Track I found this weekend on a logging road.

I believe that a dollar bill is about six inches in length. It would be a little better if it was laying in front or across that front foot pad. for scale. I have always been taught and found it to be pretty true is that the width of the front foot pad plus one is about how big your bear is. For example if you have a 5 inch track it woudl be about a 6 foot bear a 6 inch track a seven foot bear. Now that is not an exact science so it may not always work but for the bears that my dad and I have tave it has been pretty true.

With that it looks like if you were to lay that on the track you would be pretty close to the same size. It could be a little bigger that it should be in that powdery dirt. My "guess" 6.5 to 7 feet. Its a really good bear that I can say.

I agree with that.If that bill spans the width of the front track,that's probably a seven footer.I've measured a lot of bear tracks and have only seen one honest 6" track and that was in WV,on firm clay.I have yet to see one in MT over 5.5".It's a good bear,whatever it is.

I have only seen one. It happened to be on a bear that I got in 2002. his tracks on the ground at my bait measured right at six inches. He squared out to be 7'4".  

I did make plaster casts of his feet though and as jim said they are about 5 7/8".

Well I'd say it's a bear that should go home with you instead of you going home with him.  Any bear over 6' is a good one.

Mike

Man at first glance that foot print looked like my "Mother In Laws"...   :eek:

unless its a coyote wearing bear boots; it ought to be a big bear !!

Thanks Guys, it seems to be a little bit of a problem bear.  After talking to some adjacent land owners, it sounds like this bear has been into the garbage bins and stealing humming bird feeders off cabins in the area.  It is all stemming from a illegal bait site about 300 yards from a cabin that we just purchased.  The bait site consists of eight 55 gal drums filled with vegetable oil. In Idaho you are only allowed one 55 gal drum and it has to be secured down, none of these drums are. Also, you can't start baiting again until Aug. 30 in this unit.  I guess I am going to have to call my local conservation officer.

To answer the initial question: BIG!! They sure don't get that big in Maryland where I'm at.

Dont know too much about bears but they are becomming more common around here. If you call about a "problem" bear the DNR comes our and the 1st thing they tell you to do is remove bird feeders etc. The illegal bait site has drawn him in and he has found some other goodies close by. I know I would not want him prowling around my cabin looking for a free meal with my wife and kids there. I agree with your idea of calling the conservation officer.

I have a question, I measured a bear print here in British Columbia near the rockies once and the rear print was 13" long (grizzly)not including toes, How big is that?
Rob

I lost a dollar out on a logging road, just wondering if anybody found it?

PLS- nice pics, very nice bear.

Tradew, I wonder if you're remembering the measurements of the grizzly track including the toes ?  Hope this isn't a thread hijack, but here's some pics of tracks in fresh snow from the same brown bear a few years ago.

Rear track - if you can read the tape measure, the track from the rear pad is ~9" long, this usually means ~9' bear.  The little rock is to hold the tape measure in place.
 

Here's the front track (same bear, same rock !), usually add 1- 1 1/2 to the width of the pad to get the square, this track is ~7" wide, so implies a 8 1/2' bear.


And here's part of his trail, with my size 10 bunny boot tracks to the side for comparison.


And lastly, I was hunting for but didn't get this guy, so I don't know if he went 8 1/2' or 9' or what !

Just a brief update on this bear, my brother-in-law shot him last night. He weighed 360 lbs and had a skull that green scored 20-1/4". I'll post pics as soon as I get them

Nice.I'm looking forward to seeing that.That's a big skull.

I'd like to see pictures too. That is a good bear.Gary

that is a monster for sure. I would like to hear what his final score is after drying. what did he square out at?

probably go 200 plus lbs about as big and mean as the mother in law a sure keeper  

He Squared 6'8", Weighed 360 lbs, and I re-measured the skull and it was closer to 19 7/8".

His coat is a beautiful chocolate color with no rubs.
As I stated in my original post he was kind of a problem bear, he started to climb on the deck of our cabin looking for food. My wife and father-in-law had run him off the deck the morning before my brother-in-law got him.  



My two nephews and my son


My brother-in-law

WOW what an amazing animal,  great color, many congrats to your brother n law

Beautiful bear and interesting story, thanks for posting!