Wish I'd grabbed a bear tag two years ago when I went out to Colorado.

boy that looks like a grizz....no hump though. is that the best way to distinguish black and griz?

Shape of the head is quite different.

Definitely not a grizzly, just a beautiful color phase black bear. I first heard it then caught glimpses of it moving through the brush. From the color of the torso I first thought it was a cow elk which is what I was hunting at the time. Size wise I'm guessing 250 lbs? I watched it from 100 yds or less for about 15 minutes. If I'd had a tag, its rug would be on my wall right now.

Man that makes me sick. I tend to buy bear tags not to shoot bears but apparently to insure I don't have that happen. I'll be buying another this year as that color phase bear would be an awesome trophy. Thanks for posting the pic.

Saddlesore,

What do you think the odds are of seeing one in 2nd season in 54? Never hunted (nor seen) a bear in the Gunnison Valley but I know they are there. I tried to get a tag for 1st rifle 2 years ago because my cousin had seen a real bruiser of a blonde hanging out not far from the cabin, but the tags were gone by the time he mentioned it. Will mid-October be pushing it for them to be den'd up? If there is somewhat of a decent chance at one I'll try and snag a tag, grab a left over cow instead of the either sex tag and focus more on the bear, then shoot a cow if I happen to come across one. Might not be a bad idea, since the cow tags are B's, which means I could still get a left over for 4th 551 with my family, or a 2nd B for 54 in December...hmmm

I don't think the odds will be that good unless you can call one in. You'll have lots of hunters for company in 2nd season, and the bears won't be hanging around.

I don't agree.Last year there were three bears working the area I was hunting and that was in 2nd season.1st season gets a lot more pressure. One boar follwed me up a trail and as I sat along the trail,I watched him sniffing my trail. He followed up to within 100 yards and I stood up.He took off thru the timber.The next night the same bear pulled part of a 6x bull out of a tree that young hunters had hung there. Thursday night ( it snowed Wed & Thur), a sow and cub got on the front quarters of the cow I shot .Luckily it was frozen solid and all she did was drag it around and then went back to the gut pile.I chased her off when I got there Fri AM to pack the front quarters out.This was right at timberline. Another bear was tearing up camps over the next ridge.

We usually see at least one bear each year just bumping into them.

Chances are not all that good of seeing one, but we do not actively go out and hunt them.I'd bet if a guy went out and stationed close to fresh gut pile,he could tag a bear.

I plan to buy an OTC bear tag this year as I'm tired of feeing them my elk.

This year,becasue of the drought and lack of food,they are going to be more active and get on those gut piles,hunters or not.

Milehigh.Why not get one of the 2ns season only OTC/cap Either Sex tags. No sense having to pass on a a bull if the opportunity presents itself.You can still buy the cow 'B' tag.

If I really wanted to kill abear,I'd look at the east side of the Sangres, Medano or Music pass area.

Sweet , Me Too!! We saw a huge Black and one Color phase while Elk Huntn Last year. Gaurantee we try and pick up a couple tags this year

Saddlesore,

My plan was originally to get the either sex tag, still might. But now I'm thinking about trying to get one of the OTC capped bear tags for 2nd. Normally I would just do like you suggested, get the e/s, and still be able to hunt 54 in Dec for a B cow, but then I wouldn't be able to hunt 4th cow because that is an A, as is the e/s 2nd tag. Guess I better figure that out quick lol. Of course if I go for the B cow for 2nd I KNOW I'll end up seeing a bull...damn Murphy and his law. I usually only hunt cows, have only carried a bull tag 2 times since they got rid of the draw a cow/buy a bull system many years back. Always been a meat hunter. Last year was my first dedicated bull hunt, didn't see anything but 2 cows. Working on points for a ML tag in the next year or two to really have a good chance at whacking some horns.