Ann, Keep these statements up and the PETA people will be wanting a govt financed dental program for the critters.

Interesting thread.

Looks like disease or an old injury.

Indeed, life must be tough out there.

A friend once shot an average mountain grizzly off of a gutpile once. They found that the maturing bear had been once fitted with a radio collar that hadn't been removed or broken free. It had cut deeply into the flesh of the neck, and was a continuous, open, puss-filled wound. Essentially, a bear with a 24" neck was in a 20" collar.

They were happy just to put the poor thing out of it's misery.

I was the outfitter on this hunt, my son was the guide and I assisted in fleshing the hide and skull. I also took a number of photos of the skull and hide during the process. Over the past twenty-five years I have seen a half dozen bears with similiar injuries. It is my opinion as a guide as well as trained Wildlife Biologist that the majority of these injuries are caused either by other boars (the big ones always have major scars and injuries obtained from fighting) or from kicks from moose or caribou. Virtually every spring I witness bears taking moose calves and the cows are fearless when attacking and driving off bears to protect their calves. A few years ago I inspected a large bear skull taken by a client of Joe Klutch that had four inches of his lower jaw broken off and which had healed and were hanging loose similiar to this bear's teeth. The big boar was taken at his den in the spring and the area outside of the den was littered with caribou hooves and bones so he was no doubt a predator.
There was no scar tissue in the hide nor any sign of a bullet wound so I seriously doubt that was a cause. It was just a fine old large bear showing the various injuries obtained by a life lived in the wilds.
It was also taken by a real hunter who worked hard and was fully appreciative of the animal he was hunting.

You have a real nice one there . I think it was caused from being kicked from a moose or caribou , both of which are very powerfull in there own ways , especially when protecting there young during calving or themselves . You have a great one , keep on hunting.

cbass55