What is a big black bear?

[ishiwannabe]

I saw a monster at work. I was in a full size ford pick up, and his shoulder was almost as high as the hood!! His head was massive...just a big, flat block of a head larger than a basketball.

Now I see bears all the time at work. Sows, cubs, other boars. I have almost bumped into them while walking my rounds. Never have I seen a bear with such...fearlessness. He looked at the truck like he could and would break it in half if he wanted to, and I think he could.

Im so bummed I couldnt get a picture....once I lit him up he ambled off before the camera was fully on.

I think it is, scratch that, I know it is the biggest bear I have ever seen in pictures, in the woods, or at work....

I hope I can get a picture for you guys.  

[Blackhawk]

Most of the bears out here are just average size, 150-250 lbs with an occasional 350-400 lb. animal. It sounds like you stumbled on to one of those rare monster bears we read about.  

I believe the record is over 850 lbs and it came from North Carolina.

[J-dog]

seen a couple thsat hit the 680 mark but big is 250 up. At least a couple killed every year where I hunt that are 4 - 450 but those are the rifle/dog dudes. I have only known of one around here killed trad and it was a post of a trad ganger here, maybe he will chime in.

J

[ron w]

If his or her ears look really,really small for the size of its head,if it has a swagger to its walk,and if its body ,shoulder to hip is bigger than a 55 gal drum......ITS A BIG BEAR.....hope you can get a photo...

[vermonster13]

World record is 880lbs from NC

[John3]

Judging bears comes with experience... I've been close to over 60 black bears the past ten years or so.. You just "know" a big bear when you see them. Big wide flat creased "bucket" head with legs that look short because their body is just filled out and massive.

I've always called big bears "steering wheel" sized... You know, when their head could not fit through the steering wheel of your truck.. LOL

A couple nice bears--

See the crease in this P&Y sized bear..
 

This is by far the largest black bear I have ever been close to. The pic was taken with a low pix camera from a distance and does not do the bear justice.. Just huge BC black bear. The next day we got to within 8 big steps of this animal.
 

[Stripstrike1]

The animal in my Avatar was 500 lbs and 20 inches P & Y.  When you see a big one you will know. They look like an Angus cow with the legs cut off.

[oldway]

Bears can be very difficult to judge,whether it is trying to tell if his noggin is the P&Y minimum of 18" or trying to guess his weight without scaling him.In our neck of the woods 18" bears generally weigh out around 200lb. to 225lb.
and of coarse with head size body size increases to.This picture of my 2009 bear shows a animal by all estimates of 400lbs.and a green score of 21 4/16.So one would think he should be heavier but wasn't,after bow hunting bears for over 20 years I still find it challeging to determine the size of theses guys while sitting from a stand.

 

 

[James Wrenn]

400 lbs is when they start being considered big around here.After 400 the difference between a 400 and 600 is just the bigger belly on the heavier one.

[Ray Hammond]

My best friend's son killed a 21 9/16 in Saskatchewan last year..

First animal with a bow...I just got the rug and skull back today..

It's awful big.. Squared 7 1/2 feet.

Here's a pic. We can only guestimate the weight..but it took four big husky boys to get him 100 yards to the road on a stretcher and we were all tuckered out when done!

 

 

[overbo]

If his head looks as if it wouldn't fit in a 5 gallon drywall bucket,thata a big bear

[Izzy]

Theres an awful lot of big bears down your way Jamie.400 is not a rarity in the Catskills and my game warden pals tell me of some quite bigger.If that bear got in your head like it sounds he did theres no reason he cant be 6 and change even early in the year.Id love to see pics.  

[Mike Bolin]

This bear was my first trad kill and if that don't get you hooked on trad, nothin' will! It was over 300# and the skull went 19 2/16". Old bear with alot of rotten, broken teeth. Wish I would've had a full body mount done, but funds were tight and I didn't realize at the time that I will most likely never kill a bigger one. Taken in quebec with a 58# recurve and a 2219 with a Magnus II 4 blade.
 

[Anaconda12]

This Sask bear I took a few years ago aint bad!  He was 21 and some change, but I think it is like alot game animals, you just know it when you see it!
 

 

[Anaconda12]

That was green he finished 20 and some change, I was amazed at how much they can shrink!

[oldway]

Those are some awesome Saskatchewan bruiser bruins guys,concider yourselfs very blessed to take such trophys.Even here shooting a 20 or 21 inch bear is not really common even with a rifle.I should also ad that as bears head into fall,a big bear can ad up to 100 extra pounds.Keep the BIG Bear pictures coming,Dell.

[twitchstick]

This is the biggest bear I have ever seen myself(which I did so sadly missed) but I have only seen maybe 15 bears ever. It had to out weight the bear I kill this year by at least 100 lbs(the fat jiggle when it walked and didn't have legs) Mine green score at 19+.MY friends utah bear green scored 19 7/8 and weight 250+ but his last years idaho bear wieght 600 lbs skull was just under 20".He was really shocked.One of the main taxidemist in this area claimed that he had 3 bear last year that thier wieght over 600 lbs off the unit I killed mine.I have only hunted bear this year and I sure think they are tough to judge.I hope to see a pic of this monster you seen.

[ishiwannabe]

Well thanks for all the responses and GREAT pictures. I think Im seeing a beast. He is as big as some of the pics posted...vividly remember the "crease" too.

No sighting last night, just a sow with two cubs.

He looked like he could eat a 55 gallon drum Ron!!

Thanks again everyone...will do my best to get a picture.

[tippit]

It also depends on the time of year.  Big spring bears will be 100-150+ more in the fall...Doc

[nurayb]

Were are you seeing these bears Ishi?  I have seen a lot of bears in my life.  The biggest being a 9 foot plus brownie.  The largest blackie I have ever seen I spotted while glassing for high country deer here in Idaho.  He was walking through a boulder field and had somehow climbed up on top of a giant boulder and was standing on it.  He looked like a big blob of fat.  You just know they are big, that is all there is to it.