We are elk hunting in Idaho this year and you can shoot a bear instead of an elk. I have not hunted bears before and was wondering how you tell the difference? Is it just that sows have big butts and boars have big wide chests? Any help is much appreciated.

I've also heard many experienced bear hunters say that sow "wrists" look dainty compared to boars. Mature boars will have thick forearms all the way down to their front paws, while sows front legs will taper above the front paws. Take that for what its worth, good luck!

Lift up their tail and check... That's how I do it.

I have no doubt you lift up their tale Ranger1, though I have my doubts you know what to look for!

Beretta I had to do a lot of research on this. The typical responses are "Small ears"; a wide triangle between the nose and ears vs a narrow one, little to no sunlight beneath the belly, the wrists like tjkwonta said above.

After looking at 10 different bears on my first hunt, I can tell you that I'm still not an expert at all.

The first bear i saw I wanted to shoot, but it was too small upon further inspection.

Then with each bear, it seemed a little easier to tell. The bear i did take required zero thought process, it looked huge. Round belly, giant head, little ears. Also, it acted like it was the king of the beach, it didn't slink out of the shadows, it was walking big and confidant. It wasn't acting nervous at all. Granted, in Grizzly country they may all act nervous.


Good luck and post a report when you get back.

So to sum up the advice so far, a boar has:

Big wrists and forearms
Big chests
little ears and
Swagger.

Oh and of course, lift the tail. Yikes, this might be harder than I thought!

Everyone knows you can't tell a sow anything.... regardless of species.

Dang - you beat me to it! ! I started reading at the top and you had already gotten there.

There are a few units where one cannot shoot a black bear in the fall. The tag substitution thing is not applied statewide. Read your regs to be sure.

The only sure way is that a boar will never be accompanied by cubs. Other than that, just try for a big bear. I would pay much more attention to learning how to differentiate size than sex.

They don't like having their tails pulled. It's best to roll them over, rub their tummy and watch for a reaction.

+1

It is easier to run them up a tree, barking like a hound, then look in the right place. When you hear their jaws popping, it is time to shoot or get out of the way...

Dude !! THIS was my first bear hunt, too !! Wasn't that hard to tell one from the other.... We were sleeping on the boat in PWS, AK and I woke about 7... OK, 8 one morning and had to drain the main vein and had it running good off the back of the boat when I looked at the end of the finger we were anchored in and said to my son... THERE IS A BEAR !! We got dressed.... grabbed the guns and jumped in the skiff and snuk up on a little tidal island and I shot the bear. Then we boated over to him and I lifted his hind leg and YUP, IT'S A BOAR !! See !! NOTHING TO IT !! Good luck with it and enjoy every minute of it. Do not be a tard !! Remember the danged camera !! Only pics we got of our 2 bears came off my sons phone.

Never have hunted bears but I was told to use the two finger method to tell the difference. Sneak up on the bear and stab under its tail with two fingers. If one goes in it is a boar if both go in it is a sow.

All of the other advice was spectacular, but Boggy, I have to draw the line somewhere!

I was waiting for someone to mention this.

You guys are hilarious.

If it humps another bear chances are it is a boar, unless the sow is "experimenting"

Just watch to see which one gets on top........unless of course there are homo bears

+2 "Short" legs with belly dragging the ground plus wide head with smallish ears set down over the corners and it is a shooter, whatever the sex, most likely a pot bellied old boar. If it is "tall" with long legs, it is almost surely a young bear, though I saw one huge boar in spring that was thin that fooled me for a bit.

BerettaMan, I want to thank you for starting this hilarious thread even though it was a serious question (I think). Here's a link to an excellent brown bear hunting book, even though you are talking about black bears, I think a lot of useful information (including judging bear sex from afar) is in there.

http://books.google.com/books/about/Bear_Hunting_in_Alaska.html?id=a2_AlBwwB5EC

well it was a serious question, but I think it has definitely evolved into humor! That has made it a better thread for sure! Alright, here is a fastball down the middle....

How common are gay bears in Idaho???

Well, if it was Montana it'd be a big hanging curve for a 'Ingwe caught the gay' comment.

Don't have to in Alaska. Shooting cubs or sows accompanied by cubs (be careful there- sometimes the cubs are stashed somewhere while mama feeds) is illegal.

There is a short period of time between when two year-old (nominally) cubs are run off and the sow rebreeds when sows are legal game. I've shot two for meat, not knowing or caring about the their sex at the time, or since.

As opposed to coastal Alaska brown bear and interior grizzly bears, interpreting black bear gender from afar can be tricky for inexperienced. But, the basic principle applies to black bears as it does to the various brown bears.

A key thing to look for when deciding on the worthiness of a male bear - if you're strictly trophy hunting - is to pay close attention to the ratio between the head and neck when compared to overall body length. As with the brown bears, a really large male black bear will have a neck/head ratio that is at least 30% of his total body length.

A long, thick neck with very broad, flat shoulders and heavy forelegs and, a box-shape head with ears somewhat alongside [not directly on top] and with a well-developed muzzle are good indicators that the bear you're looking at is an older age-class male.

But, if it's your first go-round at black bear, any legal bear with a well-furred pelt is a worthy trophy. You shouldn't pass up an incidental bear on a DIY hunt if it's your first hunt for those animals. You can always go back on a bear-specific hunt at a later date and search for the big one.

Best of luck to you and have fun.

A boar gets massivedouche above a hard on, he turns away from a sow. Unless shes Russian.

Every time I use the "lift the tale" method, I get mauled. There's got to be an easier way.

I agree with the above. Well put.

Oh, that would be the book/writer that says to "avoid mausers because they jam..."

There is lots of other really questionable stuff in there, too...

I'm no expert but have seen a few and wasn't sure but beside a big head, little ears and low ground clearance I've been told a male will have a side to side kind of step when they walk as where a female will walk straight and dainty.I would say also look around for cubs,some times they may hang around mother bear for a couple of years they could be almost as big as her but a male will almost always be alone.

Baiting them is the easiest way.
Just put out a beer and a cell phone.....