When it comes to trophy judging big game animals in Alaska, it isn’t easy. Field judging bears, what we specialize in hunting at Becharof Lodge, could be the most challenging in North America. This is because bear skulls are what’s measured for the recored books, and skulls are covered by fur, skin, fat and muscle, making them impossible to see, unlike antlers or horns.

Whenever and wherever you hunt bears, there are specific characteristics to look for that will help size-up the animal, or field judge it. Here, at Becharof Lodge, we’ve watched a great many brown bears while guiding hunters over the decades. Following is what we look for when trying to tag a trophy bear. While we gauge the size of brown bears using these attributes, they also apply to grizzly and black bear.

1. The Walk
Experienced bear hunters often say, “You’ll know a big bear when you see one.” But that doesn’t help new hunters, or hunters who continually pull the trigger on small bears. However, the statement does carry merit, and it has to do with their gait. You can actually help field judge bears by they way they walk

The first thing to look for in a big bear is his walk. If his bulky hind quarters seem to rotate independently of his front shoulders–almost like they’re two separate units–then you’re likely looking at a big bear. The bigger his back-end in proportion to his front shoulders, the greater the chance you’re looking at a bear worth taking.

2. Front Leg
Next when field judging bears, look closely at the front leg. If the shoulder and elbow are the same width, with no evident elbow being seen when the bear stands broadside, then it’s a mature bear. If the width of the leg continues all the way down to the paw, it’s time to get excited.

When the bear walks, if there’s no differentiation between its foreleg and paw, then it’s a big bear. If you see a visible “flipping” action of the front paws, at the wrist, when the bear takes a step, you’re looking at a small bear. The greater the thickness in the lower leg, to where it matches the width of the shoulder, the bigger the bear.


3. Forehead Divot

All mature boars develop a triangular divot in the center of their forehead, just above their eyes, and this is important to know for field judging bears. This triangle forms below where the cranial muscles attach to the back half of the skull, along the cranial ridge. The bigger the muscles atop the head, the bigger this divot appears to be. The divot is more visible in black bears than brown or grizzlies, due to the color and length of hair.

If the divot appears, but is more elliptical than triangular, and runs from above the eyes to the top of the bear’s head, it’s likely a mature bear but not a big one. If there’s a definite triangular divot situated above what looks like thick muscle and fur between and slightly above the bear’s eyes, then you’re looking at a probable shooter.

 

4. Small Ears
When field judging bears, many folks look at the ears first, but we save it for the next to last step because we’ve been fooled too many times. Not until steps 1, 2 and 3 check-out do we look at the ears.

If the ears appear small and turned out to the side of the bear’s head, and all other checkpoints have held to our standards, then we’re likely getting excited. On big bears, the ears appear to almost lay flat across the top of the head. On really big bears with well developed cranial muscles, the tips of the ears will actually lay slightly below the top of the head. The bulging forehead muscles that create the triangular divot are the same muscles that push the ears to the side of the bear’s head.

If the ears appear pointed atop the bear’s head, you’re staring at a small bear. If they are slightly turned but still appear pointed, you’re looking at a good bear, not a great one.

5. Dragging Belly
The last thing we look for in a big bear is a sagging belly. This is often times relative to the area you’re hunting, the time of year, food availability and how harsh the previous winter was. One of the biggest bears we’ve seen while guiding brown bear hunters at Becharof Lodge had two feet of daylight under his belly. All of the other four checkpoints proved favorable, he was simply a skinny bear.

Typically, however, big bears have big bellies. This is especially true in the fall, even late in the spring and early in the summer, when bears have had time to feed.

Generally speaking, the bigger the bear appears on the outside, the greater the size of his skull will be on the inside. Of course, you never really know just how big a bear’s skull is until it’s caped out, which is what makes field judging bears so difficult. Expect to make mistakes, but don’t be too disappointed when it happens, as that’s how we learn and it’s the learning that makes us better hunters.