

Actually the name was my Indian Guide name from when I was a kid. I hunt with a bow some but I have never had any success with it unless you count a cupel of mountain quail. My plan Is to hunt deer but if a chance at a bear presents itself I wanted to know what the pack out would be like. I will be hunting d7 but I have wanted to check out the golden trout wilderness for a while.

 

[Hunt'nFish]

The head and hide will likely weigh a lot more than the meat and will alone be about all you can carry if its a big bear. Be real sure you want to haul that out with you. It will surely make for at least one extra trip. Granted, I've only killed a couple bears. One huge and one much smaller, but in each case I was surprised by how much that hide weighed.

I agree. But "fillthefreezer" is a stud and hauls heavier loads than most.
I'm a two load guy.

As far as hide care, I don't put hides in anything that can't breathe.
Best bet IMO is to pack a bag of salt to salt the hide down with and let it air & dry out. String it up in a tree in the shade up & away from critters if your concerned. Bear hides will almost never slip hair if they are reasonably fleshed out, turned inside out, salted and allowed to air out..... even if it's 100F out. That is if the paws and skull are out. I know it a time consuming task to cape out the skull and paws, and only you can decide the risks.
But once the hide it salted and airing out, the meat is my main priority. It WILL spoil and citric acid powder/spray is your friend there. Vinegar works equally well but it doesn't come in lightweight powder form.

We normally hunt in pairs, one guy packs the hide and the other the meat.
Never any spoilage issues that way.
Hunt'nFish


Course if it's this size you can take it whole.
Believe it or not but Oregon bio's said this sow was 6yrs old.

 

[badkneesbro]

Damn it dude that picture came out all jacked up on my computer. How much salt should we pack?

 

[TRIPLE]

Contractor bags work great!

I would however highly incourage you guys NOT to mess with salt. It's not bad info but hear me out....the reasons that advice is being asked in this thread is because a couple guys are new to backcountry bear hunting. Odds are most haven't fleshed, removed skull/tail/paws, and turned eye lids, nose, ears and lips on a hot summer/fall hillside before. So as your attempting this under a stressful time crunch your meat (hopefully hanging is the shade closeby) is counting down the clock to turning sour. Then a couple hours later, when your packing the salt (10 extra lbs you've been packing on your back this entire hunt) in the prep hide you just finish it will be the heat of the day (or hours into darkness) and you'll be STARTING to hike meat off the hill.

I've done more high country bears than I care to count in the way I described in my first post, and I have NEVER lost meat or a hide in dozens of 80 degree plus days.

 

[TRIPLE]

If any of you guys have any detailed or additional bear questions, feel free to pm a phone number and I can help more in a 5 minute phone call than 1 hour of typing.

 

[Justin Crossley]

Contractor bags work great!

I would however highly incourage you guys NOT to mess with salt. It's not bad info but hear me out....the reasons that advice is being asked in this thread is because a couple guys are new to backcountry bear hunting. Odds are most haven't fleshed, removed skull/tail/paws, and turned eye lids, nose, ears and lips on a hot summer/fall hillside before. So as your attempting this under a stressful time crunch your meat (hopefully hanging is the shade closeby) is counting down the clock to turning sour. Then a couple hours later, when your packing the salt (10 extra lbs you've been packing on your back this entire hunt) in the prep hide you just finish it will be the heat of the day (or hours into darkness) and you'll be STARTING to hike meat off the hill.

I've done more high country bears than I care to count in the way I described in my first post, and I have NEVER lost meat or a hide in dozens of 80 degree plus days.

I agree 100%.

 

[fillthefreezer]

turning paws is a time consuming process, especially if youre trying not to cut tons of holes in them. and im so nervous when turning the ears, it takes me FOREVER. guess i need more practice

 

[Hunt'nFish]

Contractor bags work great!

I would however highly incourage you guys NOT to mess with salt. It's not bad info but hear me out....the reasons that advice is being asked in this thread is because a couple guys are new to backcountry bear hunting. Odds are most haven't fleshed, removed skull/tail/paws, and turned eye lids, nose, ears and lips on a hot summer/fall hillside before. So as your attempting this under a stressful time crunch your meat (hopefully hanging is the shade closeby) is counting down the clock to turning sour. Then a couple hours later, when your packing the salt (10 extra lbs you've been packing on your back this entire hunt) in the prep hide you just finish it will be the heat of the day (or hours into darkness) and you'll be STARTING to hike meat off the hill.

I've done more high country bears than I care to count in the way I described in my first post, and I have NEVER lost meat or a hide in dozens of 80 degree plus days.

No worries, I can definitely hear what your saying about novice attempting to cape skull and turn paws. Your right Probably best to just forget the salt and hump the meat & hide out. But I do like to salt as soon and I hit the truck, even if it's not caped or paws turned.
Hunt'nFish