tlp335,

Yup, it is indeed Roy Pattison(Sentinel Mt. Safaris). The green hide of the one bear I killed on my first hunt measured just over 8' from nose to tail when laid out flat. When we first spotted it, Roy swore it had to be a grizz. -TONY

DB--any luck on find your bruin spot?

Do you want to do a spot and stalk afair or bait?

I've been a far gone bruin chaser here in Montana for years, most years I'll look at between 60 and 70 of the critters. All we hunt for is something that will go in the top 100 ever taken in the state, this will be a bruin that will go between 19"-20. For the bruins over 21" there has only been about a half a dozen of those entered.

Are you looking for a big skull, or a big hide?

There are more than a few colored bruins here, this last spring my wife passed up quite a few. In that bunch were 2 blondes and one redhead that looked like a 200 pound red fox! Neat site to see, and fun to watch but certainly not a big bruin by any stretch of the imagination.

I can speak for Montana and feel quite comfy with what I say but I would bet that when bruins go over an honest 6 foot here that I would bet that they are gonna be black. And once they start to get into that truly big category (say 6 1/2 foot plus)then they are 99.9% of the time are black and pretty much tip to tip.

In Montana, there are a very few true 7 footers taken each year but unless you were to dedicate all of your time and efforts I would not plan on seeing one of those brutes let alone taking one.

Let me know if I can be of any more assistence. I do some guiding here for bruins and the two outfitters I work for have a lot of bears in their areas. But, they do not have very many that are large and colored (say 19" skull and 6 foot plus) by Montana standards.

My wife and I did get our 15's on a big brownie this spring but he was on the chase and not interested in anything but companionship. Oh well, perhaps we can find him in Sept.

I also know of one other big brown phase he may break 21", I've hunted him for 3 years. Perhaps he and I will meet again one of these days, I see him each spring but just have not gotten on him yet. Sure is awesome to watch him though.

I'm rambling, I do love the bears, that and Coues deer and yotes and I need nothing else to hunt again....grins

Gotta run, have a great weekend

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dogz