methods used to judges bears

[running&gunning]

What different ways do you judge a bears size.  I was thinking of putting a chalk mark on the tree next to my bait at 3 feet.  What height is a good black bear standing on all four legs.  Some people say you can judge a bear if it looks like he has small ears compareed to his head.  Also is there any way to tell a sow from a boar except for the precence of cubs.  Or is it safe to shoot a single bear that approache the bait.  Or do the cubs come in after the sow has arrived for a while? These might sound like stupid questions but I really do not what to shoot a sow and this is all new to me. Any info would be appreciated.

[Rmouleart]

I use the 55 gallon bait barrel to compare the size of the bear, if he is smaller than the barrel, he is a young one, If he dwarfs the barrel he is a keeper You can also tell bye the size of the head, if the head is big and blocky,ears look almost too small for the size of the bear, its a good size bear, if the ears look like mickey mouse, it is a young bear. After many years being seasoned to seeing bears and knowing there size bye a glance, this takes a while for you get a natural ability to know if it is a true trophy, bears tend to look bigger than they are for the most part, look for the belly to be bloated and hang lower to the ground, legs look stubby and wide, not long and slender, these are just a few tips how to judge a bears size,Look for a sway to there walk, males tend to walk front toe's inward, sometime its is hard when the light levels are low. Aim small hit small. RAMbo.

[MichiganWolverines]

If a bears back is even with the top of a 55 gallon drum, he is right around 300 lbs I heard..Is that pretty close?

[Etter]

Watch the ears.  Big ears usually means a smaller bear.  No ears at all, monster!

[Robert]

We judge the size of a bear by how many Raineer Beers he can drink.