Estimating live weight ?

[Blacktail boy]

Anyone know the figures for estimating live weight on bears? I shot a big boar this year in western wash. Field dressed he weighed an honest 370#, I weighed everything that came home with me. I guessed that there was 50# of blood and guts which would make him 420# , does that seem pretty close or should I figure more or less for the guts.
Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[Big Sky]

I've tested this method in the link provided and found it to be very accurate. This ought to help you out.

http://www.customosteo.com/huntingadventures/news/bear_weight.php3

 

[Horn Seeker]

Hey Blacktail Boy, I moved out of Silverdale about 5 years ago to come to Montana. Silverdale/Kitsap Pen is some of the nicest places to live over there. Got a go a ways to good hunting, but it sure is nice there.

Thing is, the dressed weight is the best weight to know because bears RARELY are weighed whole or live. I've seen a couple hundred bears weighed, never one with guts, so it really doesn't matter. But yeah, you had probably a 430-440 pound bear, live.

Did you get him spot and stalk? What part of the state? Congrats!

 

[rufous]

That is a big bear, especially for WA state. I too would be interested to hear more about your hunt. I shot a bear in the SE part of WA state in spring of 2001 that weighed about 375# based on its girth. Do you have any photos of the bear that you could post? Have you measured the skull? What did the hide square? Rufous.

 

[Horn Seeker]

Hey Brian,

Western Washington is producing some dang big bears now that hound hunting has been banned. Hound hunters killed a lot of bears and kept the general pop over there real young. Its very roaded from logging and lends itself to heavy hound hunting pressure. I hunted bear over there for about 14 years with hounds and we never killed a bear over 300. I did see and hear about a few 400's and even a 500+ pound bear over those years, but pretty rare.

Within two years after hound hunting was banned my buddies that were still killing bears for Weyerhauser and Champion were killing a 350+ pound bear every week. It was unreal.

They still have small heads though, that will never change.

Ernie

 

[Blacktail boy]

Hey guys thanks for the replies. I was just heading out after work for an evening deer hunt and I knew where I wanted to be so I hoofed it in for 2 miles and had about 2 hours to hunt. I got to the section of road I wanted to keep an eye on , reprod on each side with a clearcut on one side of the reprod and I heard a small twig break about 30yds up the road and 30 yds into the reprod so I sat tight for about 20 mins, then I heard something again but this time double the distances , so I moved up the road about 30 yds and stood there for another 20 mins. I kind of wasnt really watching ahead of me as I was checking out a buck rub right next to me , I just happened to look up and there he was standing right in front of me at 25yds right in the middle of the road I never heard him get to that point. (amazing)A quick shot from my 280 put him down after a 30 yd death run. I have shot 3 bears in the last 4 years and passed up several because I wanted to focus on deer hunting, I measured the hide but didnt stretch him out, just laying there relaxed it came to 74 inches, he has a thick , long coat .jet black and I am having a full mount done on him. Although eliminating the hound hunting was a defeat for us hunters in general, I am not complaining because it has really increased my hunting. I never saw a bear during hunting season while hound hunting was legal, but in the last 5 years or so I have seen approximately 12 just while deer hunting. Thanks for letting me tell my story and for your interest.

 

[Blacktail boy]

I do have pictures, but I am somewhat computer illiterate , I will try to get someone to scan one for me and get it up in the next couple of days. If I can figure it out. thanks guys

 

[Blacktail boy]

I just remembered one more thing , you can pattern a bear. My dad shot at this same bear , crossing the road in the same exact spot last year and missed him.

 

[Horn Seeker]

Blacktail BOy, you are right, bears are very patternable. I grew up hound hunting, and there were places where we could always count on getting a strike (when the dogs tell ya where a bear has crossed the road.) I know that they weren't always the same bear, because we'd kill one off that spot one weekend and get another strike there two weeks later.

SO yeah, bears use the same spots and crossings alot. Even different bears.

If you get them scanned and cant figure out how to post them you can send one to me and I'll post it for ya.

Congrats on a big bear!

 

[Blacktail boy]

 

[Blacktail boy]

I think I will e mail them to you, my method doesnt work. Thanks for your help hornseeker.

 

[Horn Seeker]

Do that. You have to put them on a web site, picture posting site, like huntingpics.com or something like that. i use imagestation.com. Trophyphotos.com is another. you should check them out.

Did you get him over where you live or out on the Pen or to the east of ya or what?

 

[Blacktail boy]

I got him in dewatto, lowlands.I sent you the pics but I will try the trophyphoto. Thanks

 

[Horn Seeker]

I didnt get the pics, maybe you can get them up.

I used to coon hunt Dewatto with some friends when I was a little kid. Never did bear hunt there, but heard they were there.

 

[raybow 1]

blacktail boy:
That is one dandy bruin there. I took one a few years back with my bow that had a 21 inch skull and yours sounds similar to body size.
Congrats on a toad!!

 

[Blacktail boy]

Thanks Raybow, and congrats on those bulls you and your partner got this year.

 

[raybow 1]

Any time you get up this way swing on in and we'll look at some blacktail that I've collected over the years!

 

[Horn Seeker]

Hey Ray, whats your biggest blacktail score? I've only killed forkies. I do know a guy that killed several in the 120's with his bow!

 

[Blacktail boy]

Raybow, I always love looking at blacktail racks, I dont make it up that way much though , Id have a better chance of bumping into you in forks. One of these days when I get drawn for quinalt ridge, Im hoping youll give me some scouting destinations.

 

[raybow 1]

HornSeeker:
I have never scored one of em but I have got (3 or 4) 5x5's and one 6x5. Several 4x4s' with the biggest going around 20 inch spread. I'll look up the scoring sheet on Pope and Young and let ya know. Just guessing, I would have to say high 130's low 140's. They don't get any bigger than that in Forks.
Blacktail boy:
If you get drawn for the quinalt ridge tag consider yourself to have a personal guide for the trip. I've always wanted to put the smackdown to one of those big bastards but just can't seem to pry myself away from all those screwed up public hunts with ten thousand people. You should see the looks on their faces when they see me coming through their camp with a bull they are (were) hunting. Freaking near fistacuffs sometimes. People just don't see the humor in that.