how big is this bear/color?

[matchset]

any educated guesses on how big this bear is?

also, what color would u say it is?

thanx for the advice

[mudslinger64]

thats a nice one i would say 350-400 the ears look small and it has the pear shape,it looks to be black the sun makes it kinda look a little like a cinnamon but i would say black.

[Boar]

Wow thats a awsome bear, Pushing 400 Id say, he is so thick all around, beutifully proportionate. A tru trophy. The head looks really good, wide forhead, I agree with muddy., the sun is throwing sometint into the fur. If its the same bear at night, its a black, i've had a cinnomon picture at night an it alot lighter shade due to the IR. My 2cents. Boar

[Boar]

If its the same bear at night how long would that log he's next to be? Pictures can be decieving I could be high on my guesse. I like tieing a flg at my waist hight next to the crib for some judgement. Boar

[bogwalker]

Photo #1 Is a large sow. Close to 300 pounds.

Photo #2 Is a boar 200 pound class.

Photo #3 This is a boar well over 400 pounds.

[Boar]

I could agree that #3 three is a diferent bear, huge belly hanging alot lower than the rest of the pics. My powers of obsevation arnt as sharp as they use to be, before I'd a thought it was the same bear due to the time on the camera, but it;s pretty light out for 2:33 AM. An over a 3 hour time span. What about the first one bog that tells you it's a sow? Boar

[bogwalker]

Look at the size of the front feet. They appear to be way too small compared to the rest of this bear. Sows front feet stop growing when they (the pads) get to be about 4" wide. The muzzle is short and narrow. Again appearing out of proportion to the overall size of the bear.

[Random guy]

Yes I will go with the short and stout snout sow (I loved Dr. Sues as kid) on the first bear verses the typical anteater muzzle of boars. Now the first pic is a smaller bear just close to the camrera that is placed low to the ground say under 4'. Maybe 250 on the first bear unles that tree in the background three feet wide that I think it is aslo the second bear.

Now the third bear has the old man wrinkles complete with leg rubbed hair on the back side of his gut and a much larger gut hanging down at that, not to mentionhe small pinned back ears. But the main thing that tells me that is big boar is the bait pile. Small bear and sows throw stuff everywhere as they pick apart the bait. Now a large bear will just stick in a paw and move all the logs over at once like in the pictures. Many times I have come to bait and realized they are stacked just as I left them only moved over four feet.

I say 340 plus on the second one due to low camera placement

[bogwalker]

Compare #1 and #2 to the log in front of them. #1 is a little closer to the camera. Camera placement on #1 and #2 is exactly the same if you use the same log as a reference point.

[Boar]

Heck Dr. Suesse is my favorite rap artist to this day. I was looking at the front paws butwasnt sure, tehy do look small in comparison. Thank for the lesson guys. Boar

[matchset]

camera is placed about 3ft off the ground, and is about 12ft from the base of the bait pile tree. the bait pile tree is large, i'd say...nearly 3ft across...

here are some more pictures...

i'm very curious to hear all of your opinions, because what i saw on stand last year wasn't a 400+ pounder... and in some pics it appears to be one...

this is the rest of the pics... i'll include one pic of a solid black bear for comparison.

all baits are in northern minnesota!

[bogwalker]

Matchset, I'll tell you what. You had a once in a lifetime bear hitting your bait. One mistake and you will never see him again. This class of bear will not be taken using the same hunting methods hunters use on typical bear. If you can get him to come in this year let me know. This is the class of bear that got me into researching mature boar Black Bear. One tip, set the clock on your trail camera to the right time.

[matchset]

Matchset, I'll tell you what. You had a once in a lifetime bear hitting your bait. One mistake and you will never see him again. This class of bear will not be taken using the same hunting methods hunters use on typical bear. If you can get him to come in this year let me know. This is the class of bear that got me into researching mature boar Black Bear. One tip, set the clock on your trail camera to the right time.

what techniques would u suggest?

the closest i got to getting me this past fall was 59 min. he came in 59 min after i left the bait one evening... camera light....fml

[mudslinger64]

ya,i guess i was also guilty of thinking all of the pics were from the same bear.i didn't look real close after i saw the big one.hope you tag him this year...

[bogwalker]

Matchset, If he comes back again this season send me a pm.

[jay83196]

I'd like to hear what techniques also?

[Boar]

well youcertainly have more than one bear hitting the bait, Awsome pic, an you have a awsome bear hitting the bait. That last pic is really getting me jacked up. Boar

[Boar]

Bog would that last pic be the sow again with the short muzzle, , night pics are tough an it angled away. Pic are so decieving at times. Boar

[bogwalker]

Boar, No I don't think so.

Matchset, Is your camera set up on the same side of your bait as your stand?

[hookset]

Matchset, I have some vidio of the bear I shot last year i can send you.(not sure how to attach for everyone to see) It dressed out at 470 pounds and made Boone And Crocket. send me a E-mail and I will forward it to you. if you want I will tell you how i tricked him into coming in during shooting hours(by a whole 4 Minutes). joe.SWI(at)arvig.net. I had a fun hunt and if I can help you, I will.

Joe

[bogwalker]

One of the first things I learned about the largest Black Bear boars is that they are all different. You can very rarely pattern them. You can easily teach a hunter to hunt bears but these will be average size and average weight bears at least most of the time. Hunters who have stumbled upon a large boar or a tired out, past prime bear will tell you how easy it was to take one. "They are just like any other bear" is what they might say but this is not true. You have to know some things about the bear to start to figure him out because they are all different. You are hunting one particular bear.

[jay83196]

Do you track them? Years of observing them in same area? What are some examples?

[Random guy]

You can very rarely pattern them.

I hear ya on that one!

[bogwalker]

jay, If you are asking how to locate the really big bears most of them are very rarely seen. One general rule is to stay away from trails and areas used by people. Study what food bears prefer in your area. Scout for travel corridors, scat etc. look for tracks(tracks are pretty tough to find where you can measure them). Look for general bear sign watching for rubs, watering places, natural food, areas where they feed on farm crops. There is one boar I have crossed paths with for about 6 years. I have never seen him. His front pads measure a hair under 7". His fur is orange tipped. When standing on his hind legs he stands over 8' tall. If anyone had seen this bear word would have traveled quickly but I have not heard any mention of him in the area where he lives. It takes a lot of time and traveling to find really big bears. If you are lucky enough to have one hitting your bait you might get one shot opportunity. You will not get a second.

[matchset]

Boar, No I don't think so.

Matchset, Is your camera set up on the same side of your bait as your stand?

bogwalker, yes, my treestand is about 4 yards Directly behind the bait!