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How to Judge a Black Bear's Size

Black bears are the most common bears in North America. These animals lead mostly solitary lives and only join with other bears to mate. The large black bear population makes these animals popular hunting targets. Hunters have a responsibility to carefully choose their kills, however. If generation of cubs are killed before they can reproduce, the population may dwindle. Before killing a black bear for sport, hunters must evaluate the size of the bear and ensure that only fully grown adults are killed.

Things You'll Need

Tape measure
Colored tape

Instructions

- 1
  Note the size of the bear's ears. If the ears seem too big for the bear's head, the animal is still in the growing stages.
- 2
  Look at the the stomach of the bear when it is walking on all four legs. If the stomach is low to the ground, creating the illusion that the bear's legs are short, the bear is large.
- 3
  Use the tape measure and colored tape to delineate four feet on the trees surrounding your observational area. If the bear walks past the trees on all four legs and exceeds this height, it is a large bear.
- 4
  Measure the front paw track with the tape measure. If the track is over six inches, the bear is big.

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