Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Ever seen this color phase??

Oregon bear-

Nice!

The only reason I shot this bear was the color. Definitely the blondest one I've ever had a chance at. I've seen blonde cubs several times.

From reading "A Shadow in the Forest" a study about Idaho black bears, just because a bear begins life as blonde, black, chocolate, etc... it doesn't mean they will always stay that way. I always figured the color they were born with is what they would stay?

Thanks for that Glaicer bear link. And "might" better explain the bear I've seen and it's gray/blue/silver coloring... Washington state.

I don't think I've seen anything I'd call blueish. I see 20-30 bears a year but that'd be cool!

I have seen the Blond bears in Hells canyon. While fishing.

Kermode just off the road. Nice sized bear in my book.

That's a gorgeous animal. I saw a cub run across the road south of Gateway CO. That cub was light, but not that light.

I've had one pass in front of my Plotwatcher a few times this summer. With the sun on it, it's gold-blonde. The head has some black showing through the lighter hair.

It'd make a cool rug but it's so far back I wouldn't pack even the hide out.

Tom

Father in law took these pics off the deck of his cabin a couple years back in central Utah.

Nice color on that first bear. I've seen two close to that color in south central BC. The main difference was that the legs were more red on the ones I saw: light red legs on one and a darker red legs on the other. A friend of mine killed the blond one with dark red legs. I saw it before he did but he was quicker on the shoot! Also saw one there that was blond all over without the red legs.

In that area I also saw a blue glacier color bear, one of two cubs with a black sow. The other cub was black. Of all the black bear colors , I like the dark chocolate best, and a perfect thick glossy pure black next.

FWIW, I've never seen a really large black bear that was anywhere in the range of blond color. The really big bears have been either all black or a dark chocolate.

Okanagan;
Top of the morning to you sir, it's been too long since I've said hello and I trust this finds you and your fine family well.

Our bear sightings have mirrored yours in that we've never seen one that I'd say was much over 5½' that was still blonde.

I was talking to a bear guide from Osoyoos who claimed that they turn darker as they age and he'd never seen a truly large honey blond around here either. Oh his area was Kobau and up the Ashnola/Cathedrals area out of Keremeos and just north of the Pasayten Wilderness.

Thanks to the good folks here who've posted the photos of the interesting color phased black bears - some big one truly do exist!

All the best to you folks this long weekend Okanagan.

Dwayne

That is one cool looking bear, wow!.

Only thing I've seen personally was one that wasn't nearly that light in the body, but had very dark legs and head and I saw him from above on a steep slope. He had a bar of dark going across his back from one shoulder to another. I was guiding some guys from MO, and the one with me wouldn't shoot it because it was too small and didn't want his buddies to make fun of him.

He was small. But damn, I'll bet neither he nor I will ever see one colored like that again.

I'm not into shooting small bears but I think this one would go down should I bump into him.

Are the blonde bears ditzy and promiscuous? Sorry.

Neat looking bear, I have always wanted to get a color phase bear. What state was the OP photo taken in?

Eastern Arizona

What a beautiful and nice-sized bear. As I understand there is no Kermode season, true?

Correct, no season on them.

Bet that 270 Winchester put her down quick, too?

Ted

This one was about the same