around here, a three year old bear should be at least over the 200 mark. i have seen cubs still with mama that were about 100.
o/t, but last year i was nose to nose with a bear that was at least 400, but i am guessing it was closer to five. it looked like a four wheeler. huge. crease down the head and hardly any ears. oh, and it's breathe wasnt so great, either.
Last year when I posted my pictures and story about my bear, you told me it was a cub and the outfitter was full of B.S, when he was telling us the bears were starving because of a berry frost kill. They depend on the berry crop to build up fat reserves.
Remember how I said the bear had no fat on it at all. When we skinned it out, the hide did not have any fat what so ever. That was when the Guide told us the bears we shot should of been in the 225 range. He was not blowing smoke up our back sides, just to make us feel better, he was actually concerned about how the bears would winter with no fat build up. After all he makes a living guiding bear hunts.
But you are right, they should of been over the 200 pound mark at 3 and 4 years old. My buddy that was with me, is my best friend and taxidermist, he said he never got a fall bear hide that did not have a lot of fat on it.
When you were face to face with that bear, was it bear season?
I am hoping for a big bear this year up in Maine. The outfitter has been e-mailing me with last years bear that did not get shot and sighting this year of some big black bears in his bait site areas. He is telling me of a few 400 pounder's, a 500 and one that might go 600, he calls him knot head. He said 2 bow hunter last year did not shoot him because they got so excited or something happened to where they could not even pull back there bows.
Needle to say, I am getting excited about the up coming hunt in August and my handguns are ready to go.