Is he big?

[crappyice]

I was shocked to see this guy/gal on the cam today. It's the only pic I have - can anyone tell if this is a "good bear" or small? I have ZERO bear experience- never seen one in the woods or trail cams or ever targeted them.

Pretty cool!

[jjb4900]

def. not small if you ask me........

[Mustang51js]

Doesn't look to big, prob around 200lbs. If you wanna see bears come to north jersey, pretty much see bears at least once a week

[New York Hillbilly]

Holy smoke that is a NICE bear. I have taken several bears, hunting in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Quebec (got ripped off) and have seen lots of them up real close. That is a good one!! Good luck!

[Paula]

Looks big to me, but I don't know anything about bears

[New York Hillbilly]

I'll tell you what. Take that picture and a tape measure with you, and figure as best you can where that bears back comes to on the tree it is next to. I know I'm guessing here but it looks about three feet up that tree, and that is the height of an adult male. Then look at the hind end, legs and overall roundness of that bear. If that bear is three feet or better tall and that stout, it is a big one. Now I'm really curious so let us know if you go back and do some measuring. Don't get eaten in the process! lol

Edited September 27, 2014 by New York Hillbilly

[stoneam2006]

If he's alone he's a good one

[sampotter]

Look how deep the body is! That's a big bear!

[G-Man]

nice bear, def worth taking. short legs, big belly, (a head shot is always nice (small ears are a dead give away of a good bear..) front shoulders almost same size as rear. its a better than average bear and bigger than most i've seen out of quebec. if you know the diameter of a tree in a pic it will help you a lot.

[BizCT]

I'm going to disagree. I don't think it looks very big at all. Agree with another poster about 200lbs

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[jjb4900]

either way, I'd shoot a 200lb NY bear in a heartbeat..

[Daveboone]

Im thinking it is a blimp of a youngster...head doesn't look too big, ears are pretty upright. the legs don't look straddled wide like an older biggie usually does.Guessing 3 years or so, but it certainly is a blimp of one, just the same.

[First-light]

Head is not that big but…. it is facing away from the camera.

[crappyice]

Thanks for all the opinions...I was struck by the size of the legs even around the "ankles". Again, I am absolutely new to seeing bear. Legs just seem so thick. Yet, the belly seems flat, almost taught...not the droopy, touch the ground belly that I have heard discussed

[BizCT]

either way, I'd shoot a 200lb NY bear in a heartbeat..

Me too!

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[New York Hillbilly]

C'mon Biz, and that thing you're holding is a house cat! hahaha

[BizCT]

C'mon Biz, and that thing you're holding is a house cat! hahaha

I'm no expert, just my opinion based on the picture. He looks short and furry. "300lb" bears is a phrase tossed around and too much in NY. I don't think it's a 300lb bear let alone 400, or 500 etc. regardless, I would shoot it in NY.

Here's an example of a 175lb bear that looks way bigger to most people.

http://forums.bowsite.com/tf/bgforums/thread.cfm?forum=6&threadid=434961&MESSAGES=16&FF=6

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Edited September 27, 2014 by Biz-R-OWorld

[BizCT]

Especially watch the video

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[New York Hillbilly]

I'm no expert either but I do have a bear rug, one tanned hide, a full body mount (1st one and small) and a shoulder mount from my past bear hunting experiences. I have also spent days taking pictures and filming them during hunts. It's tough enough to judge a bear even in the field when emotions are racing, aside from the fact that they just all look big, furry and scary enough to eat you, let alone from a picture of one in the dark walking away. But based on what I have seen my guess would have been 275 to 300 range. Too my way of thinking that is a good bear. 

 

PS that is one hell of a cat! : )

 

PSS if I stumble on my videos from Manitoba while getting ready for my upcoming move I'll try to find away to post it. 

 

 

Edited September 27, 2014 by New York Hillbilly

[Mustang51js]

Take a measurement of the big tree and of the small tree he's next to,that will help.

[G-Man]

baiting and using a 55 gallon drum is easy to judge bear by.. that 175 in pic is just that looking at barrel thats why they use bait to let you judge a bear so you can see it from many angles and jugde size to a know object.. tracks are good indicators as well... for nys..its average to above average..(200 lbs or so for mose bears according to dec harvest reports) imo if you see a bear in nys take it you may not see another for years in legal shooting hours depending on where you hunt.

[Terry]

imo if you see a bear in nys take it you may not see another for years in legal shooting hours depending on where you hunt.

That's how I feel. Unless it is a cub or has cubs, I am probably going to shoot it.

[crappyice]

So, I never planned on actually hunting for bear on this property(or any other property for that matter). I would be one of those "opportunist" bear hunters that luckily harvest a bear while deer hunting. However, how many of you would now intentionally strategize for bear(need to learn about scent wicks and 1.5 oz rules!) based on a single camera pic at 3:00am two weeks prior to the season. We have 3 other cameras up on ths 50+ acres and no sign of him anywhere else.

My question is is one picture enough to now truly hunt this bear or is he long gone by now? If you would hunt for it, what would you do to up yor chances?

[BizCT]

One thing you should definitely do is sit over the gut pile of your deer if you get one. Might catch the bear coming into that

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[G-Man]

bears have approximatly a 10sq mile range... 1 pic does not a hunt make.. if you get another pic same spot same time say every 2 weeks, you have part of a pattern... nys bear hunting is 90% oppurtunistic. unless you have a bear coming into an apple orchard,cornfield to eat everyday. your chance of getting one just waiting on a trail/sitting in an area is very low. that being said you now know the is bear in the are and dont undergun,equip yourself just in case the oppertunity is presented you want to be ready.