# Late summer bear



## Bucksnort (Nov 15, 2007)

I am starting this thread again to share my hunt this August. I will share updates from the hunt and process as we go. I have been accumulating bait and scouting a bit. I put some cameras out last month and checked them this weekend. I am curious of your thoughts on this bear. I am a bear novice. I am pretty sure he is a boar. How big do you think it is?



















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## silentstalker (Feb 19, 2008)

Looks like a black boar nosing your camera and a mature sow in the back. Notice the small face and big ears with a narrow gap between them. She is also not very muscular. 

Do you have any other pics?


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## Bucksnort (Nov 15, 2007)

silentstalker said:


> Looks like a black boar nosing your camera and a mature sow in the back. Notice the small face and big ears with a narrow gap between them. She is also not very muscular.
> 
> Do you have any other pics?


Thanks for the clarification. She seemed so big. I coukd not really tell. That was the clearest picture of her. I never did get the other bear in a clear picture. It mauled the camera for an hour.

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## silentstalker (Feb 19, 2008)

She is a good size bear. But, when you see a good boar you don't really have to ask, they have a very muscular look to them. Big square head and thick muzzle. 

Rest assured, there is a good boar in your area, he just happens to be closer to the camera! Good luck on your hunt!


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

I agree with Silentstalker's assessment. Big boars look blockier in their heads and shoulders. They also have thick legs all they way down to their feet. Females have more tapered ankles. Still, it is a good bear.


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

Also, I sent you a PM.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

Sloping shoulders, no neck, large ears compared to head, smaller forearms. It could certainly be a young boar but I GUESSING it's a 3 or 4 year old sow. It's just way too hard to tell without watching it move and walk around for a while.
I was shooting targets with a bear guide friend of mine Saturday when a bear strolled up the closed road to within 30 yards of us. He milled around eating berries for about 15 minutes while we watched him. My friend is way more knowledgeable about bear sex ID than me. We see bears every day here so he's always quizzing me about bear sex and age. I'm often wrong on real live bears right in front of my face. It's **** hard to tell from a picture.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

I know this is off the subject of this thread but here's a funny picture of a bear Mike guided a client to. They took several pictures using the timer on his camera and then got busy with the skinning. He posted the picture on his outfitter's website. After a while someone wrote to ask if he knew there was another bear in the background. They had no idea that while they were taking pictures and skinning the bear there was another bear watching them.
A little spooky!


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## silentstalker (Feb 19, 2008)

longbow said:


> Sloping shoulders, no neck, large ears compared to head, smaller forearms. It could certainly be a young boar but I GUESSING it's a 3 or 4 year old sow. It's just way too hard to tell without watching it move and walk around for a while.
> I was shooting targets with a bear guide friend of mine Saturday when a bear strolled up the closed road to within 30 yards of us. He milled around eating berries for about 15 minutes while we watched him. My friend is way more knowledgeable about bear sex ID than me. We see bears every day here so he's always quizzing me about bear sex and age. I'm often wrong on real live bears right in front of my face. It's **** hard to tell from a picture.


I agree with you longbow but this time of year you wont find two males together or two females. I think its very reasonable to assume the near bear looking into the camera is a boar with the wide gap across the top of his head and more pumpkin shape.

I have been wrong plenty of times before tho! IMO, Bears are one of the toughest animals to guess on unless its a big mature boar.


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## highcountryfever (Aug 24, 2009)

Here are a few to compare:
The daytime pic with the brown bear is a boar, the black and white pic is a sow.
Bore:








Sow:


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

highcountryfever said:


> Here are a few to compare:
> The daytime pic with the brown bear is a boar, the black and white pic is a sow.
> 
> (I don't know how to insert the pics in the body of the post. If someone knows how to do that please PM me and let me know)


Cool pics. Did you guys shoot either of them?


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## Bucksnort (Nov 15, 2007)

highcountryfever said:


> Here are a few to compare:
> The daytime pic with the brown bear is a boar, the black and white pic is a sow.
> 
> (I don't know how to insert the pics in the body of the post. If someone knows how to do that please PM me and let me know)


That boar does have a much bigger head. It still is hard to tell though. Did you end up getting that boar?

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## highcountryfever (Aug 24, 2009)

longbow said:


> Cool pics. Did you guys shoot either of them?





Bucksnort said:


> That boar does have a much bigger head. It still is hard to tell though. Did you end up getting that boar?
> 
> Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk


Yes I did end up with the boar on the trail cam pic. Check out my hunt thread for all the details. It was crazy how it all went down.

http://utahwildlife.net/forum/13-archery/151386-2016-bear-hunt.html


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## Bucksnort (Nov 15, 2007)

I set up my baits this week. Hopefully it will entice them.



















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## Bucksnort (Nov 15, 2007)

Just to alleviate concerns people may have, my hunt starts on the 8th so I am within my baiting window.

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## Bucksnort (Nov 15, 2007)

I had this guy on camera this check. I am still a bear novice, but this looks like a boar to me. Thoughts?










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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

Hard to tell since the bear is moving and blurry. It does seem to have a boxy snout, which would indicate boar. The one ankle and foot you can see well seem smallish, however, which could mean it's a sow. Bears are really hard to tell unless you get a good look at a big boar. Then it's easy to tell the difference.


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## Bucksnort (Nov 15, 2007)

AF CYN said:


> Hard to tell since the bear is moving and blurry. It does seem to have a boxy snout, which would indicate boar. The one ankle and foot you can see well seem smallish, however, which could mean it's a sow. Bears are really hard to tell unless you get a good look at a big boar. Then it's easy to tell the difference.


Based on what I know from distance to camera, I would say he is not a humongous bear but not a young one either. Unfortunately, he just passed on through and didn't give me many pics.

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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

My initial reaction is boar. Regardless, I'm sure the bear will swing by again and give you another photo or two to analyze.


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## Bucksnort (Nov 15, 2007)

AF CYN said:


> My initial reaction is boar. Regardless, I'm sure the bear will swing by again and give you another photo or two to analyze.


Now that I have bait out they should stick around better.

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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

Here's my take on it. They have fairly short hair right now so nipples, mammaries or a penis sheath should be visible in a clear picture. It's young (but old enough to have cubs) and most likely barren so it probably doesn't have mammaries which SHOULD be obvious in this photo. The nipples between the front legs are usually the biggest and longest and I don't see any. I'm pretty sure it's not a sow.
The back leg is in a perfect position to see a penis sheath at this time of year but because of the picture being so blurry, I can't see anything there. The front forearm goes up from a small wrist and gets big fast. That's a quality of a boar. It's head is pretty chunky (boar) but it has a short neck (sow) so that kinda confuses me.
If I were to put money on it I'd say it's a boar. I'm even going to go out on a limb and say it's around 5 1/2'. If you can possibly find a track, measure the front pad. I'd be interested it what it measures.
That's a decent sized bear. You might want to shoot that sucker.


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## Bucksnort (Nov 15, 2007)

longbow said:


> Here's my take on it. They have fairly short hair right now so nipples, mammaries or a penis sheath should be visible in a clear picture. It's young (but old enough to have cubs) and most likely barren so it probably doesn't have mammaries which SHOULD be obvious in this photo. The nipples between the front legs are usually the biggest and longest and I don't see any. I'm pretty sure it's not a sow.
> The back leg is in a perfect position to see a penis sheath at this time of year but because of the picture being so blurry, I can't see anything there. The front forearm goes up from a small wrist and gets big fast. That's a quality of a boar. It's head is pretty chunky (boar) but it has a short neck (sow) so that kinda confuses me.
> If I were to put money on it I'd say it's a boar. I'm even going to go out on a limb and say it's around 5 1/2'. If you can possibly find a track, measure the front pad. I'd be interested it what it measures.
> That's a decent sized bear. You might want to shoot that sucker.


Thanks Longbow. I really appreciate your in depth analysis. I helps me learn what to look for.

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## highcountryfever (Aug 24, 2009)

What are you using for scent attractant? I see that you have poured something over the logs. Doing some sort of a burn will help to broadcast the location of the bait.

One thing that I wished I did better at is setting a routine.


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## Bucksnort (Nov 15, 2007)

highcountryfever said:


> What are you using for scent attractant? I see that you have poured something over the logs. Doing some sort of a burn will help to broadcast the location of the bait.
> 
> One thing that I wished I did better at is setting a routine.


I used molasses and old fry grease. I meant to do a honey burn but forgot the supplies. I am 5 hours from my hunt area so I can only rebait once a week until I actually hunt. Not ideal I know but there seems to be no shortage of bears in the area. My biggest issue may be running out of bait.

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## bekins24 (Sep 22, 2015)

Ran across this ad on ksl today if you are looking for more honey.
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=218&ad=40883337&cat=225&lpid=3&search=&ad_cid=4


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## highcountryfever (Aug 24, 2009)

I am no expert by any means, but here is my opinion on your situation. I would set up a tree stand and put as much distance between the stand and the bait as you are comfortable shooting. If you are not able to hunt it everyday, then setting up a routine won't be possible. 

I wouldn't be too concerned about running out of bait. Once they know there is a food supply they will keep coming back. The fry grease soak into the ground and they will dig to get at it. The trick will be to get them to come when you are there.


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## Bucksnort (Nov 15, 2007)

I sat in the stand today for the first time since the hunt opened. I had a sow as two cubs come right into my scent cone. The took off quickly. Nothing else.

All the bears are coming in the mornings and mid day. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

I had this bear on camera. It did not have any cubs with it.










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## Bucksnort (Nov 15, 2007)

A better pic.










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## Jedidiah (Oct 10, 2014)

I'm sure I'm going to get some flak here, but doesn't it seem like baiting bears is a surefire way to train an animal to head into campgrounds later on? Anyone ever do studies on that?


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## highcountryfever (Aug 24, 2009)

Jedidiah said:


> I'm sure I'm going to get some flak here, but doesn't it seem like baiting bears is a surefire way to train an animal to head into campgrounds later on? Anyone ever do studies on that?


I am no expert by any means, but from everything I have heard, experienced etc. that is not the case. In my experience it is more about the location they find the food, not the food type. For example, a bear is more likely to come back to the same spot no matter what type of bait you put out opposed to wandering around and searching for the same type of bait.

I would think if this was a major concern, the DWR/Forest Service wouldn't allow specific kinds of bait. When applying for your bait permit you have to list the types of bait you are planning on using.


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## Bucksnort (Nov 15, 2007)

There is some research recently done in Colorado showing that bear conflict in urban/town areas are correlated with large mast crop failures. With that being said, I cannot imagine baiting helping the situation especially in areas on the Wasatch front.

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