Largest Black Bear
 

What is the largest black bear you have ever taken and what do you use as the "scoring factor"? Weight, skull measurement? What it squares?
Just curious...
I'd love to see some pics of your trophies too!

RE: Largest Black Bear
 

My largest of 4 weighted 318 lb. the skull scored 19 and5\8 . I shot it in Pa. the only way I would hunt a nother one would be with a bow . I have a running tab with my taxidermest at all times now.:)

RE: Largest Black Bear
 

I got a 550 lb Black Bear in Sask. We weighed it but didn't score it. My daughter has it now. we had it made into a rug. turned out real nice. Maybe I can get her to post a picture of it.

RE: Largest Black Bear
 

Skull size is the only non-subjective, comparable way but we mostly use squared hide measurement up here. Hides can be stretched and weights can either be live, dressed, guesstimated or unattainable. Here's an 8 footer that my girlfriend shot last spring. The skull was just shy of 21" if I remember correctly.

RE: Largest Black Bear
 

Nice Bear !! 8' is HUGE---grizzly size. I'm assuming you are measuring from nose to tail. My ruff rule of thumb is that 5'6" is an average bear. 6' is a good bear. Anything over 6'6" is REAL good. Anything over 7' is HUGE. I shot a 6' here in Colorado several years ago----my taxidermist kept records of bears he did for awhile. Seemed that the average bear he did was 5' 4". CB

RE: Largest Black Bear
 

I have shot a couple 7 footers, one was 500 pounds and the other 475. The bigger one scored 20 2/16 and the other was 19 10/16.

RE: Largest Black Bear
 

Actually the average mountain grizzly will be in the 6' to 7' range and weigh 300lbs to 500lbs with the coastal bears averaging somewhat larger.Most people assume that grizzly bears are all 8' monsters,but that is far from the truth.

RE: Largest Black Bear
 

I'm jealous.

And to think, I'm proud of the 200lb bear I got in PA.

RE: Largest Black Bear
 

Guess it depends where you are. If you shot an 7' brown bear here you'd be ridiculed the same as if you shot a whitetail with spots on it. This one was P&Y but far from being a monster. 22 5/16" skull, 8'1" squared, maybe 500 lbs.

RE: Largest Black Bear
 

Thanks for sharing guys. All very nice animals. Here are a couple of my "large" ones. I know I've posted these in the past.
This one weighed 325# field dressed w/ a 19 & 3/16" skull.
http://i3.tinypic.com/wbox07.jpg

This one weighed 313# field dressed w/ a 18 & 11/16" skull.
http://i3.tinypic.com/wbozuh.jpg