BIG BEAR IN OREGON!!

[blueheelerz]

ok i have seen my far share of bears but i have never seen one as large as i did today while out turkey hunting i would guess him to be hitting the scales at about 320 to 350 i have seen alot around 150 to 250ish in the last few years but man what i would have gaving to have a tag and able to run him with my dogs please let me know if he was a big bear for southern oregon
happy huntin
Bob

[007pennpal]

Oregon bears can get real big. I've seen them over 500. My friend shot one 350 and the neighbor got one that was 450. I've seen some dump bears at Happy Camp, CA that would go over 600. Someone on here can tell you exactly, but I think the world record black bear was over 800.

[mike martell]

Many factors to Oregon bears. Regions or geographical zones are key to bear size. habitat and feed are contributing factors. N.E. Oregon and S.W. Oregon generally grow the largest bears in Oregon. Coastal bears are generally smaller.

Very common prior to 1994 to see coastal sows range 75-125 pounds and have an age of 12-15 years. Cascade bears run larger with sows averaging 125-150 while boars run 150-250

I do control depredation for bears in S.W. Oregon and find a fall bear to weigh 350-500 pounds on a regular basis.

Western Oregon has timber damage and snares don't allow to many bears to remain on earth for long compared to the east side of the cascades where trees seldom are peeled.

Habitat, feed supply plays a huge role in bear sizes, the central eastern desert/high desert country is not near as abundant with feed like the siskiyous loaded with berries and acorn nuts....always exceptions to the rule....just some findings over four decades....

[cobalt]

Bears coming out of the upper Klamath River can be real big (500lbs.). Biggest bears I've seen as far as tracks go were in Johnson Praire and west to Howard Praire, but that was in late fall. 300lb. bears are big bears in any country.