the bear skull is measured by adding the width to the length- in inches. You want to therefore be careful not to break the rather thin bone around the eye socket. If you get close to 18 inches; which is the p&y minimum; then get it scored.
I heard once - long ago in the last century; that only about 5% of P&Y bears were sows.
I shot a sow that was offically weighed over 600 pounds; and it was a 6 plus footer; but she only scored 16 and something.
Your daughters are so cute! must be nice to have little angels around
And about the demeanor of the bear; they do get territorial - and they will defend their territory. Although they can look like they are pretty harmless and dimwitted at times- they are animals that live partially: by killing other things.
I have had hunters walk under my stand and stop and talk; and not be aware of me. More than once I asked them to move on - so they wouldn't scent up the area; and not even in one case did they look up and see me.
I really wonder - after looking back at the photos- if the bear knew you were there all along; and finally got sick of you coming into her territory? 7 feet gives a good angle; but most bears that know the motive of humans on bait piles- would not fall for a 7 foot stand; they would see or smell you you and not come in. I wonder if this bear was really being aggressive all along to you ?
I would hate for the bear to have completed its charge.. !!
Hey and thanks for the wonderful visual on the oppossum :( LOL
I like bear meat too; unless they are eating fish; in which case; they taste horrible. I have heard ( do a lot of that ) that grizzlies that live where they don't depend on fish taste good; but that brown and grizzlies eating off fish runs taste bad.
I had not heard about the freezing trick with the meat. Bear meat can be sooooo good