Sow bears and boo boos - let's see them.

[shrapnel]

My taxidermist is about 5 foot 7 inches and not a big man and he told me that he has lifted any number of bears brought in for taxidermy that weighed over 300 pounds and he could lift them out of the truck by himself...

 

[Deleted member 16014]

I’ve got a couple dinks, I’ll have to do some looking.

I guy I hunted with a few times shot two this size, back to back years. I was convinced he was making them into slippers. I was on this trip and before I could tell him not to shoot, it was over. The back straps where about the size of a kielbasa. View attachment 223578

My favorite part about this one is it doesn’t even look dead. It just looks like it’s had a really hard day.

 

[Spitz]

My first bear hunt. I actually saw a bear . . .



Northern Idaho circa 2004. Funny thing was I was so new to hunting my buddies and I were just pumped to be successful. We didn’t realize how small until we found it in the weeds. Had fun anyway and I love the photos and memories.

 

[BirdManMike]

This topic is so great. Ive never wanted to shoot a bear before now.

 

[MT Bound]

View attachment 223586i will admit that I misjudged this bear. On a side note the pack out was very manageable

Soooo if we can fit the bear on our backpack then we should give it a hard pass before pulling the trigger?? asking for a friend....

 

[geewhiz]

Soooo if we can fit the bear on our backpack then we should give it a hard pass before pulling the trigger?? asking for a friend....

Beauty is in the eye of the bearholder

 

[The Hedgehog]

Soooo if we can fit the bear on our backpack then we should give it a hard pass before pulling the trigger?? asking for a friend....

Yours for --> under $40.

 

[PAhunter]

At last, a thread I can contribute to.

First bear hunt in New Brunswick, fresh outta college 1996. 90# spring cub. Hat was way too big for the bear.


PA, ~2000. Doing drives with about a dozen friends, most of us standing around after a drive. I just left the group to go round up a couple disoriented guys, volley of shots from the guys I just left. I hustle back, one guy still standing there looking up the hill, the rest are hurrying out the trail trying to see the bear again. About that time the squirt breaks cover 100 yards out, going some. Gun comes up, I fire, Fluffy collapses in a brushpile. The other guys come back, start talking about how big he is. I remember ears in the scope and say I don't think so. One guy swears he was 400# if he was 50.

100# cub.


And finally, tiny two year old sow came blitzin through the laurel 100 yards out, paused to look back, fell down there. She stiffened up on the ride home. My seven year old thought she should dance with her. 82#


Was doing some moonlight taxidermy work at the time. A work acquaintance and his buddy brought two that evening. Total boo boo fest.

 

[Deleted member 18333]

At last, a thread I can contribute to.

First bear hunt in New Brunswick, fresh outta college 1996. 90# spring cub. Hat was way too big for the bear.
View attachment 223692

PA, ~2000. Doing drives with about a dozen friends, most of us standing around after a drive. I just left the group to go round up a couple disoriented guys, volley of shots from the guys I just left. I hustle back, one guy still standing there looking up the hill, the rest are hurrying out the trail trying to see the bear again. About that time the squirt breaks cover 100 yards out, going some. Gun comes up, I fire, Fluffy collapses in a brushpile. The other guys come back, start talking about how big he is. I remember ears in the scope and say I don't think so. One guy swears he was 400# if he was 50.

100# cub.
View attachment 223693

And finally, tiny two year old sow came blitzin through the laurel 100 yards out, paused to look back, fell down there. She stiffened up on the ride home. My seven year old thought she should dance with her. 82#
View attachment 223694

Was doing some moonlight taxidermy work at the time. A work acquaintance and his buddy brought two that evening. Total boo boo fest.
View attachment 223695

I thought @Bambistew was gong to be a sure fire winner on this thread but I think we have a new riser in our midst.

 

[RyGuy]

I wish I knew about the “over the log” and “on top of a rock” poses for my little bear. Might have helped with the pictures

 

[Bambistew]

At last, a thread I can contribute to.

First bear hunt in New Brunswick, fresh outta college 1996. 90# spring cub. Hat was way too big for the bear.
View attachment 223692

PA, ~2000. Doing drives with about a dozen friends, most of us standing around after a drive. I just left the group to go round up a couple disoriented guys, volley of shots from the guys I just left. I hustle back, one guy still standing there looking up the hill, the rest are hurrying out the trail trying to see the bear again. About that time the squirt breaks cover 100 yards out, going some. Gun comes up, I fire, Fluffy collapses in a brushpile. The other guys come back, start talking about how big he is. I remember ears in the scope and say I don't think so. One guy swears he was 400# if he was 50.

100# cub.
View attachment 223693

And finally, tiny two year old sow came blitzin through the laurel 100 yards out, paused to look back, fell down there. She stiffened up on the ride home. My seven year old thought she should dance with her. 82#
View attachment 223694

Was doing some moonlight taxidermy work at the time. A work acquaintance and his buddy brought two that evening. Total boo boo fest.
View attachment 223695

Those are eater size or so I'm told.

 

[Sask hunter]

Those are eater size or so I'm told.

Whole hog style on the smoker lol

 

[ignorethefringes]

And finally, tiny two year old sow came blitzin through the laurel 100 yards out, paused to look back, fell down there. She stiffened up on the ride home. My seven year old thought she should dance with her. 82#
View attachment 223694

That's a 2 year old bear?? Holy crap they are small


I've never killed a bear. I was genuinely surprised when I saw a couple up close at the Knoxville zoo. I was surprised at how short they are nose to tail and realized that then that they'd have to be ridiculously fat to actually get heavy. I instantly remembered @wllm1313 saying how he basically cuts every stated weight in half as a starting point and it made much more sense.

 

[woods89]

Those are eater size or so I'm told.

Years ago I wound up shooting a first year doe, about goat size. I was much less adept at judging size at that point, and she was by herself so nothing to compare with. If I remember correctly I processed her at my folks, and the packaged meat fit in 2 Wal-Mart bags for transport home.
Ever since then I've been asked occasionally by my family if deer I've killed are "2 Wal-Mart baggers"........

 

[PAhunter]

That's a 2 year old bear?? Holy crap they are small


I've never killed a bear. I was genuinely surprised when I saw a couple up close at the Knoxville zoo. I was surprised at how short they are nose to tail and realized that then that they'd have to be ridiculously fat to actually get heavy. I instantly remembered @wllm1313 saying how he basically cuts every stated weight in half as a starting point and it made much more sense.

The GC pull a tooth when we check a bear. 1 year 10 months, officially. That one was from 'big woods' in northern PA. The chubby cub was here in farm country.

 

[PAhunter]

Those are eater size or so I'm told.

They ate good, what there was of em. The only big boar I ever shot was rank and nasty. Not fit for dog food.

 

[wytex]

Going to see if this bear is still around.
No clue on size.

 

[The Hedgehog]

There's some stone cold dirt nap dealing cub killers on hunttalk.com

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

There's some stone cold dirt nap dealing cub killers on hunttalk.com

They should at least use a club

 

[BAKPAKR]

I wish I knew about the “over the log” and “on top of a rock” poses for my little bear. Might have helped with the pictures

Don’t forget about taking advantage of any handy stump! Because this was my first opportunity at a bear of color, I just couldn’t resist. .

BTW - as this mid-80s photo shows, I was a pioneer in the use of the MSR for hunting. I wish I still had that rifle.