First of all, either way don't apologize for whatever you decide. He would make a nice first bear, no doubt, even though those ears suggest that he is indeed 200 lbs. or less. He looks just like my first bear, which made a great rug, and I am proud of it. We all want 300+ size bears every year, but of course that is unrealistic to expect. Personally, I like the meat a lot. I was running out of hunting days, so I ended up this year taking an average size bear in the end. I certainly am not bummed!