Quote:
Originally Posted by SouthWestRanger
Sometimes size can be deceiving, weight and bear length don’t always indicate a mature bear, head size is the key determining factor. I’ve seen bears in the spring over 250lbs that didn’t make 18” and I’ve seen bears that weren’t even 6 feet go well over 19”. If you see a bear with a big noggin and a crease in the forehead you are looking at a good bear but it’s very hard to learn the identifying features of a good bear without seeing it in person. My personal rule is if I have to argue with myself whether it’s a mature boar it probably isn’t and should get a pass.
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I am thinking along these lines. I have see 2 dozen bears in the past 2 weeks. 2 of them were decent but were spooked as I got close. 2 others were big mamas with 3 cubs. All the others were pretty small and anything I was trying to figure out, I let pass. I figure if I see a big one, I should be able to recognize it. I was fortunate to harvest one last year, and thought he was a pretty good size. It was my first year, and shot at about 120 yards. He was only 150 dressed. With that said, I hunt for the meat and really enjoy bear. He was good eatin.