Son's first bear (Just a little guy???)

[hunterdon]

Since this was our son's first bear and his first bear hunt ever, I thought it would be an interesting post. Many young hunters and less experienced bear hunters can probably relate to his situation and may find some helpful tips/info in their future endeavors.

Although my son has taken numerous deer, (mule and whitetail) with both rifle and bow, he has never hunted bear before. On the other hand I personally have taken many bears over the years, but have never taken him on those hunts. Just moose and deer hunts.

This spring, he approached me and asked if I would like to accompany him on a bear hunt, as he wished to hunt bear this year. I declined saying that I still have lots of bear meat in the freezer from last fall. But, the truth was that I wanted him to venture this one on his own. I was confident in his ability to do so, safely. But a father always feels a little apprehension, you just never know.

We did a little scouting together the latter part of April in an area that I suggested would be a good spot. We parked the truck along the beginning of the forest road and walked from there on for a good ways. I prefer to walk as I can look for sign/clues as to if and where to hunt. There was still patches of snow on the road in shaded areas, and not much greenery as yet. But there was one small south facing open meadow that was starting to green up nicely. I suggested to my son then to concentrate his attention here as I believed this is where early season bears would hit first. I also suggested that the first week of May would be a great time-frame as has been the case for me in my area over the past decades.

The last weekend of April he began his hunt. He went in a different area this time, and came across numerous fresh bear scat along the road but did not see any bear. Saw a bull and cow elk and numerous mule deer, which he appreciated.

The following weekend (May 2nd) he went in the same area as last weekend, but found no sign of bear, He then proceeded to our original area and found nothing there as well. At the high point of the mountain, feeling a bit disheartened, he decided to slowly drive his truck downward the mountain on his way home. It was 11 am and figured to head home for lunch and maybe come back for the afternoon. As he was about half way down the mountain, up ahead a good ways, his eyes caught movement just along the side of the road. BEAR. not one but 2 BEAR!!!.

Immediately stopped the truck and shut it down. Grabbed the binos and observed the 2 bears feeding along the side of the road. Now the one chocolate colored bear was smaller than the larger blackie. His heart sank as his thoughts were, sow and cub. Since he was a good distance away, he thought he would just watch these 2 bears for awhile and not disturb them. After carefully watching the bears feeding for about 30 minutes, he began to question his original conclusion. Maybe this wasn't a sow and cub after all.

Still while keenly looking for clues as he did not want to shoot either bear, if sow and cub, a strange thing happened. As the smaller brownie approached the larger blackie, the bigger bear quickly chased off the smaller bear. This was what he needed to see. He then took out his rifle support as the range finder indicated 152 yards and carefully aligned the cross hairs of the rifle scope on the sweet spot of the larger bear.

The moment of truth had finally arrived. One last long relaxing breath, and slowly squeezed the trigger. At the sound of the bark of his 30 06, the bear dropped like a stone.
After a moment to reflect and gain back his composure, he drove the truck down to where the bear lay just a few yards form the road. "Oh boy" he thought. "Better go get Dad"

After picking me up at my home only a short 15 minute drive from my home, we zoomed back up the mountain. He recounted the story in detail how if unfolded and emphasized that he was not sure if the bear was big enough. He did not want to shoot a bear which would be too young to be legal. I just thought, well........we will see.

As the truck approached to where I could see the bear and still a good distance away, I remarked immediately "That's no little bear!!!"

Hopefully, I can manage to post the pictures and you guys can judge for yourselves.

[hunterdon]

https://i.postimg.cc/3RYD1RD7/IMG-20200503-134438.jpg

[Thunderstix]

That is awesome!!

[Spy]

Wow that thing is a pig! Congrats to your son..

[hunterdon]

Finally figured out how to post picture. I'm a bit challenged when it comes to this stuff

In this picture, notice the deep scar on the underside of the one toe. Fight, sharp rock, barbed fenced ??? Interesting just the same.

https://i.postimg.cc/zDdRwqDZ/unnamed.jpg

[CranePete]

Great story, thanks for sharing. That’s gonna be a tough act to follow, very nice.

[Leaseman]

Amazing Bear!!

Congrats to the shooter!

[Bugle M In]

Awesome.....congrats.

[monasheemountainman]

Wow! Nice bear! Congrats to your son!

[hunterdon]

Very true. It will be a tough act to follow. However, our family's first priority in hunting is to provide great meat for our consumption. So, as my son has stated to me again after the fact, that he would have been happy to take the smaller chocolate bear. He just wasn't sure on how to judge a bear's size from a distance. So he took the larger bear to be sure it was legal.

So, on the topic of field judging a bear from a distance. Here's some pointers for the less experienced bear observers out there. When observing a bear from a distance, focus mainly on 3 things in order to determine the size and maturity of a black bear.
1- the ears
2-the legs
3-the midsection or belly

When a bear gets to a certain age, yet still a younger bear, the ears essentially stop growing in size, while the head and body continues to grow with age.
So, while observing the bears head, if the ears appear to be fairly large, this is a younger bear, If the ears appear quite small, you are looking at a mature bear. That's because the head continues to grow and will get much larger but the ears will not, giving the appearance of small ears.

Concerning the legs. If the bear appears to have long/tall legs, this is a younger bear. Again the legs will not get much taller/longer at a certain younger age, but the body of the bear will get much larger (fill out) and also longer. So a younger bear will have the appearance of longer/taller legs, while a mature bear will appear to have short stubby legs.

As to the body. As the bear matures and his main body increases in size the belly will be much closer to the ground. This is a mature bear. My son remarked that he noticed the big guys belly as he walked, almost touching the ground.

These are the 3 main things to look for when field judging a bear for size/maturity from a distance. Of course, these observations are all subjective. That is you still have to observe numerous bears of different sizes in order to get the memory bank needed for this judgement. Put the time in folks! It will pay off.

One last thing. Body size/composure does not always easily tell the difference between the sexes. I have taken very large female blacks with massive heads and body. They were certainly dominant in their behavior/walk, In this case, the difference is the length of the body. A female will have a shorter body length than a large male. I can tell the difference between the sexes, but most can't. Again, put the time in folks. 50 years hunting for me.

Also, a female can be as much as 40 percent less in body weight as a male of same age class.
Hope that helps some..........Don

[BCHunterFSJ]

That is a very nice bear. Well written story too!
Thanks for posting...

[monasheemountainman]

how big was he? is your son a hobbit? that thing looks huge

[HarryToolips]

That's a hog! Congrats!

[IronNoggin]

Great story and a Great Bear!

Congrats!!

Cheers,
Nog

[4 point]

Very nice bear and loved your story.

[wideopenthrottle]

wow-o-wow..that looks like a lot of sausage and ham hanging there...great story too

[Steeleco]

DAMN................... Well done

[hunterdon]

how big was he? is your son a hobbit? that thing looks huge

That's a good question. I'm not sure. As mentioned earlier we hunt mainly for the meat. I did not measure the length either. But, what I can tell you is that the bear laid to rest a mere 5 yards from the road. We backed the truck up into the ditch and with the tailgate open we just had to lift the bear after field dressing only about 6 inches. Believe me, this bear was extremely difficult to move. My son is quite strong and I'm no push over either, and believe me, we could barely move the bear. We actually had to tie a rope around the neck for grip, because both of us pulling on one arm and one ear, well......we couldn't do it. Too heavy.
I was also a bit concerned as we hoisted it up for hanging. Didn't know if things might break. Guess I'll have to reinforce the platform in the near future.

[Fella]

That’s a fantastic bear!

[LBM]

https://i.postimg.cc/3RYD1RD7/IMG-20200503-134438.jpg

Congrats to your boy on what looks like one heck of a bear did he keep the hide and skull

[hunterdon]

I probably should finish the story as some may find it interesting. When we arrived back to the scene of the downed bear, the second chocolate bear was still there. Now this was no cub, This was a very decent adult male which we both agreed either one of us would have been happy to take. It was no small bear, just not as big as the other. This bear stood about 20 yards from the downed bear. As we parked the truck, near the downed bear, I got out very cautiously as the chocolate bear was out of sight just behind the tail gate of the truck. I watched the bear for any signs of aggression. "OK. None at the moment."

Nevertheless as we proceeded to field dress the big one, this bear would not leave. It continued close by, circling all around us feeding on and off as it did so. At times as close as 15 yards, and all the while we were field dressing the bear. Of course I did not observe any body language suggesting aggression towards us. Just the same, when working on any downed animal, always have your rifle nearby and chambered in a safe position with safety on. In this case, I was also conscious of the possibility of a third but not so friendly bear nearby. You never know! Be safe out there folks!

Finally I will say that I am very proud of both my son and his wife. They both took complete care of the meat and did an excellent job of butchering. I had a taste sample and the meat from this big bear was as good and tasty as any bear meat that I have ever had. Including all my bears.

Didn't expect that:shock:

[BeerMan]

The Bear looks like a brute! Nice work!

[tyreguy]

I was going to say the same thing, nice bear!!!!
congrats and thanks for posting.

how big was he? is your son a hobbit? that thing looks huge

[bcsteve]

That’s a huge bear! Congrats!

[338win mag]

That's a cranker Bear!

[nature girl]

Wow that was a big bear. Very nice for sure. Thanks for posting the story and picture.

[hunterdon]

Hey LBM

He decided not to keep the hide. Couldn't justify the cost to have it done by a taxidermist. But at my persuasion, he did decide to keep the scull at least.

[Retiredguy]

Outstanding! One heck of a first bear. Congratulations to your son.

You were wise to keep an eye on the other bear (s) while you were field dressing your sons bear, I have had several incidents over the years when another boar has come in and began tearing into a boar that had just been shot.

Your comment about most hunters not being able to tell the sex of bears is bang on. They can't tell the sex and they cannot judge size, which is why most hunters end up taking a small bear the first go round and see what "ground shrinkage" is all about. As you mentioned, the only way to fix that is by spending a lot of time watching bears and sizing them up. Nothing beats the time spent observing the bears and looking for the various physical differences and attributes you use for determining sex and size. Most hunters who are willing to put in the effort will get better at it, but I have known a few that just never seemed to put it all together. ;)

Again, congrats on a great bear and some quality family time.

[todbartell]

great bear! thanks for sharing

[Rattler]

Awesome bear no doubt. Don’t suppose you have any other field pictures to share? My largest black was a fall alpine bear...his belly was dragging on the ground and rubbed raw. There was no doubting that one. I will say they are the most deceiving big game animal out there imo.

[Bugle M In]

Hey LBM

He decided not to keep the hide. Couldn't justify the cost to have it done by a taxidermist. But at my persuasion, he did decide to keep the scull at least.

Yup, they cost a mini fortune now. (I understand it from the Tax's point of view and making a living however)
Had no idea however till last fall.
We took a small absolutely beautiful chocolate brown with darker legs....and the coat was great.
But, after getting a few quotes, my hunting partner nor I were going to pay that.

Had we known, we would have left it and taken one of your run of the mill black ones, as we couldn't stop stepping on them last fall.
Next time, we will take a tag, but hunt blacks only.
I like the chocolate ones and don't see a ton of them, so they get a pass "next time". (unless I win the lottery!!)

Still made for some good pepperoni and roasts.
And, fyi, don't hold it against anyone what they take color phase wise.
Just realized we cant afford it, so I will leave them for those that want a bear that is uniquely different and can get a rug done.

[fuzzybiscuit]

Congrats to your son on a stud of a Blackie. Thanks for posting up the story.

I’d be real interested to know what the final score is on the skull. It looks like a real hog.

[caddisguy]

Little guy for sure, maybe 75lbs... good for a first bear :D LOL

Seriously though, that's a dang arctodus simus !!!

Congrats to you and your son and thank you for writing it up so well for HBC. I think this is my favorite HBC bear season since I have been around the forum.

[Arctic Lake]

Geeez that thing looks huge ! Not sure if it is the way the photo is taken or what but the bear looks real large !
Good story and Congrats to your son !
Arctic Lake

[hunterdon]

Thanks to all for the great comments, from both of us. Trust me, it's not the photos. There's no standing behind the bear as to appear much smaller than the bear. This is the real deal. Time for me to go to bed. Again, appreciate all the positive feedback.

[caddisguy]

Thanks to all for the great comments, from both of us. Trust me, it's not the photos. There's no standing behind the bear as to appear much smaller than the bear. This is the real deal. Time for me to go to bed. Again, appreciate all the positive feedback.

Thank you again for the picture and write-up

[LBM]

Hey LBM

He decided not to keep the hide. Couldn't justify the cost to have it done by a taxidermist. But at my persuasion, he did decide to keep the scull at least.

Sadly that is getting to be a problem now days, one could just get them tanned but that is getting up there now as well. JMO and you have all ready said only hunting for meat
I just find it a waste throwing something like that out, at least he kept the skull would be interesting to see some numbers on it when he has it cleaned,

[hawk-i]

Congrats on the bear and thanks for sharing :)

[Retiredguy]

Sadly that is getting to be a problem now days, one could just get them tanned but that is getting up there now as well. JMO and you have all ready said only hunting for meat
I just find it a waste throwing something like that out, at least he kept the skull would be interesting to see some numbers on it when he has it cleaned,

I understand why you feel this way, it was something I had trouble with initially...but that has a lot to do with what we grew up with for game laws and how things were viewed in the past. We have to look at these things rationally though, and if you are an ardent bear hunter and hunt them for meat, tossing the hide from a black bear is really no different than if you leave a deer hide in the bush from a buck you shot. I know I have always been an ardent bear hunter and over the years I eventually found myself wondering what the hell I was going to do with stacks of tanned bear hides...bear hides aren't worth anything these days and tanning prices are through the roof. Only so much room in your house for bear rugs and bear mounts, so if you want to keep bear hunting and eating bear meat, well a change in mindset is needed.

You just can't shell out $300-$400 bucks every time you kill a bear to have the hide tanned and then toss it on a growing stack in the corner of the man cave. Nor can you pay to tan it, get the permits to sell it and take a bath on it when you find out no one wants to give you more than a couple hundred bucks for it...if you actually can find someone to buy it. It's just the way it is these days and the only alternative is to quit bear hunting.

I have always felt the same way about moose and deer hides, but the cost of tanning the hides into leather is absolutely ridiculous. Seems they can ship deer, pig and cattle hides to China and have them tanned, ship them back and make garments out of them and put them on the sales racks for a few hundred bucks each. As a hunter however, getting a jacket made out of moose, elk or deer leather from the animals you harvest would set you back a few thousand. Who the heck can afford that?

[adriaticum]

Awesome bear, congrats to your son!

[Bugle M In]

You know, my mistake was that the bears that my friends had done were some years ago now, AND, that they were done by a friend that did it for
cheap (but great work), and think in the end, they only paid around 600$.
But he has since retired and moved away.

Also, yes, it does cost a lot now, even before the taxy gets his/her hands on it, and a long time to even get the hide with hair on back (a year! then another 6 months for the work)

So, shelling out 1500.00$ + on a rug with head and teeth, aint cheap!

So, FYI to all, keep up with "Current Prices" if you are considering mounts!

Retiredguy, you are right, in a way, it is no different then a deer hide that gets tossed.
I just know in the future, unless I really do have the cash for a mount, the "different ones" will walk.
(seen some real cool colored ones, one a huge "orange color, and some other with "grizzled tips")

BUT, from speaking to others, some places really do have a big bear surplus right now, and they need to be reduced, or some will be a sickly bunch walking around very soon.
So, everyone, if you like bear meat, or want to try it, "Get a tag", as it is a good time right now to hunt them!

And yes, that is a nice sized bear, no tom foolery in that photo!!!!!

[hunterdon]

Also, yes, it does cost a lot now, even before the taxy gets his/her hands on it, and a long time to even get the hide with hair on back (a year! then another 6 months for the work)

So, shelling out 1500.00$ + on a rug with head and teeth, aint cheap!

So, FYI to all, keep up with "Current Prices" if you are considering mounts!

Retiredguy, you are right, in a way, it is no different then a deer hide that gets tossed.
I just know in the future, unless I really do have the cash for a mount, the "different ones" will walk.
(seen some real cool colored ones, one a huge "orange color, and some other with "grizzled tips")

BUT, from speaking to others, some places really do have a big bear surplus right now, and they need to be reduced, or some will be a sickly bunch walking around very soon.
So, everyone, if you like bear meat, or want to try it, "Get a tag", as it is a good time right now to hunt them!

And yes, that is a nice sized bear, no tom foolery in that photo!!!!!

Yes bugle M In you are correct. Just prior to my son taking this bear, upon my advice he called the taxidermist concerning costs etc. He was told it normally is in excess of 1000 dollars for the average bear. When asked if he or anybody else would be interested in buying a bear hide should he be successful, he replied he would not be interested in any hide regardless of size or quality as their just isn't any viable market/demand these days. I think we can all agree that this hide would exceed the "average" bear hide and so your suggestion of 1500 dollars seems very realistic. Too expensive!!!!

So, both you and retiredguy's comments have nailed it, as far as I'm concerned. I have in the past tried on my own to tan a bear hide.

It worked but ........ Let's just say it didn't meet my wife's standards.:icon_frow

[Huntingtyler123]

I’m a newbie but what I just found out made me happy. With COVID costs are tight but I tanned my bear hide for now at least. But knowing I can still do a rug down the road made my day

[twoSevenO]

Wow looks like a beauty!

How long was that bear?? I'm one of those guys that wouldnt spend the money for tanning either unless the bear was really special

But this one looks pretty special! Did he measure it?
How tall is your son for reference?

[tigrr]

How tall is the guy beside the bear?

[john-brennan]

That is a big bear for sure.