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Course Outline

If you are going to hunt black bear, you must know the bear characteristics! Look for a combination of characteristics.

Black Bear Characteristics

  • Straight face profile
  • Tall pointed ears
  • No shoulder hump
  • Short claws: front claw, 1½ inches long

Grizzly Bear Characteristics

  • Dished face profile
  • Short rounded ears
  • Shoulder hump
  • Long claws: front claw, 2 to 4 inches long

Color and size can be misleading. Learn how to identify bears. Visit FWP's new bear identification website.

Black bear versus grizzly bear
  • Unit 8 of 10
  • Topic 5 of 5
  • Page 3 of 6