How big is he??

[Gofishleech]

Well I got out a few bait sites over the week end and one finaly is getting hit. Not bear hunted much before and I can not tell how big this bear is. Looks big to me, he looks to have had his ears out of the den a little.

[Boar]

I'm a bad judge on size an weight but I would'nt hesitate to drop the hammer on that guy, take him if you get an opportunity. His back has got to be well over three feet tall his rump is enormous, he's big. let us know how it goes. Boar

[harvey lee]

From what I have always been told, if the head looks big he isn't that big. If his heads looks small then he is a larger bear. Looks to be a shooter to me.

[Rotwieler]

ive heard the same thing as harvey. Ive also heard to look at the ears if they look small the bear is big. how big are the logs right next to where he is standing?

[corny13]

Great Looking bear! Good Luck hope you get a shot!

[PerchJerker]

I've bear hunted a few times although it's been a few years. I don't have that much practice judging bears but I'd say he's medium-size, probably an average or little-better-than-average Minnesota bear. Here's why I think that ....

I think the head looks small and the ears look big. On a big bear you'll have a big head and small ears.

I think the legs look long, like he is a tall bear. Big bears are fat and almost touch the ground. If a bear has long or skinny looking legs that means he's small. A guide I hunted with used to say "if you can see under 'em, don't shoot 'em". Although that wasn't in Minnesota, and there were lots of big bears where we were hunting

In the second photo you can see that he's starting to get a rounded back and rump, and starting to get some sag in his belly. This will be exaggerated A LOT more on a big bear. He looks bigger in the second photo than in the first. The roundness is good, that indicates he's getting there.

For a first bear and over your own bait, I'd take him without thinking about it. No question he's a good respectable bear, maybe even better than average, but I don't think he would be considered "big".

But I am not an expert in judging bears, maybe someone will find flaws in my thinking. Good luck this season and I hope you get him.

[roosterslayer]

I think he is a good looking bear, something that i have seen with smaller bears is the face looks pointed like a dog, and small bears have big ears to. this bear bear looks to have a well rounded face and smaller ears. the ears look damaged and to be honest i think it probably happened in a fight competing for sows. But either way he would look nice on my wall. so i would take him in a heartbeat.

[charliepete2]

The average Minnesota bear is about 150#'s. This bear is definitely not average. I'd say he's pushing 250# at the lightest. How long are the logs you have on the bait? When you get a bear that is 6ft nose to tail you are almost always talking 300#'s.

[GerrySchoolcraft]

Take him with a bow, he will make P&Y. An easy 350 lbs in my opinion. The one in my avator was a 370 lbs sow and scored 18 7/16. The head looks bigger on yours. An easy shooter.

[bearplott]

That is a dandy. I would say 350 at least right now. Pushing 400 this fall. He is exceptionally long.

[roosterslayer]

Now the only trick is going to be getting him in during shooting hours. I wish you luck in doing that and hope it works out.

[BIGBORE]

HE WILL PUT ON 2 TO 3 PUNDS A DAY JUST KEEP FEEDING HIM STAY CONSISTENT ON YOUR BAITING ROUTINE AND DROP THE HAMMER WILL BE A ONCE IN A LIFETIME BEAR. I WAS TOLD BY A GUIDE THAT A 350 POUND BEAR IS LIKE A 20 POINT BUCK NOBODY WOULD PASS ON THAT WOULD THEY. HIS BUT LOOKS REALLY BIG AND HIS NECK WILL FILL IN IN THE NEXT WEEK WITH THE BAIT.

GOOD LUCK.

[Gofishleech]

Thanks for all the posts guys, I am getting very excited. This bear was at the bait at 8:00am, a bit smaller bear was at the bait 8:00pm. I have not checked the camera so not sure how consistant he is hitting the bait but I can tell you he realy likes the dog food and syrup combo.

The logs on top of the pile are a good 8ft or more and 8 to 10 inches across so I too think he has got some length to him.

[BIGBORE]

THOSE ARE BOTH REALLY GOOD TIMES HOPE THEY STAY LIKE THAT FOR YOU. IT IS GOOD THAT THERE ARE 2 BEARS ONE OF THEM SHOULD COME IN DURING THE DAYLIGHT HOURS. GOOD LUCK

[Cooter]

I'll just say big enough to shoot unless you got lots of big ones under your belt already - I know that if that guy came in here in WI where we wait 7 years between tags I'd be firing away!

[sakazulu]

THAT is a nice bear! The ears alone make it interesting. It will be interesting to see if that's his time to come in to the bait. I'd say daylight is promising but I'd hunt that bear from morning 'till night. Good job with the log size and let us know how it goes.

[walterman]

His snout looks very broad and as others have stated he is developing a large rump which would indicate he is a good sized bear. If I were to guess he would weigh in at around 300 lbs. a nice bear by anyones standards.

[Gofishleech]

Re-baited today as about 20-lbs of bait was gone in one day. I have 2 bears coming in on this bait and the big guy pictured came in for the second morning at 8:00am, I see a pattern forming and its going to be a long week.

Also I have various baits dowd but the bear seems to prefer the syrup covered dog food. I had a pile of white frosting on the dog food and the bear eat around the frosting. I also have a 5lb block of apple rope liqurish and they have not touched it.

[maros91]

That is a very nice bear and a definite shooter in my book. Like you said long week ahead, hopefully he keeps coming in!! Good Luck!!!

[Longline]

All I would like to say is if you wouldn't mind giving out the GPS location of that bear. I'll help you take care of him. That is a dandy, every time I see these pictures it makes me wish I was going hunting this year.

[Nightcrawler]

I would like to see the one that chewed his ears off.

How big is his scat pile ,fill a icecream bucket?

judging the logs, nose and ears,eyes bet it goes 18.5 ins. Shoot.

my walker area bear also had a big brown nose and a white trought patch. Ted the electricn was my guide. Bow kill...

Looks nice on the wall. Good luck.

[Antler_Creek_Taxidermy]

That looks to be a shooter!

I just got my pics back and I got a nice chocolate phase sow and a couple others fighting over the bait( cool pics). I posted them on the baiting post(check them out).

Good luck with that bear!

[Boar]

Try not to burn him out with the syrup an dog food, I'd try an find something else very sweet to the mix, try another style of dog food an syrup. Bears do get tired of the same old thing time after time. But if your confident in the mix keep going, maybe try an cut back a little. I like having a vast variety of stuff to add or leave out, just so it's not the same old thing, beef scraps from a local butcher, even leftovers from your fridge will be good. You can make your own anise syrup by taking a cup of water an a cup of sugar, bring to a boil for a few minuets, let sit the add a a couple table spoons of anise liquid from you local grocery store foud in the baking section. A sweet feed mix of molases corn an oats an sugar works well. Ya got a good one going keep it up, you'll get him. good luck boar

[Gofishleech]

Funny you should say "not to burn him out" Yesterday the bait was not hit for the first day in 6 straight days. I am a little worried, I will have to get out some variety today. As for cutting back, I thought so also but I have atleast 2 other bears coming in and the bigger one comes in the morning and I fear he is not getting his share. Boar thanks much for your input, I will be giving your suggestions a try.

[Nightcrawler]

have you tryed useing Vanilla Extract? I put a couple bottles in a cleaned out Windex pumper, so can adjust the spray. I spray a mist high in brush around bait so wind carrys the scent .

[Boar]

I would'nt worry about missing hits for one day, two or three, I'd start to worry a little, but then I always worry about bear hunting, "What no hit! what am I'm doing wrong" Opening morning I'd be in stand with a bacon burn, a maple flavored bacon or sausage if I were you. Do ya know how to make a quick bacon burner? If not take a full size metel coffee can, poke holes all over it for air flowage, poke holes just below the top, three to four sets directly across from each other, take a wire hanger an snip them in length just so they reach out the other side of the can, now youve made a grid to set a small metel bowl or soup can on top full of bacon, in the bottom of the can you will have set a sterno to heat the bacon. I like to use about two to three tea candles for jack o lanterns they dont burn as hot so's not to splatter grease, splattering grease to a bears nose is like fry bacon naked. Place it in acordence with a good shot. I'm sure you know this, Godd luck, boar

[tealitup]

Be careful! I almost set the forest on fire with a bacon burner last year. Do a test run at home - outside away from the house or garage!

[sakazulu]

Tealitup is right! Having used the coffee can method for years I built a burner out of aluminum and set it on the ground last year with sterno and bacon. Good thing I cleared the ground to the dirt for 3 feet around it 'cause that baby wound up burning with flames and melted the aluminum sterno base inside! Man was I spooked! A trial run is a must. Get that bear!

[Boar]

Yes, I should have noted that. Thats why those tea candles work well, cause their heat is'nt as intense, so test prior with one tea candle add one if ya need it an so on. I've built mu own bacon burner at work where I can adjust the level of the bacon to accomodate the heat i choose,then I rtchet strap it to a tree. Clearing the groung beneath it is a very good idea. Boar