How to tell between a boar and a sow ?

SharpShooter

New member
I live down here in New Mexico and our Black bear season was extended. I've never been bear hunting before, so I was wondering if anybody knows how to tell if the bear is a boar or a sow
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Please let me know ASAP, so that way I can know what to look for when I go hunting. Thanks, Shawn
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[This message has been edited by SharpShooter (edited 10-01-2001).]
 
That is going to be a tough one unless you can get very close like hunting over a bait or have some very high quality optics and look at the bear in question over real well from a distance.

The toughest ones are the small and medium sized boars that are about the same size as a adult female. If its a big bear there is probably not much doubt it is a boar.

The first thing I look for is to make absolutely sure there are no cubs in tow with the bear I am watching. Then look at the physical characteristics of the bear. Boars to me look more evenly proportioned in size, the shoulders and hips are more evenly matched or the shoulders look bigger than hips. Females to me look like the hips are bigger in proportion to the shoulders.

If you watch long enough with a spotting scope and the bear gives you a chance you can sometimes see the teats on the belly if its a female. I watched a bear one time for a couple of hours wondering if it was a male or female. The bear got tired and laid down to take a nap and rolled over onto its back and stretched out just like a person would through the spotting scope I could easily tell it was a boar even though it was probably 600 yards away.

Also since male and female bears urinate differently look look for a slightly different color on the butt of a female bear(where the urine runs over the hair) and hair in this area is usually longer.

All in all its a hard thing to do and always be 100% accurate. Its kind of like seeing a coyote at 150 yards, is it male or female tough call. Experience will be your best teacher. Get out and hunt as much as you can and look over as many bears as possible. All bears have a way of looking big if you haven't seen very many.

Hopefully Steve Craig or Bob R will see this question. They would likely have some good advice for you because I am by no means an expert at it.

Good luck.

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[This message has been edited by Lonny (edited 10-01-2001).]
 
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