Bear Facts

Bear hunters. On Tuesday, we did a story on a black bear attack and I thought I'd remind you of the difference between black bears and grizzlies. Greg Losinski from Fish and Game: "Spring bear hunters where there are both black bears and grizzlies, all the bears are emerging. What that means is that hunters need to be aware when they are out that they are sure of their target. In most areas we do have legal black bear hunting seasons so it is very important to know your target before you pull the trigger.

But just a few obvious differences between the two species. Black bears have no prominent shoulder hump whereas grizzlies have a very prominent hump. The front claws for the Black Bears are 1 to 2 inches long, for grizzlies 2 to 4 inches in length. Black bears have tall ears that stand straight up and the grizz has short, rounded ears. Color and size are not reliable indicators and should not be used to identify species. Lastly, almost every state fish and game website has illustrations of the differences so that you can be absolutely sure to have a safe, legal and successful hunt. Remember we have done stories on bear spray that show affirmatively it is as good a deterrent, if not better, when you are confronted with a threatening bear and may not be able to comfortably shoot in time.