CO Bear Regs for a Meat Hunter

[Poser]

This is my first season bear hunting in CO.
I don’t have any interest in keeping the bear hide, but since I have to check it in, curious about some regulation clarification.

Do I need to bother messing with the claws, or can I leave them in the field?

In terms of the hide itself for a check in, what constitutes a “hide”? Does it need to be the nose to tail, complete hide?

Anything else I should know?

 

[mlevimadden]

I've checked a bear in colorado. They require the skull to pull a tooth, proof of sex, and in case of a female they measure a teet to make sure she wasn't nursing. I don't know if you could bring a small patch of fur with the genitalia attached, but I would definitely confirm with a warden first. You could probably give the hide to a taxidermist for a credit if you are packing it out anyway.

 

[Poser]

I've checked a bear in colorado. They require the skull to pull a tooth, proof of sex, and in case of a female they measure a teet to make sure she wasn't nursing. I don't know if you could bring a small patch of fur with the genitalia attached, but I would definitely confirm with a warden first. You could probably give the hide to a taxidermist for a credit if you are packing it out anyway.

Good idea. I just texted a taxidermy buddy and he said he’d take the hide and pay for shipping.

 

[cjl32]

I put a stick in the mouth to keep it open before rigor sets in. Me and the lady biologist checking in my first bear had a tough time wrestling the mouth open wide enough for her to take the required tooth. Leaving proof of sex attached to one of the hindquarters is required for both male and female. All nipples should be on female hide to be measured at check in.

The punched tag should be attached to meat, not hide. A seal will be attached to hide during check-in. You will also get a check-in receipt with your seal number that you can look up your bear's age online when they publish the age info. You will be told it should be posted by May. It is never posted by May. Never. Usually June or July.

 

[Billy Goat]

I'd check with DOW but everytime I have checked in they measured the whole hide, nose to tail and girth.

As much as you need to take out I'd leave the paws on. Might find something to do with the claws.

They want to know the location of kill, pretty specific too.

Don't know how much free time you have during the week but it seems like they like to check them in 8-5 during the week.

 

[orionthehunter1]

Oh geeze not this thread again. You need to take in the whole hide you do not need to take the meat. They have to pull a tooth so having a stick or something keeping the jaws open is helpful. You only need one testicle attached to the hide if its a boar and yes they will ask. For sows you do you need teets attached and yes they will measure them to make sure it is a dry sow. Do not adhere to advice from the thread last year that stated you could take a patch of hide in and be good that is completely false. You will also be in a world of trouble if you show up with a hide and no paws attached. I saw it happen two years ago and that guy got hammered.

 

[Poser]

Oh geeze not this thread again. You need to take in the whole hide you do not need to take the meat. They have to pull a tooth so having a stick or something keeping the jaws open is helpful. You only need one testicle attached to the hide if its a boar and yes they will ask. For sows you do you need teets attached and yes they will measure them to make sure it is a dry sow. Do not adhere to advice from the thread last year that stated you could take a patch of hide in and be good that is completely false. You will also be in a world of trouble if you show up with a hide and no paws attached. I saw it happen two years ago and that guy got hammered.

Thanks for the detailed the info. So, in the case of the bear, the testicle (I usually skin them out and keep one attached elk and deer) need to specifically be attached to the hide for check in, not a piece of muscle like with elk, correct?

Out of curiosity, what’s important about the claws to a biologists? They already have the age info from the tooth. Somekind of black market demand?

 

[orionthehunter1]

Yeah just leave one testicle attached to the hide naturally, the other with a hind quarter. I believe the claws and gall bladder are big black market items.

 

[cjl32]

Testicle, Penis or Vulva should remained naturally attached to the meat hind quarter, not hide. Filled out carcass tag should be attached to meat, not hide. I use a zip tie. The meat is considered the carcass not the removable hide.

Page 16 or the big game brochure details these requirements.

It may not seem like a big deal how you do it but if you get a jerk checking your bear in they will hammer you. How do I know? I personally saw it play out when I checked in my first bear. I had a nice biologist checking in my bear while another hunter was being checked in by a game official that must of had a really bad day. The other hunter had two ice chests in the back of his truck. One ice chest had the bear quarters and the other contained the hide and the carcass tag. Official berated the hunter about not following the requirements, almost yelling, and wrote him a ticket for not having the tag with the meat. I understand the hunter messed up, but the tag was literally two foot away from meat in the adjacent ice chest. Nice young lady checking in my bear said it was a common mistake and she just corrects hunters and allows them to put tag with the meat without the fine. Explained that it's common for hunters to have tag in wallet or in cab of truck because they don't want to lose it. Official gets finished with his hunter and then proceeds to double check the biologist with my bear. I had proof of sex and tag attached to hind quarter. No doubt he would have given me a ticket if anything wouldn't have been exactly as it should be.

 

[Poser]

Thanks for the info

 

[Bighunt531]

So do they confiscate the claws from your bear??? If so thats wrong