Grouse45

If your estimation is correct that's basically a yearling/cub. I have so many Bears were I hunt I have no desire to shoot one at all. I think it's great you didn't shoot a small Bear. I here a lot of people say it's hard to judge the big from the small in the woods. I usually have no problem but I'm not hunting them.

bronko22000

It actually is hard to judge a black bear in heavy cover. If you don't have the time to look over them or rarely see them in the woods. How many times have you seen what looked like a large black or dark colored object in the distant woods and looking through your binos found it was only a small stump? I've done it many times. The bear in this post, when I first saw it hustling through the thick brush along the ridge, looked absolutely massive. It wasn't until he stepped into the open that I was able to compare his size in relation to the surrounding trees and see that his ears looked too large for his head that I determined him (or her) to be on the smallish side. I usually only see the real bruisers when they're not in season. Like during archery or spring turkey.

MountainDevil54

same with doe. I shot a nice doe the other year and when I walked up to it, it was a tiny little yearling just wearing off its milk 'stache. I looked around like... was this someone else kill? LOL.

When theres nothing around them other than tall trees, it can get a bit hard to judge, especially when you may have less than 10 seconds to figure it out.

ronlaughlin

If one needs ten seconds, or more; one should take ten seconds or more, before shooting, or pass on the shot.

Fawn faces are shaped differently than doe faces; study the shape of the face before pulling the trigger. Study the shape of the face.

1874sharpsshooter

I agree , some people are to quick to pull the trigger without being sure of what they are shooting . I have missed lots of opportunities because i took so long making sure it was a deer i wanted to shoot rather then being so quick on the trigger . Like the guy who shot his hunting buddy thinking he was a blackbear in the bushes and another i remember where the guy shot his grandson thinking it was a bear. Take 10 seconds like Ron said or how ever long it takes and be sure it is what you want to shoot . Better to miss an opportunity than make a mistake . Once that bullet leaves the barrel there aint no calling it back.

bronko22000

Agreed. But I'm also sure that MD just threw that 10 seconds out as an arbitrary figure. But a bear is much harder to judge than a deer. Even expert guides have to look long and hard to determine if the bear they are seeing is a shooter. To me the head is the best determining factor. What I look for are ears that look too big for the head and a "skinny" face. Indications of a small bear. If they look small and to the side a bit I'm thinking hard about sending a bullet. If it looks in my direction and there is a crease going down the middle of the head or his head looks blocky there is no question. I'm shooting.
Deer on the other hand are fairly easy. Yearlings have a short snout and a rounded head. A mature deer will usually have a long slender snout or a develop that 'roman' nose look. Also the belly and back on a mature deer will sag a bit more.

super_hunt54

I'm probably going to get a bit slammed for this, but one of the good things about baiting for Bear, when using a 50 gallon drum, is for size comparison. It also gives a hunter ample time to have a good look at the Bear to determine if it's a mature animal. Having a known size of something close to an animal gives you a better perspective. I've never hunted Bear over bait, but hunting up in Main a few years I saw the bait stations and such and did ask some questions and can see both sides of the "baiting controversy".

Blackpowdersmoke

Exactly... a yearlings face is not as long as an adults. It's not hard to tell the difference .

BPS

bronko22000

Super - You won't see me bashing you over baiting. I've hunted Maine and Idaho over bait. You are correct in that you have time to judge an animal carefully before you make the decision to shoot. And anyone who has not hunted over bait and think it's easy, you better think again. Those bears get educated real fast. They circle the bait several times to check scent before they come in too. So don't think it's a slam dunk. You have to sit still, be quiet and not stink. And when they do commit to come in if you move at the wrong time they will see you and take off.
If you do right you will see more bear for sure than if you were stand or still hunting, you will be able to judge them better and make your decision from there.
I really get disgusted with "hunters" that shoot small (and really small) bears just to fill a tag. Once coming out of the check station after checking in my bear, I tripped over a bear that was no bigger than a woman's large purse. I've seen others that came in lying in a wash basin lucky to go 15-20 lbs. Its really disgraceful but legal here in PA ever since they dropped the "no cub" rule.