9 expert bear-hunting tips from outdoor TV host Keith Beasley

#8 LEARN TO FIELD JUDGE

Since black bears have no antlers or horns to provide some perspective about their size, even experienced hunters find it challenging to field judge them. It also doesn’t help that, proportionately, a 100-pound bear can have very similar characteristics to those of a 200-pound bear. To get familiar with bear sizes, study photographs and videos of live bears. In the field, measure and remember the sizes of objects near your bait, such as stumps, logs and rocks, to help gauge the size of bears walking past. That said, you probably won’t need any help when a truly big bear ambles into your set-up and your jaw drops.

As for determining the bear’s sex, which is crucial in the spring when sows are with cubs, there are a few tricks. To identify boars, look for longer snouts with a Roman-like raised bridge. You can also often spot the genitals on a boar standing broadside, or sometimes from the rear. With sows, watch for shorter, rounder faces.