How do you field judge a black bear?

How do you field score a black bear?

Measure the width and length, divide by two and you get the squared size of the bear. Black bears squaring 5-6 feet are about average. A bear over 6 feet is excellent. Seven-foot bears are trophies of a lifetime, likely 400 pound-plus animals.

Where do you aim on a black bear?

Bears are not hard animals to kill with a firearm or a bow. A well-hit bear won't last long, however they are extremely unforgiving when hit marginally. In summary, only take broadside shots, prioritize getting two holes, aim about four to five inches back from the shoulder on a broadside bear, and don't shoot too low.

Do you yell at black bears?

Do not make any loud noises or screams—the bear may think it's the sound of a prey animal. Slowly wave your arms above your head and tell the bear to back off. Do NOT run or make any sudden movements. Do not make any loud noises or screams—the bear may think it's the sound of a prey animal.

Should you look a black bear in the eye?

If you encounter a black bear, do not make eye contact. If you make eye contact, black bears will take this as an act of aggression. They will put two and two together and go nuts on you and ruin your life. But also don't look away.

SHOOTER BEAR?!! - How to field Judge a Nice Bear

What do you do when confronted by a black bear?

Alter your route or back away slowly, preferably in the direction you came. Walk, do not run, and keep your eye on the bear so you can see how it reacts. In most cases, the bear will flee. If the bear walks toward you, act boldly, yelling and throwing something at it.

How do you process a bear in the field?

Field dress a bear in the same manner as you would any other big game animal. Make the initial circle slit around the vent and then go up the middle of the belly to the chest, being careful not to puncture the stomach or intestines, as spillage can taint the meat.

How long do you have to field dress a bear?

When the air temperature is about 40 degrees F., a field dressed bear carcass and its pelt will begin to spoil in about 12 hours; at 50 degrees F., about six hours; at 60 degrees F., about three hours. Time, therefore, is of the essence.

How long do you hang a bear?

There's a lot of debate over how long to dry age and hang meat. We generally go at least a week, but usually not more than two weeks. You can certainly go longer than that if the conditions are safe to do so, but we've found that past two weeks, you'll start to lose a significant amount of meat to drying.

What is the best shot placement for a bear?

A bear's most vital area is an 8" circle behind the front shoulder. The best shot opportunity is a broadside shot or "quartering away" for penetration into the vital organs. To take your shot, wait for the bear to step forward with the near side leg exposing the heart/lung area.

What is a good caliber for black bear?

For a bear cartridge anything equal to or more powerful than a . 41 Magnum or . 44 Magnum will be fine. Oldtime black bear hunters say that any load that throws at least a 200-grain or bigger solid bullet at 1000 fps or more will take any bear in the woods.

What is the best time of day to hunt black bear?

Time of Day: If you are hunting in the fall, chances are, you will spot a black bear at any given time throughout the day. However, as a general rule-of-thumb, the best time to hunt black bear is in the morning or early evening when they are most certainly on the search for food.

How old is a 200 lb black bear?

8-years 150 lbs. 8-years 275 lbs. 20-years 150 lbs. 20-years 275 lbs.

What is the minimum Boone and Crockett score for black bear?

A black bear must measure 20 inches to make Boone & Crockett for the current recording period. It takes a 21-incher to qualify for the all-time record book. A bear scoring 18 inches makes the Pope & Young record book.

Can you tell how big a bear is by its track?

The front track is generally wider than it is long. When measuring the width of a front foot track, a 5-inch track is average, 6 inch indicates a large bear, and tracks of large male black bears will not exceed seven inches.

What do you do with guts after field dressing?

Carefully Dispose of the Carcass

If the animal died in or near water, drag it to dry land before field dressing to reduce the possibility of spoilage or contamination. Once you get the carcass home and processed, dispose of all bones and scraps properly.

What is the best meat to mix with bear meat?

Re: bear meat mixing proportions

A little pork butt goes a long way with bear. I usually go heavy at about 30% pork butt for sausages. If you search the recipe section you will find varying opinions.

How much meat do you get off a black bear?

Bears weigh considerably less when they emerge from winter dormancy; they may weigh 20 percent more in the fall after putting on layers of fat prior to hibernation. A 350-lb (159-kg) black bear will dress out at about 210 lbs (95 kg), yielding about 120 lbs (54 kg) of meat.

Does black bear taste good?

Bears taste better when they're on an omnivore diet, consisting of berries, meat, and succulent plants. That's why black bear is such a delicacy and tastes sweet like fruit. What is this? Bear meat can be slow-cooked like a roast, until it's pulled apart and tender.

Is bear meat safe to eat?

Some game meat has received a bad reputation for palatability. For example, many hunters shun bear meat. However, most hunters who do eat black and brown/grizzly bear say the meat is usually good or very good, unless the animal has been feeding on fish.

How much does it cost to process a bear?

Elk, Moose, Bear, Cougar: $1.00 per lb. Salvage or "road kill" animals: $1.25 per lb. due to the steps needed to process these animals.

How aggressive are black bears?

In fact, they are often attracted to people's food sources or get used to the presence of humans. However, black bears are typically not aggressive and fear the "repercussions of attacking someone," Garshelis said. "They just don't want to attack people," Garsheilis said. "They're kind of timid animals."

Should you play dead with a bear?

Myth #15: Play dead during an attack.

Fact: Playing dead will work if you're being attacked by a mother grizzly defending her cubs. But it is the wrong thing to do if you're being attacked by a predatory bear.

What smells will keep bears away?

Bears dislike the scent of any pine-scented items, such as pine essential oil. Only use pine oil in bear country as other sweet-scented essential oils such as lemon oil, lavender oil, and orange oil, may attract a bear instead of deterring it.