Finding color phase bears

[Nalidixic]

Evening everyone,
So... This year I want to go for a color phase spring bear for a rug. Size doesn't matter, color does. How do you best find a colored bear? Is it just luck? I know that genetics have to do with it somehow, so are the colored bears usually in pockets throughout the province? Any info would be appreciated! Thanks!

[rocksteady]

From what I have been told the highest percentage of off color bears is in the West Kootenays.......

[Tinney]

Region 5 near quesnel heading west has a lot of coloured bears

[Call of the Wild]

haaaaa Bear Bear in northern Alberta.

I count resist

[Thunderstix]

Drive up the Nass highway and fill your boots.

[Tinney]

Drive up the Nass highway and fill your boots.

:lol: Who wants to drive that far to hunt bears?

[sealevel]

I saw a lot of color phase last year in the salmon arm , chase ,country must have seen 16 or so.

[EvanG]

Almost half of all bears ive seen in the chilcotin last fall were cinnamon. As well as a few BIG browns near squamish.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Dryer areas of the interior.

SSS

[ryanb]

Really, Squamish? I've never seen a colour phase around there in my life, having seen at least a hundred in that area. Inland is the place to look, cariboo, region 3, both have plenty.

[Thunderstix]

:lol: Who wants to drive that far to hunt bears?
Some of us actually list where we are from on our profiles;-):smile:

[GoatGuy]

Dryer areas of the interior.

SSS

Bang on. ;-)

[tufferthandug]

Region 5 near quesnel heading west has a lot of coloured bears

Yup.

Here's a couple pics of the colours you get out there.


http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y41/tufferthandug/FridaySept05222.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y41/tufferthandug/Wednesday027.jpg

[tomahawk]

Region 5 near quesnel heading west has a lot of coloured bears

Agree, used to see lots of colour north of Quesnel but never could get any in bow range.

[bsa30-06]

Dryer areas of the interior.

SSS

Thats what i have been told aswell....The hotter and dryer the greater the number of colored phase bears.

[ohno]

This is one I saw last year near Kamloops. He was not very big. I posted a video of him in a thread last summer.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/ColourPhase.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=8789&size=big&cat=)

[sealevel]

I have never seen a blond blackbear but i would like to.

[stickbow]

Almost half of all bears ive seen in the chilcotin last fall were cinnamon. As well as a few BIG browns near squamish.
Those "big browns" you saw in squamish might not have been blackies

[BCrams]

Your best opportunity for a coloured bear is between Liard Hot Springs and the Yukon border along the highway bar none.

You will see coloured bears every day. We took 3 cinnamon bears in 2 days. One 5'8" first morning, a 6'5" footer that afternoon and then I took a 5' 6" bear the next morning.

[MichelD]

I've seen a cinnamon coloured blackie near Squamish. A guy I took there shot it in fact. My other partner saw a brownish smaller one there the year before, and another guy I met once said he saw one up behind the Furry Creek golf course.

[Barracuda]

The dryer and hotter the climate the greater chance of lighter bears.

most of the coast bears seem to be black .

[Stone Sheep Steve]

There are colored bears in some of the wetter places in the province. Saw a few brownies while grzz hunting last year and it wasn't what you would call a dry climate.....but I bet I see close to 50% colored bears where I hunt.

SSS

[rollingrock]

I've seen a cinnamon coloured blackie near Squamish. A guy I took there shot it in fact. My other partner saw a brownish smaller one there the year before, and another guy I met once said he saw one up behind the Furry Creek golf course.

as soon as I saw the 'big brownie' in one of my spots I stopped bringing my SKS for deer hunting in that area. not a wise thing to do:razz:. now I'm slinging my good ole iron sight Mosin loaded with 174 gr. but I have seen blonde, brown, cinemon colored bears in that area.

[The Hermit]

I killed a color phased bear last spring on the island, black and brown and tan.

[riflebuilder]

I have never seen a color Phase bear on the Island. Good for you that is a rare one

[shotgunjohn]

Saw a black sow with one black cub and one chocolate cub in Sqaumish two years ago.

[Seeadler]

I killed a color phased bear last spring on the island, black and brown and tan.

I thought the literature always said there were no colour phase bears on VI.

I see the odd cinnamon or chocolate coloured one in the EK. never seen a blonde one.

[Mr. Dean]

I thought the literature always said there were no colour phase bears on VI.

I see the odd cinnamon or chocolate coloured one in the EK. never seen a blonde one.

I've seen well over 100 Island Bears, all were black as black could be.
I think Hermit won the lottery...

[sealevel]

I have never seen or heard of a color phase on VI . and i have met and known some of the old time hunters around alberni and parksville. But with all the critters being moved about i have no dought some colored genes are getting over there.

[Seeadler]

I have never seen or heard of a color phase on VI . and i have met and known some of the old time hunters around alberni and parksville. But with all the critters being moved about i have no dought some colored genes are getting over there.


Yeah, didn't a grizzly show up there the other year?

[GoatGuy]

Yeah, didn't a grizzly show up there the other year?

There have been two on the island - both were killed in short order.

[RiverOtter]

There have been two on the island - both were killed in short order.

Do we even want to know how they got there??

I assume they didn't swim...:roll:

RO

[Mr. Dean]

Yeah, didn't a grizzly show up there the other year?


Do we even want to know how they got there??

I assume they didn't swim...:roll:

RO

That's the thought.

[sealevel]

A bear could easly ride a log boom or a barge . with all the stuff that gets towed back and forth a bear could hitch a ride

[EvanG]

Ya It was a giant cinnamon sow with two cinnamon cubs as well as a smaller dark brown bear all in the squamish valley

[chilcotin hillbilly]

Anderson river forestery road in Boston bar 50 % in the past.

[boxhitch]

I've seen well over 100 Island Bears, all were black as black could be.
I think Hermit won the lottery...Spread the word, the Spirit Bear is coming to the Island !! Alls someone has to do is fudge a photo of a Kermode into the P. A. area, then watch the tourism rise !!:twisted:

[dana]

I'm surprised that some of you 'Science' based thinkers believe in the 'dry climate theory. Colouring is genetic. Sure a older brown bear can turn blonde due to exposure to long periods of sunshine in it's life, but it still was born brown. :)

Here in the Interior Wetbelt we run about 30% colour phase.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

I'm surprised that some of you 'Science' based thinkers believe in the 'dry climate theory. Colouring is genetic. Sure a older brown bear can turn blonde due to exposure to long periods of sunshine in it's life, but it still was born brown. :)

Here in the Interior Wetbelt we run about 30% colour phase.

Who said anything about "Science"?? My 50% estimation on color phase was from what I've seen in the field. I thought you prefer "field observations" over anything scientific, anyhow?? :D
Oh ya.....only if it's your own..........:D.

SSS

[GoatGuy]

I'm surprised that some of you 'Science' based thinkers believe in the 'dry climate theory. Colouring is genetic. Sure a older brown bear can turn blonde due to exposure to long periods of sunshine in it's life, but it still was born brown. :)

Here in the Interior Wetbelt we run about 30% colour phase.

I'm pretty sure I read a paper a couple years ago that in dryer/inland areas the bears tend to be more colour phase than wet areas and that it is a regional issue to a degree associated with precip. Don't have it on hand.

There was also some talk about coastal bears are genetically different from inland bears.

Other than you, I don't think anyone was associating sun light exposure with colour phase. Genetic characteristics are usually a response to an environmental conditions over a long period of time. Incidence of colour phase in wet areas is significantly lower than in dryer climates and there are papers to support that.

I also remember some black bears have also been found to actually change colour - kinda neat. Nobody knows to what degree but still kind of cool.

[Mr. Dean]

I also remember some black bears have also been found to actually change colour - kinda neat. Nobody knows to what degree but still kind of cool.

That is COOL! :cool:

who'd thought...

[boxhitch]

More tales of bear color-
-most colored bears are young, and change color with maturity.
-most color phase bears are sows.
-the change of brunette to blond may have something to do with sun, the ratio is quite high on the Okanagan beaches.

[springpin]

that blonde bear is awsome...have not seen any color phased bears round Golden..

[Ron.C]

We saw a sow black bear with 4 yearling cubs last year in the Cranbrook Area. The sow and 3 of the cubs were very light brown, and the 4th cub was jet black? It was pretty cool to see, and apparently they sure like cow elk calls!!!

[#1fishslayer]

Dont worry about bear hunting and get busy working on another job for me.lol You could always shoot a dump bear and buy some hair dye.