Nice bear, hope you guys get another.

Congrats.Nice bear.

That’s a lot of dog food!

It was a brutal spring S Kodiak. Ground was frozen when we arrived on 4/11. Not much snow even up high, but ice everywhere. Frozen waterfalls, drainages, and ice hanging off the bluffs along the beach. Then combine the cold ground, and below 40 temps with storm after storm and it was a super slow spring. Only got 6 days of hunting on the first hunt. Didn’t pick up until the last 4-5 days on the second hunt.

Cool

You're hunting the Peninsula, right? Skull will lose some size as it drys. Will 25 green get a guy in B&C after drying? Assuming a hunter would want to jump through the hoops?

^^^^^
After the 60 day drying time, the minimum for the Awards Book is 26", All-time Book is 28".
Yes, we are hunting the Peninsula.

I thought it was 23?
After the drying period what you think it’ll lose, 1/2” total or so?

^^^^^^
I really don't pay much attention to skull sizes, how much they shrink I'm not really sure about, but I'll bet you that guys have figured out ways to make sure that they don't shink too much during the 60 day drying period.
I think maybe the 23" you're thinking about applies to grizzlys, not brown bear.

Yep, your right waggler. I was looking at grizz.
After a bit of looking, sounds like if it’s stored in the “normal” conditions the average skull will lose 1/4-1/2” total. I guess the bigger the skull, the more it might shrink?
My only affordable shot a at grizz would be going with a buddies uncle in Yukon.

Looks like hunters can get their bear to the lower 48 with the right paperwork too, unlike the polar bear.

Interesting, I only pay attention to skull size as hides can be unreliable when measured by some. Not meaning you as you have much more experience than I.

Nooksack, that is an impressive demeating job on that skull.

Can’t see any rubs from that angle. Big sow? Pretty bear.

So what did that skull measure, Nooksack?

I guess I meant that I don't like to hunt with "making the record book" a priority.

BTW, an update on the hide size. I had given my hunter the measurements; length plus width being 208" ÷ 2 = 104. The hunter made the mistake of using his phone to calculate 104÷12 he came up with 8.66, he figured that meant 8'6", he forgot that decimal was not inches. Actuall size 8'8". That doesn't sound like much, but many folks if you tell them you shot an eight and a half foot bear, they assume you are rounding up.

Newhouse, a boar, one little rub that only a trapper might notice.

Still hunting for the dad's bear, saw three today, two too small, one decent one unapproachable due to wind direction; maybe tomorrow.

I always liked hunting fall bears. Not as thick of a coat and shorter claws but not as many worries about rubs.

Grumpa thanks, but I can’t take credit for that the hunter did that while I fleshed the hide back at camp.

Mt, adfg measured it when sealing at 27 3/8” above avg. but not a monster.

Waggler I don’t promise anything and like to talk to the hunter about what they are hoping for before we start to get a good clear understanding of what we are looking for. Some guys like the hunt as much as the bear. Of course some hunters that changes as days go by, both what they want, and how much they enjoy glassing in inclement weather. Others are willing to pass until the trophy they want comes along. Sometimes that means more than one hunt as I’m sure you know.