How's your bear track ID? [Archive]

PGKris

10-09-2006, 07:26 PM

Pics taken in 7-24 in the past weekend. Tell me what bear made them (griz or black). I know, do you?

Bear #1:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v355/PGKris/Hunting06-Beartrack2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v355/PGKris/Hunting06-Beartrack1.jpg

Bear #2:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v355/PGKris/Hunting06-Beartrack.jpg

This is too easy :lol:
Kris

ryanb

10-09-2006, 07:35 PM

Black Bear, obviously

PGKris

10-09-2006, 07:36 PM

2 diff bears. You say both sets are blackies?

Amphibious

10-09-2006, 07:46 PM

both black. bear #1 is a whopper. looks like print was originally in mud, always alow for a little "slip". when you find a g-bear print it will be very obvious. (although wouldn't rule out a little grizz for #1)

EDIT: just relized how small you feet are. bear one probably isn;t all that big.

3kills

10-09-2006, 08:20 PM

its not a bear print...its a samsquatch...

i m going to have to say the first one is a grizzer...

steel_ram

10-09-2006, 08:32 PM

Awefully long pointy things for a black.

mainland hunter

10-09-2006, 09:36 PM

black bear imo.

jessbennett

10-09-2006, 09:43 PM

my guess is grizz for #1 on blackie for#2. mind you i have been known to be wrong every once in a while.... :lol:

000buck

10-09-2006, 10:15 PM

imo blacks the claw length is not long enough to be grizz ( claw should be almost twice as long as the pad for a grizz) , all the prints appear to be from the hind foot that one is a v large black, bearing in mind even though its a good print it is only two dimensional on here.

PGKris

10-09-2006, 10:29 PM

bear number one pic 1 is front pad, pic 2 bear one is hind foot. Bear 2's pic is front pad. I'm surprised so far. I thought this was easy.

Mr. Dean

10-09-2006, 10:37 PM

Both sets belong to Black Bears.

Did you see the fella that made set # 1? It would've been IMPRESIVE, I'm sure.

PGKris

10-09-2006, 10:56 PM

:lol: :lol:

bighornbob

10-10-2006, 08:54 AM

I would say the first one is a Black bear as you will always see claw marks in the soft mud and the claw marks are too close to the front pads for a Grizz. On a grizz you would see just the tips of the claws and they would be a few inches in front of the pad.

BHB

oldtimer

10-10-2006, 11:00 AM

Both blacks and I want #1 . impressive , or you have very tiny feet. Mike

PGKris

10-10-2006, 01:02 PM

I have size 9 feet. So smaller than most.

PGKris

10-10-2006, 01:06 PM

So I'll give dimensions. Bear one, front pad is 6 1/4" across. Hind pad is 7 1/2" long.
Bear number two (front pad only) is a hair under 6" across.

Kirby

10-10-2006, 01:38 PM

I have size 9 feet. So smaller than most.
You know what the say about guys with small feet? they wear small boots.

As to the tracks, both blacks, neither that impressive IMO.

Kirby

blacktailslayer

10-10-2006, 02:26 PM

Black bear tracks

Will

10-10-2006, 04:27 PM

Bear #1.....
Black Bear, probably go about 6-1/2 -maybe close to 7 Feet.
Bear #2.....
Black Bear, might go 6' or a hair over that :smile:

Or Koalas ?.........:lol:
:|

Schmaus

10-10-2006, 04:58 PM

Those are both clearly panda tracks

Amphibious

10-10-2006, 05:04 PM

I'm surprised so far. I thought this was easy.

we bow down to the great trivia that are your posts. (you're 13 right?) :lol:

PGKris

10-10-2006, 06:11 PM

Funny guy.
Sorry I just thought it was easy. Bear #1 is a grizzly (look at those claws people!). Bear number two is a really nice blackie. I wish I had better pictures of the blackie's prints because that one sure doesnt show the size well.

PGKris

10-10-2006, 06:11 PM

Here it comes, tell me how wrong I am....I followed that bear for over 2km....it's a griz.....

CNE

10-10-2006, 06:18 PM

kris , did you actually see it? or are you asuming. I've seen alot of grizzly's and tracks and that dont look like a grizz.

Amphibious

10-10-2006, 06:22 PM

kris , did you actually see it? or are you asuming. I've seen alot of grizzly's and tracks and that dont look like a grizz.

+1 those claws arn't very long. when they are two inches off the toe you know for sure 8-) big and brown and bear does not a grizzly make.

I'd like to know why he was following a griz for 2 clicks. does Kris have a griz draw? if not, the point was?

PGKris

10-10-2006, 06:33 PM

The tracks were 24 hours old plus or minus. Take a good look at where those claw marks start. They are 2-2 1/2" in front of the toe. That's a griz....I don't know how it can be mistaken for a black. I'll try and find a pic with something better than my boot for scale. I took one with a 3" 410 shell in it. I dont know if i still have it though. I'm tellin ya, griz, and a big one.

mainland hunter

10-10-2006, 06:34 PM

im really surprised that its a grizz. did u get a pic of the bear after following for that long

PGKris

10-10-2006, 06:36 PM

No. After about 1 1/2km, the tracks stopped being yesterday and started being today.....so I rounded up another grouse and got out of Dodge. No real reason to get confrontational.

Amphibious

10-10-2006, 06:38 PM

you never saw the bear so how do you know? you followed tracks for 2kms, not a bear. there is a difference, an big difference. those are fairly little claws. if his front paw was only 6.25 across it is roughly a 7.25' bear. that is not a big grizz. a good blacky, but not a big grizz. here is a pic of a big grizz track, next to a size 12 danner:

http://usera.imagecave.com/cwiller/bearpawsmall.JPG

here is another: see how far the claws are from the toes? and how they mark the mud? grizz claws are arched high. http://www.greatplainstracker.com/grizzly.jpg

oldtimer

10-10-2006, 06:40 PM

Sorry kid they are Blacks. Not near enough long enough or seperated enough for a Grizz.

PGKris

10-10-2006, 06:46 PM

I was waiting for this.

ryanb

10-10-2006, 06:51 PM

It seems pretty unanimous that you're wrong...so you might want to at least consider that possibility.

000buck

10-10-2006, 06:59 PM

Iron-Head

10-10-2006, 07:02 PM

I live on the coast, there are allot of black bears here, and allot of black bears leave allot of tracks, That track is no different from any of the blackie tracks one would see in the soft mud. The way I have been told to identify Grizz tracks from a black bear is that "if the claw marks look like there part of the same track its a black, If they look so out of place that one would think some one took a pointy stick and poked holes infront of it, Its a Grizz."
BTW, Whats the point of doing this stupid little test, what are you trying to prove:|.
Just my 0.02 cents worth.:lol:

pupper

10-10-2006, 07:04 PM

I can tell that it is a grizz due to the parrelelness (if thats a word) of the paw to the claw marks and the size obviously.

black bear tracks are more rounded. The claw marks anyways are more round.

Schmaus

10-10-2006, 07:48 PM

http://www.bearinfo.org/images/palmisciano%20track%20test%2075%25.jpg

Schmaus

10-10-2006, 07:50 PM

Sorry guy I gotta go black bear on this one. I thought you were trying to bust a lot of people thinking that was a grizz.

3kills

10-10-2006, 08:34 PM

i m sticking with grizzly...

Sikanni Stalker

10-10-2006, 08:53 PM

Bear 1 Grizz, Grizzlys walk with their nails extended or rather they don't retract their claws,
Bear 2 black,Blackies generally have their claws retracted, if they are really long claws you can see the tips in the print or if the mud is real deep they will show too.ALso another thing I have noticed is grizz prints look more like toes and the blackies toes are more pad like.JMHO

scoot

10-11-2006, 04:52 AM

A little bit different ground, But I seen this guy south west of Ft. Nelson this year. A decent size gris from about 80-110 yards. Keep em going Kris
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y208/scadamso/Hunting/06%20elk%20hunt/IMG_06501.jpg

PGKris

10-11-2006, 07:55 AM

Well I knew this was going to happen "You didn't see it so you're wrong!" Honestly guys, think what you want. I'll even take you to the road, as long as you don't shoot my grouse population all to hell :lol:
next time I'll shoot it and make sure I get EXACT measurement on the claw length....I'm sorry I never knew there was a TEXTBOOK length for girz claws :lol:
Later

bigwhiteys

10-11-2006, 08:28 AM

Kris,

For what it's worth... I think #1 could be either Grizz/Black (If Grizz it's small). I've seen my fair share of both type of bears, and their tracks and I think for anyone to say CASE CLOSED on this they would need to see more then just ONE solitary track. (Usually a grizz track is obvious - In this case it might not be)

Seeing the tracks in a pattern would show you the gait of the animal. It would be easier to tell then. Did you find any scat when you followed his tracks? Any hair on brush or snags? Any other sign to speak of that would tell you it's a Grizz other then seeing the animal?

There is more to tracking and indentifying then just one track. At least that's what I've been taught.

I bet you could put a picture of a single Moose track up and you'd get people calling it Elk, Caribou and Deer all in the same thread too.

Happy Hunting!
Carl

mainland hunter

10-11-2006, 08:53 AM

i think its a black, it could be a grizz but what makes you so sure if you never saw it. ive seen really small grizz where the claws are out alot further than that. those were spring bears and they do wear their claws down some by fall. ive also usually noticed grizz claws to leave more pin prick like impressions in the mud where blackies claws push the mud forward a little which is what those pics look like. i could be wrong for sure but why are you so sure without seeing it

steepNdeep

10-11-2006, 12:41 PM

Funny guy. Sorry I just thought it was easy. Bear #1 is a grizzly (look at those claws people!).

A good way to judge a grizz track is to draw a line across his longest toe perpendicular to the foot, on his front foot. All of the claw marks should be ahead of the line. Here's a good illustration:

Grizz: http://www.bear-tracker.com/griz.html

Black bear: http://www.bear-tracker.com/bear.html

Greeny? :lol:

steepNdeep

10-11-2006, 03:21 PM

http://secretcreeksupplies.com/track-bl-grizz.jpg

How does crow taste these days??? 8-)

3kills

10-11-2006, 04:57 PM

the pic that schaums posted says to draw a line under the toes and if the lil tow is more then 50% below the line its a black and 50% above its a grizz....

bigwhiteys

10-11-2006, 06:37 PM

I got my dad to look at the tracks.

He guessed.... #1 was a small Grizz

His reasoning, Early season (spring) Grizz. have longer claws after hibernation, and the claw marks will be further away from the pads (tips showing). As they wear down the claws through spring and summer the claw marks will obviously get closer to the pads.

Black Bears retract their claws while walking.

This comes from someone who's guided for a few dozen Grizz. So I believe him :)

Happy Hunting!
Carl

willy442

10-11-2006, 06:46 PM

I can't believe the people that have replied to this forum. I hope you people are better at identifying game than most of you are at reading sign. A black bear retracts its claws when walking, this is not to say you will never see claws on a black bear track, but if you do it will only be for a step or two. This time of year a Grizzly track will appear to have the claw marks in closer to the foot due to wearing down the claws while out of the den all summer. This said you will clearly see the claws on all grizzly tracks, just as you can in these photo's. I call these tracks that of a three year old Grizzly that has most likely just been run off by its mother prior to dening. This bear is travelling in a manner that enforce's my call on these tracks. I might offer. If you disagree lets get MANTRACKER on the trail.

Schmaus

10-11-2006, 07:58 PM

No bears can retract their claws only cats can do that. If you don't believe me then type it in on yahoo or google and you will have your answer. Or you can just read here.

http://creationwiki.org/index.php?title=Ursus

P.S. I think somebody should call the mantracker cause he is awesome.

PGKris

10-11-2006, 08:04 PM

:lol: Go at 'er guys. I got nothing to prove here. I was only posting pics of some tracks. Sheesh.

Amphibious

10-12-2006, 11:50 AM

bears do not have retractable claws. Willy, your own advice says alot here:

" I hope you people are better at identifying game than most of you are at reading sign. "

Shop Lord

10-12-2006, 12:21 PM

I'm positive its a not so rare hybrid black/grizzly track.

Iron-Head

10-12-2006, 12:53 PM

I'm positive its a not so rare hybrid black/grizzly track. Stir stir...:twisted:

willy442

10-12-2006, 06:02 PM

OK Guy:s Guess you got me on the retractable with your book smarts. However in my past I have spent more time in one year in bear country, than most you have or ever will in your lives wether you are young or old. During that time I learned to read what I saw, in my surroundings, and in the case of these bear tracks I see GRIZ
I guess the reason being is a Black Bear and a Griz track are so easily identified by the amount of claw shown in a track even in the mud by anyone with minimal tracking experience.

Iron-Head

10-12-2006, 06:24 PM

"Will"
I still dont understand why you need to make it sound like no one else but you has any idea Of what there looking at, mabey some dont agree with what you are saying... Mabey some do, either way you dont need to be making it seem like your the only one out there with the smarts to tell the difference between a grizz and a blackie track...
:???:

Mr. Dean

10-13-2006, 12:13 AM

Forget about the claws.....Look too the toe's......As others have mentioned.

I to was 'puzzled' for a while - Then submitted my ruling based on the toe's.

But in the end, I guess only the Bear knows what type he is. :smile: