Black Grizzly

[madrona sh]

Just wondering if there are black grizzly bears.Black bears come in all colors.I looked on the web but didn't find anything.

[eastkoothunter]

I've seen a few black Grizzly bears, but normally they're not all black. Usually with a tint of silver, but I imagine there are some out there.

[Will]

Just wondering if there are black grizzly bears.Black bears come in all colors.I looked on the web but didn't find anything.
Black bears have different colour phases as you mentioned.......grizzlies do not. Sure some are lighter, some darker, but defineatly not Black ones.


I should add I mean Not Black phased bears...sure colours can range from Blonde to almost black with grizz.

I guess to answer your question, then sure there are "black" grizzlies.

[leadpillproductions]

Black bears have different colour phases as you mentioned.......grizzlies do not. Sure some are lighter, some darker, but defineatly not Black ones.


I should add I mean Not Black phased bears...sure colours can range from Blonde to black with grizz.

I guess to answer your question, then sure there are "black" grizzlies.
weve shot a couple that were jet black , i was told that whenthey get old they start to turn black just what i was told and yes they do come black ass black

[gameslayer]

We saw a black one this year, never new they came in that color either but eventually it's height when standing, forehead and back hump clearly identified it. Then the paw prints gave us the 100% confirmation. It was more of a really Dark brown.

[todbartell]

any pics leadpill?

[hunter1947]

I saw a black Grizz in the area I hunt in the EK ,it was all black ,this was no black I kid you not ,I cow called this grizz in ,he was only 100 feet from me when I saw him.

[srupp]

yes there are black colored grizzlies..Tim has a 9' 4" one and photos have been posted here of that one..I have seen several.

I also have seen grizzlies that are blond( TOKLAT) also silvertipped, brown , reddish..and even grey just like people and black bears they indeed come in all colors , shapes, and sizes..

Cheers

Steven

[bridger]

there are definately black colored grizzley's we have one that hangs around our cabin and looks like giant black bear, but is definately a grizz. i also saw one this spring that was the color of an elk with its summer coat it was standing in the middle of the road and didn;t have a blonde,brown,black, or silver hair on it. was really a weird looking bear.

[Gunner]

A friend that used to guide grizzlies in Rivers Inlet shot a black grizz at Kingcombe in the 70s.I've seen the hide and it is BLACK!In most animals and birds darker hair or feathers will be more common in a wet coastal habitat than in the drier Interior.This holds true for everything from grizzlies to blue grouse to song sparrows.It's a generalisation though, not a totally written in stone rule ,and any colour can turn up almost anywhere! Gunner

[yukon john]

Definitely, alaska govt published a deal a few years showing the relation between sex age and colour, to help hunters choose mature boars. 86% of black griz were mature boars (the highest level of any colour phase)

[sawmill]

My buddy got a beauty black silvertip in Hazelton with me one year.I found most of the boars were a reddish brown colour up there.Mine was 28 years old and another friends was 33 and both were reddish brown.

[Husky7mm]

I saw a black grizzly this year that was so big and round it hardly had a hump. I thought for a second it was a giant black bear. It almost got long bombed. I checked its tracks later and the back pad was as big as my size 12 boot. Now add the toes and claws thats a big ass bear!

[Will]

No pics of Jet Black Grizzlies ? Anybody...........

[gameslayer]

One of the most talked about Grizzly was a bear that roamed the Gang Ranch in the 1950's he was called by all locals as "Nero" I hunted the bear for eight straight years. His range was from Empire Valley to the Relays and then on over to Big Creek. It was quite a large territory and he could be one day in a valley and the next day ten miles away in another. He was as black as the ace of spades. And had a hind print of 16 inches. The bear was as large as any Gang Ranch Angus bull. His weight was estimated at twelve to thirteen hundred pounds. Only two people ever saw this bear. The year was 1964, May 22 on a spring hunt. The snow in many parts of the valley was still a foot deep. My hunter and I hunted him every morning and evening and laid up during the day. At one o'clock in mid afternoon, broad daylight, he walked across the entire width of the valley and all we had was two small spin casting rods in our hands. (he never exposed himself during the day) That was the only visual sighting of the bear. Some body killed a huge grizzly on the other side of Big Creek a couple of years later. (Well over 1200 lbs) But it was not Nero. The down bear had a slightly different color. Nero is mentioned in several Cariboo books. Nero died of old age. I have taken three bears over 1000 Lbs, and Nero towered over them both in height and girth. he was truly the "Grand daddy" of G.bears.

Hello,
Interesting story safarichris I love hearing good tales, thanks for sharing your experience . By the sounds of it you must have a lot of good ones, love to hear them.

[Rackmastr]

Anyone have any good pics of black grizz they have taken?

I've seen one that was VERY close to black, but it was wet and I think he most likely had a bit of dark dark brown on him. Big 8.5' bear that we tried to put on the ground but never got lucky enough!

[srupp]

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d47/srupp/Timgrizzly2.jpg

[sheep.elk.moose fanatic]

SAFARI CHRIS are you the author Chris kind? " she's downhill and in the shade" " bighorns and stones" if you are HBC'ERS are in for a treat with more story's like that!!!!

[sheep.elk.moose fanatic]

wow so glad to have ya on here Chris! have both your books, your incite about hunting conservation and how things were and how things are now will be a added pleasure to this site for us "bushwhacker's" lol

[srupp]

I vaugley remember Chilco Choate mentioning a big ol grizzly?? that was never shot??back up in there..seen some 'odd" big bears back there and more than a few BIG PRINTS...NON up there:-D IN THE PAST 8 YEARS OR SO...

Steven

[timberhunter]

A little away from the topic thread. But if you guys have not read any of safarichris (Mr.Kind) books, you really should. I've met Chris many times at gun shows and he's a hell of a fine character. And his books are excellent on the early days of the gang ranch and hunting in the area.

[mark]

back to the topic of color phases grizz....a couple years back,just west of kelowna, i saw a black grizz with a copper tipped coat. the copper tips were as bright and shiny as a brand new penny. my wife and another hunter also saw it but only for a few brief seconds.

[chilcotin hillbilly]

I shot a black one in 2001 a really old boar with a huge noggin. I have no digital pictures and my buddy did a piss poor job of taking pictures but it was jet black tip top tail. I shot him up the north coast.

[Will]

Dam.........still no pics of the elusive Jet Black Grizz ! :?

[srupp]

hmm check back ONE PAGE Tim and his black grizzly...

steven

[Will]

hmm check back ONE PAGE Tim and his black grizzly...

Yep we've all seen the pics, you've posted them enough times........:wink:

But clearly that bear is not "Jet Black" sure it's got a darker body, hard to tell when they are wet too btw, but the head is clearly not "Black"

Just seems with the number of PURE BLACK grizzly tales someone would have a good pic of the obviously very common Black Grizz ?:-|

[srupp]

hmmm actually Will he is jet black..any "brown" is his guard hair showing through..lokk @ the black trim on Tims coat..and the Grizzly behind Tims shoulder all black...

cheers
Steven:mrgreen:

[showtimebc]

Here is a pic of a couple grizzlies I took about 7 years ago with a disposable camera (hence the poor quality). The boar was pretty dark. I wouldn't say jet black, but not far off.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/grizz13.jpg

[Will]

hmmm actually Will he is jet black..any "brown" is his guard hair showing through..lokk @ the black trim on Tims coat..and the Grizzly behind Tims shoulder all black...

cheers
Steven:mrgreen:
Ahhhhhh but he's not BLACK AS THE ACE OF SPADES :mrgreen:

Just hav'n some fun Steven:wink:....regarding Jet Black Grizzlies the Boar you and Tim took certainly comes close enough !

Wouldn't matter to me if it was nipple Pink...helluva Bear that one was:-D

[Will]

Here is a pic of a couple grizzlies I took about 7 years ago with a disposable camera (hence the poor quality). The boar was pretty dark. I wouldn't say jet black, but not far off.

Now we're talking ! Cool pic ! Thanks for the look :-D

[mcrae]

took me awhile to get that one:mrgreen:

[srupp]

someone once posted a photo of a interior grizzly @ Revelstoke dam..that was awesome..jet black long luxurious coat..sadly I cant find it...

Steven

[gwillim]

Anyone interested in grizzly bears should read "The Black Grizzly of Whisky Creek", by Sid Marty. Great account of a pure black grizzly that raised havoc around the townsite of Banff back in 1980. Interesting insights into bear behaviour, and National Parks politics.

The bear did eventually get snared, then shot, and the hide is hanging on display in Banff (I forget where).