Another test: Grizzly or Black Bear track?

greg223

greg223

Active member
My wife and I went for a walk early this morning and we found this fresh track in the mud. This is an area where both species of bear are found. The round is .44 mag for a size indicator. It is a front paw. If you found this track, what kind of bear would you say made it and why?

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I would have to say a large black bear by the size and I also don't see any claw impressions in front of the toes. at least that I can see. with that information and what I can see in the mud probly black bear. just a guess
 
Looks like a front paw that slid in the mud. Judging from the size (just under 5"?) it could be either a full grown black or younger griz.

I'm not sure whether I'm seeing claw marks or not in the picture. Where I think there might be claw marks they are pretty far in front of the print, which would definitely point to griz. If those aren't claw marks, then I'd lean towards black bear.

It would be easier to tell from scat. You could look for the bells. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
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It would be easier to tell from scat. You could look for the bells. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif


If the scat smells like pepper it's griz.
 
This track doesn't give us a lot to work with by photo alone, but looks like you didn't have a whole clear print to work with.

The roundness of the front of the pad looks like black bear, as does the matching curve of the toes. Grizzlies tend to be straighter than blacks. Size tells little about species unless the bear is humonguous.
 
First photo below is a grizzly track in Northern Rocky Mountains. Track made in soft melting snow in afternoon, photo taken early the next morning when everything was refrozen. Taken with disposable camera, not a clear definitive shot but FWIW. Cartridge is 30-06 with bullet seated long.


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Photo below is of two grizzlies of different sizes in slick mud, neither huge, in northern BC interior. Some tracks a week or more old, some a few hours old. Wish we had a clear black bear track to compare. The grizzlies have a straighter front edge of the pad, less curve to it and the radius of the toes than black bears. Disposable camera, wish I'd had a camera along capable of detailed close ups.

It would be good to have a forum devoted to tracks. We could build a reference photo catalog of animal tracks.

Can't get anything but a dinky photo to show. Too small to see much detail.

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Another attempt to post a larger version of the grizzly tracks in mud, to show more detail. Black bears will often show claw marks in mud, but not like these. Black bear claws are finer tipped at the point, curve in a tighter radius, just don't look like grizzly claws at all. Black bear claws if they show in mud will be fairly fine points going straight down into the mud not far ahead of the toes. Grizzly claws usually extend well ahead of the toes, shoving into the mud at an angle. Grizzly claws are more the size and shape of fingers on a man's hand when lightly curved. Black bear claws will curve 90 degrees from base to tip. Grizzly claws are for digging (and are often worn off blunt as human finger tips). Black bear claws are well designed for climbing trees.

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Wrong, wrong, you are all wrong. There is no doubt, that what greg223 has taken a picture of is a adolescent Sasquach. And NONYA, you of all people should have known that. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Bullmastiff, you are absolutely right. NONYA, why did you let us make such a mistake? You could have kept me from over-focusing on bears and not paying more attention to the obvious: the critter's foot slipped in the mud. That should have tipped us off that it was a young toddler sasquatch (or a drunk one, but the foot is too small).

I believe the correct appellation is sasquirt for the little ones, but a track this size is likely a teen age sassyquatch.
 
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