Avoid killing sows with cubs. It is illegal to shoot sows with cubs. Leave evidence of sex attached to your bear hide until sealing is complete. We look for evidence of sex on hides during sealing. You are required to leave the penis sheath or vaginal oriface on the hide until we seal the bear.
Black bears can look deceptively large.
We recommend that you place a marked stake at your bait station to gauge the size of bears you see. Large adult male bears tend to be taller than 33 inches when standing on all 4 feet. Adult males have larger home ranges and may take longer to find your bait. Females have smaller home ranges and may visit bait more often. Although it is legal to shoot a marked bear, we prefer that you do not shoot these bears because they provide us with valuable information about how frequently sows have cubs, what age the cubs disperse, and home ranges size.