The Largest Black Bear Ever Caught In Montana

Despite their name, not all black bears are the same color. For example, some are a rusty-red color or brown. Additionally, the Alaska glacier bears are blue-gray, while the spirit bears of Archipelago Island in British Columbia are white. Some natives believe that spirit bears can swim well underwater and transport people to magical places in the water’s depths. However, despite the various colors, most bears in this species are black. Furthermore, some of them have white patches on their chests. Other features include long ears, a relatively straight profile from forehead to nose, a short tail, and small, dark eyes.

Many people mistake a black bear for a grizzly bear, but it is pretty easy to tell the difference between them. Black bears are smaller and darker than grizzlies in areas where these two species occur together. Their ears are a dead giveaway since black bears have longer ears, while the grizzly’s ears are more rounded. In addition, black bears have a straighter profile from the head to the nose. Grizzlies have a dished-in facial profile, larger shoulder humps, and longer front claws, which are evident in their tracks.

Black Bear Size

The size of black bears varies depending on their location. For example, they are smaller in areas where food is scarcer. However, on average, they measure three feet tall at the shoulder and 75 inches from nose to tail. Male black bears can weigh over 600 pounds, while females barely exceed 200 pounds, so they are significantly smaller, making the species dimorphic (males are larger than females). That’s why the largest black bear ever caught in Montana is such an achievement. But Montana is not the only state with massive black bears; they occur all over the USA.

Black Bear Distribution

American black bears inhabit areas over most of the North American continent. Therefore, they are often found in Canada, Alaska, the United States, and even as far as northern parts of Mexico. Due to their variable diet, these bears can survive in several types of habitats. For example, they occur in deciduous and coniferous forests and open alpine habitats. However, finding them on the Great Plains or other open areas is unusual. To sum it up, they can basically survive anywhere food is available and an abundance of trees.

Largest Black Bear Caught In Montana

According to Boone and Crockett Club, the largest black bear ever caught in Montana measured 13 5/16 in length, and 8 4/16 in width, resulting in a final score of 21 9/16. This specimen was hunted by Ian K. Chase-Dunn in Mineral, MT, on June 10, 2020.

Montana is an excellent state for bear hunters as much of it comprises state and federal land. Therefore, most of that land is available for hunting, assuming it is legally accessible by navigable rivers, public roads, or adjacent state or federal land. The best game to hunt in Montana includes elk, whitetail deer, mule deer, mountain lion, and bear. Furthermore, Superior, Montana, situated in Mineral County, forms part of the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks’ Region 2, which allows hunters to hunt nine species of big game:

• Bighorn sheep
• Elk
• Whitetail deer
• Mule Deer
• Antelope
• Black bear
• Mountain lion
• Mountain goat
• Moose

In addition, Region 2 also permits the hunting of all three species of mountain grouse.

Largest Black Bear On Record

According to the Boones and Crockett Club, the largest black bear skull was found on July 1, 1975, along the edge of the Manti-La Sal National Forest, east of Ephraim, Utah. While these bears typically prefer the shelter of trees, they are occasionally seen in the sub-alpine meadows. Such was the circumstance for Alma Lund and Merrill Daniels, who stumbled across the record-breaking skull in 1975. Unfortunately, they couldn’t determine the cause of death, but they did identify it even though the summer heat caused the remains to severely decay. Here are the trophy stats listed on the Boones and Crockett Club’s website:

Boones and Crockett use a specific measuring system, which was used on the black bear’s skull, which received a total score of 23 10/16. However, this is only an inch more than the previous record, so their estimates were met with skepticism. Therefore, Lund and Daniels decided to ship their findings to the Boone and Crockett Club’s Washington, D.C. office so experts could examine the skull. It was determined that their estimates were accurate after undergoing careful comparisons with other specimens and alternative identification criteria.

Where Is Mineral, Montana Located On A Map?

Mineral is in the Northwestern part of the state, near the Lolo National Forest, between the Bitterroot Mountains and Clark Fork River. Montana is located in the Mountain West region in the northwest of the United States. It shares a border with Idaho to the west, Wyoming to the south, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, and the following Canadian provinces to the North: Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/Lynn_Bystrom