# How big is this bear?



## ARROWHNTR (Dec 11, 2008)

Bear we have on out bait no doubt a shooter but any ideas on size will he break 20"?


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## ARROWHNTR (Dec 11, 2008)




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## Huntin8 (Jul 15, 2013)

I don't know the first thing about judging the size of a bear, but if I had a tag I would shoot him and ask that question later!


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

Has a big fat head. Looks like a big boar to me


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

But I've never seen one in the wild.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

He looks like a decent size. Not sure how to score a bear but the last pic makes him look like he has some girth.


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## utahgolf (Sep 8, 2007)

pretty small ears. I would pass.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

*BANG* 

-DallanC


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## silentstalker (Feb 19, 2008)

That is a dang nice bear. Starting to get the crease down the center of his head between his ears, big shoulders and neck. Pretty color too. I don't know if he will go 20" but that is a shooter for most guys in Utah.


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

Come the fall when that thing is fattened up, that is a question you would not have to ask. That is a big bear. Small ears, fat head. He is a shooter.


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## SidVicious (Aug 19, 2014)

Big enough


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## Kevin D (Sep 15, 2007)

That is a good bear....


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

It's hard to say how big his head is but that's a really good bear. My last blackbear (2011) was 6'3" and he an 18.5" head. I doubt this one will go 20" but good lord he's a brute. He doesn't look rubbed and he's a nice color too. Keep us updated on how your hunt goes. Good luck.


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## fishreaper (Jan 2, 2014)

I've always been told to judge the head. if the ears look small in comparison to the rest of their head, they're good to go.


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## toasty (May 15, 2008)

utahgolf said:


> pretty small ears. I would pass.


I agree, I'd hold out for bigger ears.


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## torowy (Jun 19, 2008)

Shooter for sure


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

I'm excited for you. Hope you put your tag on this fatty. Never really thought Utah grew big bears.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

The other thing to remember in Utah, our bears have bigger heads in relation to their bodies than you see in AK, Canada or the east coast. I think that bear is a stud, with a decent pumpkin on his shoulders. He could break 20"


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## OldEphraim (Mar 6, 2011)

I don't have the slightest idea how to judge a bear, but he looks good to me, nice color to him. I would shoot.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

OldEphraim said:


> I don't have the slightest idea how to judge a bear


That's kindof amusing... considering your user name 

-DallanC


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## BigMac (Feb 12, 2012)

I had a good friend just get back from a bear hunt in Canada & their guide told them if the bear was as tall as the top ring around the bait barrel when all fours it was a shooter.


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## ARROWHNTR (Dec 11, 2008)

Well I may never know how big this bear truly is, my uncle tagged out on Thursday on a bear just slightly smaller then the one I posted earlier. The big guy was too busy checking sows to worry about bait and when this guy showed up Monday we knew if he came before the huge bear it would be over. Thursday night he came in and we got it done. I haven't had time to green score the skull yet but I am guessing its in the 19-20+ range, this bear squared out at 6'8" and had a track over 6", but from all the trail cam pics we have of him and the big guy this one appears to be just a bit smaller.


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## torowy (Jun 19, 2008)

That is a great bear. Congrats to the hunter.


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

Wow! Very impressive. Congrats to you and your uncle.


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## Huntin8 (Jul 15, 2013)

Great looking bear!


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## Airborne (May 29, 2009)

35whelen said:


> I'm excited for you. Hope you put your tag on this fatty. Never really thought Utah grew big bears.


World's record black bear skull was found in sanpete county, Utah. Probably within spitting distance of a natty lite can. Most things in sanpete are within spitting distance of a natty lite can. 

https://www.boone-crockett.org/bgRecords/WorldRecordsDetail.asp?area=bgRecords&type=SKULLS


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

Big enough to make me go the other way!Nice bear.


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## silentstalker (Feb 19, 2008)

That is a very big bear! Congrats to your uncle! Any trail cam pic's of this one?


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Are you sure that isn't the original bear you posted pics of? Look at the dark patch at the base of the nose, and the color is dead on. Either way, that is a stunner of a bear! Way to go!


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

johnnycake said:


> Are you sure that isn't the original bear you posted pics of? Look at the dark patch at the base of the nose, and the color is dead on. Either way, that is a stunner of a bear! Way to go!


same thing I was thinking. That is a brute.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Yeah, I just can't imagine there are that many 6'8" bears running around in utah


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## ARROWHNTR (Dec 11, 2008)

Ya he is defiantly not the same bear I'll post the trail cam pics of both when I get a chance but in the pics you can tell, this bear has narrower face and is slightly darker. The original bear has more of a pumpkin head not sure this bear isn't as big or bigger the fat head doesn't necessarily mean bigger skull.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Ok, I see the color difference on the one you just posted on the other thread. but I still think that the bear your uncle killed is the first bear you had on camera. I would love to see other pics of the bear on the other thread, as it is really hard to see his size in that shot. 

Regardless, you are clearly having an awesome time baiting!!!


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

Awesome bear! Congrats to your uncle. 

For my future reference, what was the length/width measurement that added up to 6'8" square?


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

curious on that as well.....most black bear I have seen were pretty even across the front versus nose to tail. The bigger they get though the front gets bigger in proportion to the nose to tail. Black bears are often within a few in inches of being square where as grizzlies and browns are quite often wider than they are long.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

Mr Muleskinner said:


> curious on that as well.....most black bear I have seen were pretty even across the front versus nose to tail. The bigger they get though the front gets bigger in proportion to the nose to tail. Black bears are often within a few in inches of being square where as grizzlies and browns are quite often wider than they are long.


That's exactly why I wanted to know. I always measured blackies nose-to-tail and I wish I'd measured them square just out of curiosity. The four grizzlys that I've personally measured on the ground were all a foot wider than they were long.
I've also measure many front tracks and found the width plus one inch is amazingly close to how many feet long a black bear is.


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## ARROWHNTR (Dec 11, 2008)

I don't remember the exact LxW but I know the length was closer to 7' nose to tail and the width was around 6'6". Got me looking at a couple of my bear rugs and it looks like my smaller bears are more square and my bigger bears are both longer nose to tail then width.

Anyways, here is a side by side of the two bears on the bait, we looked at the pics for a long time that Monday night after the bear we ended up shooting came in and initially we thought the same thing you guys did same bear, but after looking though more pictures we came to the conclusion that these are different bears, you will notice mostly in the overall width of there heads where it meets the snout. I left a trail cam out on the bait hoping this other bear will come back but without any bait it may be a long shot but we will see. Here is the best side by side comparison i could find.



The Taxidermist green scored the skull today at 19.5"


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

Awesome bear! Congrats


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

great bear!

I however think its the same bear. One photo it looks wet the other dry and fluffy. Its also standing closer to the camera which will make it appear slightly larger.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

^^that plus the greater likelihood of loosing more winter coat in the week or so between the photos would make the one bear look fluffy and the other appear more sleek.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

great bear.


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