Bear Size ~

[brotherbear]

From "Trip to the Toronto Zoo" post #10 by GrizzlyClaws: I think the Alaskan peninsula grizzlies were even larger than the Kodiak bears.

357 kg vs 312 kg based on the average. 
 
( in my own words )... 357 kg = 787 pounds / 312 kg = 688 pounds. Roughly a difference of 100 pounds. That's not much when talking about these behemoths. Which of these big coastal brown bears is the biggest has been the subject of discussion a few times in the past. I personally believe the biggest of these is more a matter of individuals than subspecies; ( is subspecies a term still acceptable? ). The heaviest ( wild ) brown bear on record weighed in at 1656 pounds ( 751 kg ). He was a Kodiak brown bear. But, so few big brown bears are actually weighed that this proves nothing. In the Boone and Crockett Club, all of the record bears, according to the skulls collected, are Kodiak bears. Again, this proves nothing. I have learned that the size of a bear cannot be determined by either skull size nor foot print size. Also, the peninsula grizzly has a narrower skull. I once read that Kodiak bears have the thickest heaviest bones of any brown bear. I would think that the Kamchatka bear would have the same. 
Attempting to get an accurate average weight for a mature male brown bear of any given population is a tricky business. To start with, they must all be weight during the same time of year. IMO the best time would be during the Summer months. Then, they should all be within a tight age group; I would say from 10 to 15 years old. We can forget about stomach contents. We are not likely to find a brown bear on empty. I would call this a draw. Your thoughts?  Reply