There are so many guided bear hunts to pick from, that I do not envy hunters who try to compare, over the phone, the size of the trophy each outfitter has to offer.
Essentially, there are 3 recognized methods used to score a Black Bear:
While the skull measurement is the only official scoring method for record-book purposes, the weight and the squaring methods are commonly used. The former is widely used in the eastern States and Provinces of Canada and some western States like Oregon. The latter is commonly used across the middle/western States and Provinces.
Nevertheless, my viewpoint is that each method corresponds to a different hunting style. Purist trophy hunters would only swear by the skull measurement. Average size bear hunters would use the weight method and, to be honest, not even weigh the bear but give it a guess. Hunters who want their name entered in a bear weight measurement contest would obviously consider weighing their harvest. Practical trophy hunters would use the squaring method, sometimes complemented with the skull measurement method.
The region determines the method that is most used; let me pick on Quebec for example. Size of the bears are very average and more commonly spot-and-stalk hunted or hunted with dogs. In these scenarios, the “first seen, first kill” rule applies. Likelihood to kill a trophy bear (in the book-record sense of the term) in these scenarios is rare, therefore the weight measurement is usually used to compare one to another. If an outstanding bear is harvested, then a more official measurement method is used.
Good trophy size bear coastal regions essentially use the skull measurement method as they are the ones contributing the most to the book-record entries.
In Western and Northern Canada, the most commonly used method is the squaring of the hide; the region has a significant contribution to the record book, but it produces even more 7 footers whom might not make a book-record bear. Again, after harvest and squaring the bear, it might be complemented with a skull measurement.
The Weight:
In eastern States, like in Pennsylvania, contests are organized every year. It’s all about who got the biggest in terms of weight. As a result, this is the most commonly, not to say the only, means of measurement used. While the method looks very simple on paper (kill a bear, and put it on a scale), it is not as easy to put in practice. Of course, you first need to kill the bear. And then you need to either drag it to a place where you have a scale available or hang it to one of these hanging scales which require;
1. To have the hanging scale with you,
2. To find a way to hang the scale way up in a tree; and,
3. Lift this 700 pounds bear to hook it to the scale.
Now, if your option was to take it back home and you want to keep the meat, you gutted it in the field. The weight back home can only be an estimate based on the field dressed weight.
Because the weighing of the bear is most often an estimate, it is by far the least accurate and official means of scoring a bear. />
The Skull measurement:
This is the only Boone & Crockett recognized scoring method. Therefore, it is the most official method which is also the most accurate. Measurements of the greatest length and greatest width of the skulls are added. That’s it. A Black Bear must score a minimum of 20” to make the Awards Book and 21” to
make the All-Time book. 18” to be recorded with Pope & Young.
The Squaring of a bear:
Some of you have never heard of this term. I know it since everyday I have to educate some of my prospective clients about this measurement method.
First and foremost, we are talking hide square here, meaning the measurement of the hide laying on a flat surface. This has nothing to do with the measurement of the length of a bear hanging, from toe to nose. And I can name many outfitters out there who advertise 7-foot bears (without specifying that they
are talking length only) which only score a 6-foot square hide, leading their customers to confusion and maybe illusion.
The squaring of the hide of a bear starts with 2 measurements: A = tip of nose to tip of tail and B = from front claw tip to claw tip while the hide is laying flat, naturally stretched. The 2 measurements are added
and divided by 2: (A+B)/2. Most of the time A is greater than B but exceptions exist.
This method is not as accurate as the Skull measurement method in the sense that the stretching might impact the result by a couple of inches. But the most common discrepancy comes from the cut on the chest. If a client asks for his hide to be skinned to make a full mount, then I typically do not open cut all
the way to the jaw to minimize the stretches at the taxidermist. As a result, the tip of the nose does not extend as much as if the chest was cut all the way. In this case, an approximation is used that might impact the result by another couple of inches.
The squaring of a bear method is a very practical method which can be used in the field and does not lie on the size of the bear. I think that this is why this has become the outfitters’ most used method of measurement of a bear.
A final comment on these different methods; none of them take into consideration the genetics of the bears. It is known that some areas produce B&C book-record bears that are 6 footers. And some areas producing 7 footers who rarely make it to the B&C book-record. Maybe that an official scoring method that would be a combination of the two would be more universally used.
]]>I had to google it; how many 200”ish whitetail made it to the Boone & Crockett so far. First, we have to keep in mind that the world record typical whitetail deer is 213” 5/8 and was harvested in 1993 (and yes it was in western Canada). Then, from all time, only 13 typical whitetail have been recorded over 200” as per the B&C book of records. And only 3 out of these 13 were harvested after 2000, in this century.
Chances to come across a +200” would increase with a non-typical. And I mean it when I use the word “chance”. I cannot think of an outfitter who would ever “guarantee” a customer a Trophy whitetail over 200 B&C.
I wish you a happy season.
Franck Besseat
Owner Outfitter
]]>Deer hunting - as going out there to kill a deer - is also a no brainer exercise. Apart from trying to outsmart the animal in the wilderness to find it, it comes down to having the skills to deliver the shot.
Trophy hunters still look for the excitement, but they have learned to contain it. Then, they master game identification. In a split of a second, they know what they are dealing with; age and whether the antlers growth has reached maturity. They have also taken their shooting skills to the next level; accuracy in their shot placement, seeking a 100% lethal 1st shot rate. They also know their limits by not taking this half mile long shot crossing their fingers that it’s going to work out just fine. Most of the time, a trophy hunter does not need to walk down his stand to know if the shot is lethal or if it’s a big miss. He just knows and acknowledges failure, if any, with humility.
These 3 elements of trophy hunting – excitement containment, trophy size identification and shot placement – take time. Which means it requires a calm and quiet attitude. As my dad always taught me when I was a kid trying to shoot my first snipe in the woods; “Take your time son: a deep breath, wipe your eyes, and then take your stand. There is pleeeenty of time.” And for years, I thought; “How could he say that? I have less than a second to place the shot.” Well, it took me a few years of hunting before I killed my first flying snipe through the woods. My success rate increased when I realized that it’s all a matter of mindset. A second can be short and can also be an eternity at the same time. It depends on the brain conditioning.
Having said that, I like to spend a day to observe my new hunters when they come to my camp. It does not take long to identify if they have developed the mental strength it takes to carry this quiet and calm attitude of the true trophy hunter. They usually pay attention to things and carry this consciousness in their daily attitude. And if they don’t, I’m always happy to welcome deer hunters who want to cross over to trophy hunting. My job is then to help them to get there, successfully, with a sense of accomplishment.
Franck, Owner Outfitter
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]]>Which brings me to the second point of what responsible hunting means to me; the conservation of our natural resources with an emphasis on the wildlife and their natural habitat.
Let me take an example. As an outdoor professional, I feel that it is my duty to run what I call my own Deer Quality Management program which encompasses:
The latter component of responsible hunting is the active participation in Conservation and local community programs oriented toward enhancing wildlife and their habitat, but also by bridging the gap between hunters and the community.
Here is a very simple example. In 2018, Alberta Conservation and The Food Bank teamed up to launch the Alberta Hunters Sharing the Harvest Program which enables hunters to share their harvest through approved meat processing venues to help feed those in need of high protein meat. Simple things can make a big difference.
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