You know what they say a PETA person a day keeps the dentist away.

My buddies father in law shot a really old bear several years ago that was missing a few teeth and had a perfect 38/357 caliber hole angling up from the top of its mouth and out the side. It would have angled out thru the musslce of the skull. It was a bullet hole that had healed around the opening, its face was quite scarred up, and didn't have any ears left. It was definately a tough old bear that had long since seen his prime. I would hate to know the story of where that bullet hole came from in his upper jaw, must have happened with pistol just about inside its mouth. I'll try to take some pictures next time I make it out to the lodge.

I cleaned two blacks this spring and assisted in one other.

Mine, a 7'2" square blackie had bite marks in front of the rear leg, lower ab., starting to puss up.

My second one was bitten on the front shoulder.

The last one a friend got was bitten also in two places on the side. His squared 7'.

I don't think it is an easy life out there.

Magnificant creatures, aren't they !!
The damage that i see looks as if it is in a line that would be from the front lower left of the lower jaw and extends upward and right to the upper right jaw taking bone and teeth in the k-9 region. Bone and teeth are missing from left of centerline to a tad right of centerline of the lower, and a really big chunk of bone (and corresponding teeth) on the right upper. I think that for a hoof to do that much damage, it would have had to break the hinge on either side at the back of the lower jaw. Does that look to be the case? A rifle slug could have put a hole from lower left to upper right but wouldn't have caused the extensive bone loss that you see. It could have been a start, though, and the bear could have broken his own jawbone apart over time. Another bear could have taken some teeth and a lot of flesh, but again, i doubt the extensive bone loss. If it was another bear, i think that you have the winner... a fight that viscous would have had only one survivor. A shotgun slug or buckshot at very close range would do what you see, as would a brow tine backed by a large bull moose. If i know the area where he was taken, my big money would bet on the brow time... my littler money would go for a territorial dispute with another bear. Would be interesting to know.....
That IS a nice bear, and the damage so the skull only adds to the package. .......Well done.......