Big WV Bear

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brancher147
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Big WV Bear

Unread postby brancher147 » Fri Dec 22, 2017 2:31 am

Check out this guy I got on camera. One of the bigger ones I have gotten on cam in a while. Looks over 400 to me, what do you all think?

I expect him to have a den nearby as it is huge boulders, holes, and caves behind the camera. It must be his safe place when bear season comes and the dogs are out. It's pretty heavy dog hunting pressure in the surrounding area, but not on this property. Pretty crazy he's coming from the same way each time and almost the same time. I guess that's how a bear gets that big, is by having a routine that keeps him from getting killed. No bait either (illegal here) the camera is just on a trail.

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Bonecrusher101
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Re: Big WV Bear

Unread postby Bonecrusher101 » Fri Dec 22, 2017 2:36 am

I know very little about bears but he looks big and it's cool you got him on a pattern without bait. Nicely done!
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Re: Big WV Bear

Unread postby Hatchet Jack » Fri Dec 22, 2017 4:12 am

This guy was close to six, something to compare him to.
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P&YBuck1
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Re: Big WV Bear

Unread postby P&YBuck1 » Fri Dec 22, 2017 5:25 am

I would say he is pushing 400 pound mark.

It would be interesting to turn camera toward his direction of travel and eventually maybe find his hangout.

Cool pictures, thanks for sharing.
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Re: Big WV Bear

Unread postby Dewey » Fri Dec 22, 2017 6:35 am

That bear doesn’t have any legs.....he’s BIG. :o

Looks 500+ to me.
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Re: Big WV Bear

Unread postby Stanley » Fri Dec 22, 2017 9:39 am

Dandy for sure.
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Re: Big WV Bear

Unread postby Mike Foss » Fri Dec 22, 2017 10:22 am

brancher147 wrote:Check out this guy I got on camera. One of the bigger ones I have gotten on cam in a while. Looks over 400 to me, what do you all think?

I expect him to have a den nearby as it is huge boulders, holes, and caves behind the camera. It must be his safe place when bear season comes and the dogs are out. It's pretty heavy dog hunting pressure in the surrounding area, but not on this property. Pretty crazy he's coming from the same way each time and almost the same time. I guess that's how a bear gets that big,is by having a routinethat keeps him from getting killed. No bait either (illegal here) the camera is just on a trail.

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Routine is what gets big game animals killed, animals that do not have a routine are the ones that live the longest. Do you have any other picture of this bear? it looks like it could be a sow.
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Re: Big WV Bear

Unread postby Hawthorne » Fri Dec 22, 2017 10:24 am

That’s a big ole baar
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brancher147
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Re: Big WV Bear

Unread postby brancher147 » Fri Dec 22, 2017 11:22 am

Mike Foss wrote:
Routine is what gets big game animals killed, animals that do not have a routine are the ones that live the longest. Do you have any other picture of this bear? it looks like it could be a sow.


Those are the only pics I got. The camera is still up but can't imagine he (or she) will be out much longer. That may be the biggest sow I have seen if it is. Although I have seen a couple that looked close to 400.

Whether routine gets animals killed or not, I have never had multiple pics of a bear with any kind of a pattern whatsoever without bait or some kind of food. But then again I have never put a camera out specifically trying to get that either. This camera I put out in a doe bedding area in late summer to get pics of deer, and noticed there were a couple bear beds and bear sign marking trees also. If it is indeed a spot that bear uses to bed/den then that would explain the pattern. There is no special food attraction at all in this area. Whatever that bear is doing is working and it is avoiding dog hunters somehow, or fighting the dogs off... Looks like it's got some scars.

What makes you suggest possibly a sow? I would think a sow of that size would have cubs for sure, but you never know.
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Re: Big WV Bear

Unread postby Mike Foss » Fri Dec 22, 2017 11:48 am

brancher147 wrote:
Mike Foss wrote:
Routine is what gets big game animals killed, animals that do not have a routine are the ones that live the longest. Do you have any other picture of this bear? it looks like it could be a sow.


Those are the only pics I got. The camera is still up but can't imagine he (or she) will be out much longer. That may be the biggest sow I have seen if it is. Although I have seen a couple that looked close to 400.

Whether routine gets animals killed or not, I have never had multiple pics of a bear with any kind of a pattern whatsoever without bait or some kind of food. But then again I have never put a camera out specifically trying to get that either. This camera I put out in a doe bedding area in late summer to get pics of deer, and noticed there were a couple bear beds and bear sign marking trees also. If it is indeed a spot that bear uses to bed/den then that would explain the pattern. There is no special food attraction at all in this area. Whatever that bear is doing is working and it is avoiding dog hunters somehow, or fighting the dogs off... Looks like it's got some scars.

What makes you suggest possibly a sow? I would think a sow of that size would have cubs for sure, but you never know.[/quote]

She is short and as big around as a 55 gallon drum, what I can see of the nose or face, it has a short nose...... if you ever get a bear tag and it stays on that same routine go after that bear you already have half the battle won (routine).
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Re: Big WV Bear

Unread postby Wlog » Fri Dec 22, 2017 12:23 pm

Cool pics! Belly almost touches the ground :shock: !
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Re: Big WV Bear

Unread postby Mike Foss » Fri Dec 22, 2017 2:15 pm

And don't forget that thick prime hide makes them look much bigger..
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Re: Big WV Bear

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Fri Dec 22, 2017 2:43 pm

What is interesting is that when I was in Nebraska, I talked with a guy from Virginia or West Virginia and he said the bear population there was stupid. Said he was completely overrun. Getting more bears on camera than deer.
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brancher147
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Re: Big WV Bear

Unread postby brancher147 » Sat Dec 23, 2017 1:51 am

Very common here to get more bears than deer on camera. Especially in big woods National Forest areas or on bait. Bait is illegal for bears but legal for deer in most counties. So, if you put corn out for deer, all you get is bear some places.

I hunted big mountains National Forest near VA, WV line last week in snow with a friend. We crossed close to 50 sets of bear tracks in about 5 miles on a ridgetop. 10 tracks were less than 24 hours old, and we had 6 bear tracks crossing our trail from the time we went in until the time we came out which was 6 hours. Surely some of these tracks were the same bears, but that is a lot of bears. He had a bear tag, but somehow we did not see a bear.
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