Black Bear Track ID

Photo by: Scott Mogilefsky

Imagine you are walking on a trail during elk season and you come across a set of these on a trail.  That is what happened to us during the elk hunt in 2011.  It's not a cause of panic, but it will certainly raise your level of situational awareness.  Now instead of just looking to see where the elk are, you need to make sure you don't have an extra member of hunting group.  After all, you are in their house now and they might want to see what you are doing there.  One rule of thumb I use whenever I suspect there could be bears or mountain lions in the area is I look behind me every third step on my left foot.


Since this picture was taken in Utah, I have a pretty good idea what type of bear this is.  So, how can I tell if this is a black bear track and not a brown bear?  The first thing I noticed were the toes and of course the claws.  Black bear toe prints are farther apart and have more spacing between them.  Brown bear toe prints will touch each other.  Black bear's also have a good size toe arch.  Line up an edge from the base of the large toe to the front pad and the other end will go between the middle and tip of the little toe.  Brown/Grizzly bears have a smaller arch in their toes when using this same measurement. 

A little confusing?  Here is another method: Find the lowest point outside the largest toe.  Then find the highest point on the front edge of the palm pad.  Connect these points together by extending a line in the print.  One line will go from the middle of the print (the pad) to the big toe.  Then use the same method to the tip of the small toe to the middle pad connecting the line.  If more than half of the little tow is below the line, this track belongs to a black bear. Remember to check for the spacing between the toes as well!  Using this same method of measurement and the toes are above this line, claws are 2"-4" long with little to no spacing between the toes, then the tracks were made by a brown bear.

Photo by: Scott Mogilefsky

Black bear claws are usually around and inch and a half long. A brown bear's claws will be two to four inches long and clearly visible. The length for black and brow bears will vary in different regions, the terrain and manly what the bears lifestyle consists of. If they are climbers or diggers, the claws will be a little smaller. Once you have identified the type of bear in an area, report it to local wildlife officers or campground management. This will allow them to determine if the bear is a threat, too close to people or people are too close to the bear and they will be able to take the appropriate actions of needed.